Helpful Information
Regularly watering your lawn is an important aspect of landscaping care and maintenance. However, your yard might be too large or you don’t have enough time to water it by hand every time. In that case, an irrigation system might be the solution for you.
A water irrigation system will automatically water your lawn and help with water conservation. The team at American Irrigation Repair is here with some tips on designing a perfect irrigation system for your landscaping.
What Is an Irrigation System?
Irrigation systems consist of a series of pipes, pumps, valves, backflow preventers, and sprinkler heads for watering your lawn. The main benefit of irrigation systems is you can program them to turn on at specific times and water your lawn on its own. Most irrigation systems divide the yard into distinct ‘zones’ that connect to the same valve.
Irrigation systems are controlled by an irrigation control mechanism, which is basically a clock that tells your sprinkler when to turn on and off. Older irrigation systems use a conventional control that has preset irrigation scheduling while modern systems have smart, automated controllers that respond to local weather, temperature, and water conditions to optimally water your yard.
Tips for Designing the Perfect Irrigation System
Below are some professional tips to help you design the perfect irrigation system for your yard.
Draw a Plan
Before doing anything, make sure you draw up a complete plan for your irrigation system, including the location of pipes, the number of sprinkler heads, and the total pressure of the system. You can use graph paper to draw out a scaled blueprint that accounts for your yard’s shape and dimensions. The more detailed your plans and drawings, the smoother the actual installation process will be.
Determine Your Flow Rate
Your yard’s flow rate will be the total amount of water it can emit and will be related to the total number of sprinkler heads you have. For most residential drip irrigation systems, the typical flow rate hovers between 4 and 11 gallons per minute, depending on the size of the yard and the total amount of vegetation. An expert irrigation system company can help you calculate the ideal flow rate for your system.
Have Multiple Zones
Generally speaking, you should never relegate your sprinklers to a single zone. Gardens and landscaping need different amounts of water, so your system needs to be zoned so that they can get different amounts of water at different frequencies. For example, your garden and plants will need more water than your landscaping grass, trees, etc.
American Irrigation Repair & Installation
With over 17 awards under our belt and over 25 years of experience, we are the go-to choice for all of your irrigation system needs in Austin, TX, and surrounding areas. If you would like to discuss installing a new irrigation system, contact American Irrigation Repair online or give us a call today at (512) 943-6080 to schedule an appointment!
