Before you replace a broken nozzle, make sure you’re replacing it with the right one. Your lawn and your water bill will thank you.
Have you ever run over a sprinkler head and realized you just sheared off the nozzle? Or pulled into your driveway while accidentally running over a sprinkler head?
A trip to the irrigation supply store is likely in your near future. But before you go, know your nozzles — they apply water at different rates.
Mixing different nozzle types without verifying they have matched precipitation rates can lead to uneven watering in your yard. For example, if one nozzle applies water twice as fast as another in the same zone, running both for the same amount of time won’t provide you with a uniform distribution of water. Instead, some areas will receive too much water while others won’t get enough.
For the best sprinkler performance, use nozzles with matched precipitation rates within the same zone. It’s also important to select a nozzle with the appropriate radius and spray pattern to achieve proper head-to-head coverage.
Fortunately, irrigation manufacturers provide spacing and performance data for nozzles, making it easier to select the right nozzle for the job. But it’s not just the nozzle that matters.
The layout of your sprinkler heads can affect how much water your lawn receives. Combining different head layouts can also lead to uneven watering in your yard so it’s best to maintain the same layout throughout any given zone.
For example, matched precipitation rate nozzles installed in a square-spacing layout can apply approximately 1.6 inches of water per hour, and a single-row layout about half that amount, or 0.8 inches per hour.
A sprinkler system may appear to be working perfectly, but the wrong combination of nozzles, spacing and spray patterns can leave your lawn overwatered in one area and thirsty in another. Before you replace broken nozzles, make sure you’re replacing it with the right one. Your lawn and water bill will thank you.
