Finding the Right Irrigation System for Your Lawn’s Layout

August 18, 2016

Finding the ideal irrigation system for one’s lawn can be extremely overwhelming and challenging at first, driving the person to beg the question of where to start. Fortunately, this straight-forward guide will make this entire process a whole lot clearer.

This step simply cannot be left out. To start off, make a map scale, setting one inch equal to one foot, or whatever the person prefers. Try to be as detailed as possible, including all objects such as trees, lawns and other things of the like. Most importantly, keep note of where the main source of water will be coming from. Be aware of all possible obstacles, including gas, electric, and other lines of the like. The gas or electric company can provide this information upon request.

Before creating a sprinkler system, one needs to know the necessary operation pressure, which is generally 40 to 50 psi for a large majority of houses. If the water company isn’t able to provide this information, one can always measure their water pressure with a pressure gauge by closing all faucets within the house and attaching the gauge to an outside spigot. One can easily obtain such a gauge from a plumber in Ann Arbor MI.

The second thing that needs to be known is how much water flows through the house at one time. This rate is measured in gallons per minute. In most cases, one should be able to obtain this information from their water company in Ann Arbor MI with no problem. If for some reason one cannot obtain this information, they can always easily measure their water rate themselves by simply filling up a gallon bucket. If the gallon bucket fills up in 20 seconds, then the actual rate would be three gallons per minute.

Once done, one can finally move on to the rough draft map. This, of course, isn’t the map of the property, but the future design itself. Fortunately, an irrigation supplier can give one a sample design once they look at the person’s original layout, which was drawn in the very first step. Both maps give one a good general idea of how much area their irrigation system covers. As a general rule of thumb, one wants each sprinkler to overlap by at least 50 percent in order to allow sufficient, even coverage. Although all of the above covers the basics and essentials, there are several additional tips to keep in mind as well.

Additional Tips to Consider:

• Draw spraying circles to see exactly how much ground each sprinkler covers.
• Try not to use different brand sprinklers, as each one operates at slightly different pressures.
• Make sure to not add too many sprinklers, as doing so will not allow enough pressure to circulate.
• Make certain that all measurements are accurate, down to the hundredth of an inch if need be.
• Create a list of all the materials needed for the project.