We all know that sprinkler systems free up our time ... but do you know that this can also free up your money? You may think that by manually watering the lawn, you save water ... but if your sprinkler systems are properly designed, it will reduce water consumption, improve the appearance of your home and - depending on the size of your lawn - free up a lot of your precious time.
One of the few home improvement projects you can do that really makes your life easier is the installation of a sprinkler system in the yard. No one likes to water the gardens, flower beds or lawns, or move lawn sprinklers attached to the hose every 20 minutes. Installing a sprinkler system automates the entire process and lets you forget about whether your yard gets the water it needs. Of course, the easiest way is to install an automatic sprinkler system when you first build a house or plan your landscape design, but it’s also easy for a landscape designer to add irrigation to your yard after the fact.
The effectiveness of automatic sprinkler systems depends on three main components: 1) design, 2) installation and maintenance, 3) management. A properly designed and supported system can be very inefficient if it is incompatible, but proper management is difficult if the system is not properly designed ... it can be a vicious cycle.
Recently, in Orlando (and in the rest of our country) the need for water conservation and more efficient irrigation has led to the development of better sprinkler systems. All of these systems have one thing in common: they move water to where it is needed, and then dissipate it as needed. Over time, the sprinkler systems have become very complex and high-tech in their control systems. Their work can now be controlled by a computer to respond to the time of day, the amount of water present and the temperature outside. Systems can be stationary or mobile.
In principle, sprinkler systems consist of a network of hidden pipes interspersed with sprinkler heads that spray water with elevated lawns, plants, trees and bushes. There are several different sprinkler heads that allow you to spray water over a desired area. Some examples are impact, surface, pop-up head, bubbler head and many others that you can choose, depending on the needs of your lawn and the climate in your area.
You (or your landscape contractor) must create a drawing of your property indicating the location of your water meter and main line and identifying slopes, trees, shrubs, sidewalks, driveways, your home, or any other objects in the yard. Try to include information such as the sun and ground cover material, including grass and shrubs. Then measure the water pressure with a pressure gauge. It is important to have an accurate reading in order to prevent costly damage to your sprinkler system.
You are now ready to contact a landscape specialist to determine where your sprinkler heads should be placed. With a proper plan, you can be sure that your sprinkler system will work efficiently for many years ... saving you valuable time and money.
