Finding the right balance between having a green lawn and not spending a fortune on water bills can be difficult. That’s why it’s important to properly zone your sprinkler system. Knowing how to best set your sprinkler system can ensure your grass, garden, and shrubbery are all getting the precise amount of water they need. While we here at Dolan Landscaping can help you properly zone your sprinkler system and use it to its fullest potential, let’s review the best way to organize a sprinkler system for maximum efficiency.
Determine Water Pressure and Flow Rate for Your Sprinkler System
The maximum water pressure and flow rate are going to inform you of how many sprinkler heads your system can efficiently utilize, how far apart they can be spaced, and the range of water spray. You can determine this information yourself by purchasing a pressure gauge and consulting the sprinkler system’s owner’s manual, or you can entrust the job to a professional sprinkler technician.
Map Out Your Lawn’s Watering Needs
You can start this process by drawing a rough overhead sketch of your property. Using this map, mark the areas of your property with the most grass, flowers, and shrubs. It may take some time to map out these zones, but it’s essential to organizing your sprinkler system. You can then install sprinklers to ensure maximum coverage of the areas most in need of water based on your sprinkler’s spraying radius.
Adding Sprinklers to an Existing System
If you expand your landscape and now have an additional zone to cover, you can add a sprinkler to your irrigation system. This requires finding the main supply line, extending another pipe from it, and properly setting up the sprinkler’s control box. However, it’s difficult to install another valve on your control box, so it’s best to hire a professional.
Schedule Your Sprinkler System to Reduce Wastage
Instead of running your sprinkler system daily, schedule it to run twice a week. Grass and flowers only require an inch of water per week, so set it up to spray half an inch on two separate weekdays. This also allows the water to penetrate the topsoil and avoid wastage from evaporation or run-off.
Knowing how to organize your sprinkler system can improve the health of your landscape and save you money on your water bill. However, it’s vital you set it up right, which is why the installation is best left in the hands of a professional. At Dolan Landscaping, we can map out your landscape and set up your irrigation to best serve your property. If you looking to improve upon your landscape, contact us today.