Sprinkler Heads

seansy59 · 02-03-2012, 06:52 PM

I am installing a sprinkler system myself this spring. I have relativly low pressure (40-60psi) and only 8-9gpm.
My yard is a nasty shape. It bends curves, and I had trouble designing the head to head coverage. I planned it out so the sprinklers at least hit each other, and I have rotors planned that are only 15ft-20ft away from each other.Hopefully I can use smaller nozzles and decrease the distance......Wind is also annoying here in the summer. A development down the street from us has Rainbird sprinklers, and they're lawn is sickly green!

, I checked and it looked like Rainbird 5000 plus and have 2.0gpm nozzles. I can't find them online though for a good price though.

Questions Below:

So, I narrowed down to a few different sprinklers. Which are the best for distance/low pressure and reliability to "pop down"? I've seen Hunter sprinklers that love to stick up after watering.....Also, best coverage underneath the stream of water?

- Hunter PGP Ultra
- Hunter PGP-ADJ
- Rainbird 5004 (Rain Curtain?)
- Toro Prostream XL (HomeDepot sells them)

Whats the different from the 5000 plus and 5004 series?
Is it ok that rotors are only about 15ft-20ft apart in some areas?
Are more sprinklers better than not enough? Meaning, alot of the heads drown each other...

jasonreck71 · 02-03-2012, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seansy59

I am installing a sprinkler system myself this spring. I have relativly low pressure (40-60psi) and only 8-9gpm.
My yard is a nasty shape. It bends curves, and I had trouble designing the head to head coverage. I planned it out so the sprinklers at least hit each other, and I have rotors planned that are only 15ft-20ft away from each other.Hopefully I can use smaller nozzles and decrease the distance......Wind is also annoying here in the summer. A development down the street from us has Rainbird sprinklers, and they're lawn is sickly green!

, I checked and it looked like Rainbird 5000 plus and have 2.0gpm nozzles. I can't find them online though for a good price though.

Questions Below:

So, I narrowed down to a few different sprinklers. Which are the best for distance/low pressure and reliability to "pop down"? I've seen Hunter sprinklers that love to stick up after watering.....Also, best coverage underneath the stream of water?

- Hunter PGP Ultra
- Hunter PGP-ADJ
- Rainbird 5004 (Rain Curtain?)
- Toro Prostream XL (HomeDepot sells them)

Whats the different from the 5000 plus and 5004 series?
Is it ok that rotors are only about 15ft-20ft apart in some areas?
Are more sprinklers better than not enough? Meaning, alot of the heads drown each other...

I was in the sprinkler business for years and I would recommend the Hunter PGP-ADJ. You would want to use the 2 gallon per minute noozle so that you can have 4 heads on each zone, and plan on spacing them 25-30 feet apart. go to www.sprinklerwarehouse.com

That is where I ordered all of my stuff, they have free shipping over $150 and you can get everything you need except for the pipe, they have the pipe but the shipping on that is high...If you have any other questions let me know...

In all of my years of servicing I replaced 5 Toro heads of every 1 Hunter head

sdsester · 02-03-2012, 07:13 PM

Your pressure and flow rate are not ideal but workable. You may just need to divide things on to different watering circuits. Cost you a couple more valves.

You did not mention how much you are trying to water? And what? I assume turfgrass given the sprinklers you mention.

You are in luck. I used to design irrigation systems and you definitely do not want to approach things the way you are, even if you had more pressure and flow rate. I need to draw something for you and it will take me a bit.

Meanwhile, have you scaled your yard out? It may take you awhile but why not measure somewhat accurately and put your yard to 1/8" graph paper. Trust me, it will come in handy for other things.

Back at you in just a bit.

sdsester · 02-03-2012, 08:28 PM

Head to head coverage might work but wastes lots of water. The reason I want you to scale your yard on paper is so you can draw a bunch of triangles and some circles on a separate piece of paper. I am going to have you move those triangles and circles over your plot find the best possible place to place your sprinkler heads.

You are going to build the equilateral triangles based on the sprinkler manufacturer performance data. You will build your triangles on the published maximum reach of the sprinklers minus 10-20 percent because all performance sheets for anything lie.

I need to ask. We know you have possible erectile sprinkler head dysfunction. Any other envy issues in designing this system we all need to know about? If a system could be built that used your flow rate and water pressure perfectly but did not wake the neighborhood to say, "I have a lawn and I am going to water it with golf course rainjets? You would be alright?"

You will build the triangles based on the performance of the sprinklers you choose. You may need a couple watering circuits and may only be able to water only half your lawn, perfectly, at a time. Each point of the triangle is a sprinkler head location.

You said it was a weird shape so slide your triangle grid around. You can buy sprinkler heads, templates or adjust the water wasting rainjets with little clips. Be creative.

I am sure box stores do not carry them but I used to specify Toro low drift, finger jet type lawn sprinklers all the time. You mentioned wind drift. May I talk you into an irrigation timer to water when it is healthiest for turf anyhow? And winds are usually not so strong?

Oh well. Here is the drawing showing triangles and complete coverage. You will grasp the concept. You cannot get it trying head to head, I promise.

seansy59 · 02-04-2012, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdsester

Head to head coverage might work but wastes lots of water. The reason I want you to scale your yard on paper is so you can draw a bunch of triangles and some circles on a separate piece of paper. I am going to have you move those triangles and circles over your plot find the best possible place to place your sprinkler heads.

You are going to build the equilateral triangles based on the sprinkler manufacturer performance data. You will build your triangles on the published maximum reach of the sprinklers minus 10-20 percent because all performance sheets for anything lie.

I need to ask. We know you have possible erectile sprinkler head dysfunction. Any other envy issues in designing this system we all need to know about? If a system could be built that used your flow rate and water pressure perfectly but did not wake the neighborhood to say, "I have a lawn and I am going to water it with golf course rainjets? You would be alright?"

You will build the triangles based on the performance of the sprinklers you choose. You may need a couple watering circuits and may only be able to water only half your lawn, perfectly, at a time. Each point of the triangle is a sprinkler head location.

You said it was a weird shape so slide your triangle grid around. You can buy sprinkler heads, templates or adjust the water wasting rainjets with little clips. Be creative.

I am sure box stores do not carry them but I used to specify Toro low drift, finger jet type lawn sprinklers all the time. You mentioned wind drift. May I talk you into an irrigation timer to water when it is healthiest for turf anyhow? And winds are usually not so strong?

Oh well. Here is the drawing showing triangles and complete coverage. You will grasp the concept. You cannot get it trying head to head, I promise.

Thanks for the example!

Picture below is a view of the areas that need to be watered in the boxes. The red dots are where I planned on putting sprinklers (white lines are zones). You can see there are alot of trees........

I would deal with golf course sprinklers every morning if I had to, just to have a great lawn! :P

For sprinklers, I am currently leaning to either the Rainbird 5004, or Hunter PGP Ultra. I hear the Ultra is a better upgrade then the PGP-ADJ.

sdsester · 02-04-2012, 06:17 PM

Looks like you should be alright. I don't have the manufacturer's data though so double check their performance data as far as radius at the psi and flow rate you have availed.