The most common asked question is: Why should I get a sprinkler system installed in my yard?

Well there are several answers and they are all correct!

For instance, many people have installed their sprinkler system for the convenience.  They do not want to water their lawn themselves, and they know that with the proper equipment installed, they do not have to even worry about if it is raining.  The system will not turn on if water is not needed.

Many people have installed a sprinkler system so that they can extend their plant life.  Regular watering has been shown to improve the plants health and appearance.

Many people install a sprinkler system to lower the water usage.  

And still many more people have installed a sprinkler system to increase the market value.  Remember, the key factor in determining the market value is the appearance of the home.

Won't the sprinkler system use more water than I am currently using?

No! As a matter of fact, it will conserve on water.  You will not have to worry about over watering runoff, nor will you have to remember to turn off the hose.  Of course, if you do not water your lawn at all, it will use more water, however look at all the benefits of an automatic sprinkler system.

But will it really save me any time?

Yes! You won't have to waste another minute of your personal time out in your yard with the watering hose.  Your sprinkler system will take care of everything for you, even if you are away on vacation!

I don't see how a sprinkler system will water better than I can by hand.

Well, a professionally designed system will deliver exactly the right amount of water to individual areas of your lawn. If you are currently watering by hand, you may over water in one area, and totally skip another.

It rains a lot here, I don't really need a sprinkler system do I?

Well, look at it this way.  If on every third day it rains the exact same amount, you probably do not need a sprinkler system.  However, mother nature does not work like that, so to insure a healthy lawn you need to make sure that your plants are receiving regularly timed, evenly measured amounts of water.

Will I have difficulty operating the sprinkler system?

When you or your contractor choose the controller, you will set it for your lawns individual needs.  You will be instructed on the operation of the controller, which will make it easy for you to change the watering schedule as is needed. (There is also, normally, a cheat sheet inside the controller's panel, to assist you in operating.)

Here is some information that you may want to look over. It involves the sprinkler system once it has been installed.

• The best time to water is in the early morning, with the watering completed before the sun comes up. At this time the water pressure is the highest, and evaporation and wind are the lowest. Try not to water in the evening, since having moisture on your grass and plants overnight can promote the growth of fungus.
  
• The best time to water is in the early morning, with the watering completed before the sun comes up. At this time the water pressure is the highest, and evaporation and wind are the lowest. Try not to water in the evening, since having moisture on your grass and plants overnight can promote the growth of fungus.
  • In hot weather, most lawns require approximately 1/2" of water every other day. If you have clay soil (which has a slower rate of absorption), applying 1/4" of water every day should reduce run-off and puddling.
  • To find out how much water your sprinkler system is putting on your yard in a specific period of time, run this test.
    • Get a few straight-sided containers (Tuna tins work well). 
    • Place the containers in different spots in the yard that are all watered by one zone. 
    • Run the sprinklers for that zone for 10 minutes, then shut them off. 
    • Now take a ruler and measure the depth of the water in each of the tins. 
    • Next take the average of all the amounts and multiply it by 6. This will give you the average Inches Per Hour (IPH) of water that zone is putting on your yard. 
    • Now you can figure how long you will need to run that zone to get the amount of water to it that it needs.
      • For example: If your average Inches Per hour is 1 1/2", then to get 1/2" of water, you would need to run that zone for 1/3 of an hour (20 minutes). 
      • NOTE: If your tins had a wide range of amounts of water in them, you may have uneven distribution of water in that zone. If so, you may need to run the zone longer in order to get enough water to the weaker areas. This problem could be caused by plugged or blocked sprinkler heads, or improper spacing of the heads.
  • Periodically removing your sprinkler head nozzles and cleaning the filter screen can help eliminate areas of dead grass and plants caused by plugged nozzles.
    
  • For cold weather climates check local codes to ensure that blowing out the system meets all requirements, then slowly close your shut-off valve, drain all the water from the system by blowing the water from the control valves and piping by using a air compressor before the first freeze to eliminate costly repairs.
    
  • For Electronic timers, be sure to replace the back-up battery at least once a year (more often if you have frequent power outages)
    
  • Be sure to comply with all local codes relating to backflow prevention. Most codes require backflow prevention for all sprinkler systems connected to the domestic water supply. This includes the use of either anti-siphon valves (which have a built-in backflow preventer) or a separate backflow preventer (such as a Pressure Vacuum Breaker, a Double Check Valve, or a Reduced Pressure Principle device) which is generally used with in-line valves. Backflow preventers help protect the water supply against contamination.
    
  • Never place any type of valve downstream of an anti-siphon valve. This will defeat the backflow prevention feature of the anti-siphon valve, plus could cause leakage and premature failure of the valve.
    
  • Having too many sprinkler heads on a zone can prevent the heads from functioning properly, causing them to not pop up completely or spray effectively. 
    
  • A sprinkler system can turn a hot afternoon into a cool playtime for the kids. A romp through the sprinklers provides a refreshing break for the young (or even not-so-young) ones.