Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions About Lawn Irrigation Systems

December 15, 2021

Watering your lawn on a daily basis is not something you want to do manually, which is why you should consider installing an automatic lawn irrigation system. Doing so can help you save a significant amount of time; however, if you’ve never had an automatic irrigation system before, then odds are you have a few questions about it. The following are some of the most frequently asked questions that we get about automatic irrigation systems.

Do Automatic Irrigation Systems Use More Water?

It might seem like a sprinkler system uses more water because of the way it sprays water all over your yard at the same time. However, this is not the case. Automatic irrigation systems are installed in a way to ensure that every part of your lawn gets the exact amount of water that it needs. It’s way more efficient than watering by hand and will help prevent you from overwatering or underwatering, resulting in a lush, healthy lawn. In fact, by using an automatic irrigation system, you’ll save water over the long run, resulting in lower water bills.

Will An Automatic Irrigation System Waste Water When It’s Not Needed?

So what happens when it starts to rain, or when the ground is still wet from recent rain? Wouldn’t an irrigation system that automatically goes off every day end up wasting water — or even overwatering your lawn — as a result? Nope! Automatic irrigation systems are equipped with sensors that will shut down your system if the soil is wet or it’s raining out. As such, no water will be wasted.

It Rains Frequently, Do I Really Need an Irrigation System?

If it rains a significant amount in your area, you might be wondering if it’s worth the expense of installing an automatic irrigation system. It absolutely is! Rain comes and goes with no discernable pattern whatsoever. Your lawn may be watered by the rain for four days in a row, only to experience a dry period for over a week. It would have to rain every three days all year round to negate the need for an automatic sprinkler system. With an automatic irrigation system, you’ll ensure that your lawn is watered properly when needed all season long.

How Does an Automatic Sprinkler System Work?

A sprinkler system is installed based on the layout of your lawn to ensure maximum and even coverage. These sprinklers are hooked up to a controller, which functions as the brain. Smart controllers are easy to program and adjust, and can also be set to automatically adjust your watering based on temperature, rainfall, and more.

Can I Install an Automatic Irrigation System on my Own?

Not easy at all. First of all, you need to be able to figure out exactly where the sprinklers need to be located to provide maximum water coverage. Secondly, you’ll need to dig trenches throughout your yard to install the pipes. This needs to be done without disturbing existing plants and structures. Finally, you’ll need to hook up the system to your water supply. Do it wrong, and you could find your irrigation water flowing back into your main drinking water supply, which would be a disaster. All of this requires professional know-how and experience to do correctly.

Contact Twin Oaks Landscape For More Information

We hope this FAQ gives you some of the information you need to determine whether you can benefit from installing an automatic lawn irrigation system. If you have additional questions, feel free to reach out to us at Twin Oaks Landscape in Ann Arbor, MI, today.