Installing yard irrigation

Too much or too little water can result in an unhealthy landscape. Still, with a properly scheduled automatic irrigation system, you can rest easy knowing your plants will receive the perfect amount of water. With an automated system, you are free to sleep in, go on vacation, or take the day off without worrying about watering your landscaping.

This type of system can be customized to any size of the property, unlike manual sprinklers that have a limited range of motion. Reduce the amount of water you use to water your lawn or garden with the strategic placement and timing of your irrigation system.

An irrigation system that is used properly can limit waste to minimal. System monitoring is required to ensure top performance. There will be some seasonal maintenance to be performed each spring and fall to prevent damage. Underground pests can wreak havoc on your irrigation system, damaging water lines, or brake components.

Wind can reduce the effectiveness of your yard irrigation system by blowing the water in an unintended direction, resulting in areas that receive too much or too little water.

To learn more about the benefits of a yard irrigation system, or for irrigation system installation or repair, contact us today to get your personalized recommendations. Advantages of a Yard Irrigation System Time Savings Hand watering or using a manual sprinkler to water your lawn or garden requires a significant investment of time. Dripper systems also work well for potted outdoor plants.

If you have a large yard or want to cover more area, you may want to choose another system. Choose a sprinkler irrigation system to cover more distance. Sprinkler heads can water a radius between 3 feet 0. Pick a sprinkler system if you have a large yard that needs even watering. Buy a sprayer or bubbler system as a hybrid between drippers and sprinklers. Sprayers and bubblers have adjustable radiuses and can provide either direct or general attention to plants in your yard. Choose a bubbler or sprayer system if you want to control the amount of direct water flow your plants get at a given time.

They are generally flat and square, with a nozzle on top that sprays a steady water flow. Bubbler and sprayer systems tend to have a smaller radius than sprinkler systems. Part 2. Measure your yard's perimeter and area. Take measurements of the perimeter and area of your yard. Take measurements of the length and width, then multiply these numbers to find the land's total area.

Work slowly to keep the land's measurements as accurate as possible. Purchase grid paper to map out your irrigation system. Grid paper can keep your drawing precise. Assign each grid a certain distance to help you visualize your backyard and plan an accurate layout. You might assign each grid, for example, a distance of 1 square foot 0. Draw an approximate layout of the irrigation system.

Using your yard measurements, map out an approximate layout of your yard. Mark your yard's water source, power source, main plants or garden areas, and areas where you will install the irrigation tubing. Use a pencil while designing the layout in case you need to make changes or correct mistakes. Part 3.

Attach a vacuum breaker to the outdoor faucet and irrigation tubing. Vacuum breakers prevent contaminated water in your irrigation system from washing back up into your home's water supply.

Screw the vacuum breaker onto your outdoor faucet, and attach your irrigation tubing to the opposite side of the vacuum breaker. You can buy vacuum breakers from most garden centers or home improvement stores. Spread the irrigation tubing around your yard based on your layout plans. Cut the tubing with pruning shears when you have reached the end length of your system or areas where you will need to make angles.

Let your tubing sit in the sun for several hours before using it to make it more flexible and easier to work with. You can buy poly tubing from most hardware or home improvement stores.

Use degree fittings to make bends in the layout, if needed. If you want your system to turn at an angle, cut the tubing with pruning shears and press its end into a degree fitting, twisting it in place. Attach the other end of the degree fitting to the opposite half of the tubing to continue laying out your system.

You can also use T-fittings as an alternative using the same method. A T-fitting is a tube that bends at a slight angle to accommodate turns in your irrigation layout. Install a ground stake every 1—2 feet 0.

Hook the top of the ground stake over the tubing and pin it to the ground. This is not rocket science so a 5 gallon bucket and watch will do.

Fill the bucket and then:. The number you end up with is your GPM. Tip: If you don't have a 5 gallon bucket handy you can use any size bucket as long as you know how big it is. Then just swap out the 5 in the equation above and replace it with how many gallons your bucket holds. In most cases in the city the meter size will be stamped on the meter. If your in a rural area and your water comes from a well then you'll need to look search the well lid or even reference the good ole' manual.

Now we know our meter size and water flow rate so you can select the best sprinkler and parts that will suit your home. This is all about the measure twice and cut once method. In fact, this is where most armatures go wrong when installing a sprinkler system. There's not many things more painful than digging ditches all to find out you've wasted your effort and need to redig them.

You need to measure the size of your yard and determine how much ground each sprinkler while cover, as well as its water pressure and the water flow of the supply source. Use flags, posts, or tape to mark the location of each sprinkler in the ground while you are working on it. There are a variety of things to take into account when planning the location of sprinklers, such as the location of trees and plants with strong underground roots, areas of sun versus area of shade, walkways, mulched areas, and other obstacles or structures.

Make sure you plot it so that the coverage border of each sprinkler touches the coverage border of the nearby sprinklers so that there are no dry patches in your yard. At this point, you can decide for yourself if you will be tapping into the main water-service line or connecting the system to a spigot of your own. Either way, you will need some kind of anti-siphon valve, which prevents salt, fertilizers, and other lawn chemicals or minerals from leaking back into the water supply.

The specifications of the backflow prevention will likely be given to you as you call around and do online research in step 1. Again, the specifications here can vary, with some localities allowing a shallow 6-inch trench and others requiring inches of depth.

As you dig, try and make the sides slope at a slight angle; this will make it easier to reach in and handle the risers and sprinkler heads. To make the filling stage easier, separate the soil from the sod so returning them to their place goes faster.