Sprinkler System: What Is the Common Setup Equipment Used?
A sprinkler system is an irrigation system that uses pipes, sprinkler heads, and valves to apply water to a lawn or garden. It sprays water in a way that mimics rainfall.
Sprinkler systems are highly efficient in applying water to lawns and garden crops like maize and cabbage. It’s a powerful addition to maintaining a beautiful, lush landscape and a healthy garden. However, you need to understand the components and tools used in sprinkler systems for proper installation and maintenance.
Essential Components of Sprinkler System
You may think that a sprinkler system contains only pipes, bolts nuts, and sprinkler heads. Well, a complete system contains them and more. Here are the essentials.
Sprinkler heads
They are one of the most important parts of a sprinkler system. Sprinkler heads are designed to distribute water over a specific area and come with varying volumes, nozzles, and flow rates.
Common types are pop-up, fixed spray, impact, gear-driven, rotary, and oscillating sprinklers. For instance, fixed spray heads emit water in a fixed pattern, making them ideal for medium-sized areas like flower beds and lawns.
Rotary heads rotate to cover larger areas and are suitable for athletic fields, expansive lawns, and golf courses.
Adjustable heads allow users to customize the spray pattern and distance, providing flexibility in watering different areas of the landscape.
Backflow Preventer
A backflow preventer is a mechanical device that prevents water from flowing back to the water source and ensures it flows in only one direction. It’s installed at places where you turn off your irrigation system. This is an excellent solution if you’re using fertilizers and chemicals in the irrigation system.
Irrigation Controller or Timer
This is the brain of the sprinkler system. The timer sends a signal to valves on when to open and close. In larger farms, sprinkler systems are divided into zones, each covering a specific area. The irrigation controller allows you to automate irrigation with different water schedules.
Each valve controls a set of sprinklers and opens or closes after a specified duration. When the runtime ends, the controller signals the valves to close and the cycle continues to another valve.
Piping and Fittings
Piping is a network of pipes that transport water from the main source to the sprinkler heads. They can be either below or above the ground. They connect to valves using fittings which are then connected to the sprinklers. They are connected using components like swing joints and adapters.
Piping can either be;
PVC which is lightweight and durable makes it a popular choice for above-ground and underground installations.
PE piping which is flexible and well-suited for underground installations.
CPVC is similar to PVC but ideal for extremely hot areas.
Common fittings in sprinkler systems are;
Elbows that change the direction of the piping.
Tees that are used to create branches in the piping to allow multiple connections.
Reducers connect the piping of different sizes to reduce or increase the diameter.
Couplings join sections of the piping together in a straight line.
Adapters connect the piping to other components like valves and sprinkler heads.
Valves
Valves control the flow of water in each zone of a sprinkler system. They are responsible for opening and closing the water supply to different zones or sections in the system.
The main control valve is positioned near the point where the system connects to the water source. It serves as the primary shut-off valve for the entire system.
Zone valves are installed at various points along the piping network to divide the system into separate zones. Each zone corresponds to a specific area of the landscape covered by sprinkler heads.
Pressure-regulating valves control the pressure of water within the system to optimize the performance of the sprinkler heads.
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