How Does an Irrigation System Work?
Irrigation systems are designed to remove the manual labour of watering lawns and gardens and replacing it with a more efficient and streamline system. Through the use of Spray bodies, rotors, drip irrigation and pop up sprinklers you can have all systems connected to a controller where you can handle all variables, such as, amount of water being used, time of day for watering and watering of specific locations. Through the right products and systems we can have a tremendous impact on water conservation.
Here are Three Tips to Get Started
Firstly an irrigation controller or computer will be needed, the point of the controller is to program and control all systems around the site. Such as the programming of which systems will be used on what days and for how long at a time. Secondly is to determine what type of irrigation will suit your needs. There are a range of different yet effective types to use, if you have a wide open lawn and gardens a rotor system or spray system would be recommended as it has a wide range and can spray up to 360 degrees.
Whereas if you had a more defined and close-knit garden a landscape drip line system or drip irrigation system would be more useful. Lastly is water pressure. It’s great having a new irrigation line(s) put in but if you don’t have the water pressure to ensure each system is receiving its required amount of water then it’s almost useless. Through the use of valves we can regulate outlet pressure at the valve regardless of incoming pressure.
Drip irrigation
Drip lines or drip irrigation deliver water directly to the root area. Use dripline for dense plantings where it’s cost effective to distribute low volume water evenly. Primary areas of application are as follows: thick bushes, single shrub/bush, small trees, ground cover, mixed vegetation garden beds, potted plants, hedges and vegetation on slopes. Drip lines are great at eliminating overspray and wasted water, eliminating soil erosion and water runoff. Depending on the use and need for a drip line they’re primarily laid on ground level or approx 5cm below ground level to provide direct watering to the roots of the vegetation.
Spray & Rotary Nozzle Systems
Rotary nozzles have efficient water distribution through rotating systems that uniformly deliver water at a low precipitation rate, significantly reducing runoff, erosion and wasted water. Most nozzles are fully adjustable from 0 to 360 degrees with purposeful water deliverance.
U-Series Nozzles are dual-orifice (hole) nozzles that have better, more uniform water distribution. Water flowing from both orifices combines to form a continuous water stream and eliminates gaps in watering.
Pop-up Rotor Systems
Rotor systems are designed for large area water deliverance ranging up to 16m in watering distance, so for example if you had a large lawn that was approximately 80 square metres you only need 5-6 pop-up rotor heads to water the entire area. Pop-up rotor systems are great at water saving. They can reduce water waste by 15%-45% and by eliminating pressure variation and over pressurisation, you’ll save water and deliver a greener result.
Valves
The term valve applies to a variety of devices for controlling the flow of liquid. Various valves allow for on-off control, modulation of the flow rate through the system and prevention of backflow. They can also be used for pressure relief or as a safety device. Valves are an excellent means of regulating outlet pressure regardless of incoming pressure. It helps with ensuring optimal pressure performance at the head whilst providing excellent filtration characteristics for maximum reliability in a wide range of environments.
Controllers & Computers
The technology and new features behind controllers and computers have exceeded all expectations over the last 10 years. A seasonal adjust feature is now available on almost all controllers allowing users to easily adjust irrigation schedules to changing seasonal watering requirements. Controllers also feature an automated monthly seasonal adjustment feature to help save water through automatic adjustments. Water savings can also be optimised through daily irrigation schedule adjustments with fine tune watering based on current weather.
If you’re looking at saving yourself some time and money when it comes to watering your lawns and gardens an irrigation line(s) would most definitely be the most suitable option. We have a number of trained professionals at 1300 4 Gardening that specialise in all types of irrigation so should you need assistance or a team to help you with your endeavours, get in contact with our team for a hassle free quote.
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