Thank you for being clear and explaining this subject. I have an automatic sprinkler system with 4 zones and my water source is ditch water and is supplied from my HOA. My annual HOA fees pay for the use of this ditch water. The HOA supplies ditch water to each property that is pressurized and each property has a brass shut-off valve to turn water off to the property. This brass shut-off valve is located in the front yard and in the corner of the property where the phone pedestal, cable pedestal, etc. are located. This brass shut-off valve is the point of where the responsibility of the HOA ends and the responsibility of the home owner begins. From this brass shut-off valve my water is carried into my property in a 1 1/4 inch PVC line and before my manifold I have a hose faucet followed by a brass gate valve and then the inline "Y" filter. On the discharge side of the filter this 1 1/4 inch PVC line is reduced to 1 inch and this goes into my manifold. All four valves are 1 inch and the water line coming out of each valve is 1 inch. Since there are numerous properties "sharing" this water at any given time the flow rate and pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. I have my timer set to start watering at 8 pm as this is the time when no one else near me is using water. My flow rate is 6 GPM and the pressure is 20 PSI. As a result, my sprinklers underperform and are anemic in their water distribution on the lawn. Each zone has between 6 and 8 sprinklers. I have determined that the piping in each zone is working properly and that there are no brakes in the piping. The 1 1/4 inch line may or may-not have a brake in the line. I have yet to determine what the status of this line is. My house is on a cul-de-sac and all my neighbors have thick lush green lawns. My lawn is not in the same league as my neighbors. Therefore, my problem seems to be with my system and not with the HOA water. The brass shut-off valve at the front of the property does open and close as I have tested this. This valve is open as far as it can open. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this issue?
It would seem that the main culprit is gpm and psi. Especially to run that many sprinklers on one valve with these numbers.Is there a chance of sediment or organic blockage restricting flow? Was your flow rate and psi test done at the first hose bib or elsewhere? Also, check the filters of your sprinklers heads for obstruction. Then I would ask neighbors if they know what their psi and flow rate is. Maybe it is just yours or maybe 8pm is more popular time than you think. Best I can do and I hope you find the culprit.
I know this is an old post but I thought I might pitch in since it's spring time. If those psi and flow rate numbers are correct and since it is ditch water I am not surprised if they are. You are probably looking at 2x or 3x 1/2" pop-ups per zone or maybe just 1 3/4 inch rotors per zone that can run at that pressure and flow rate but it's very low. Landscape folks that design and install sprinkler systems are very likely to get that wrong. One option you could consider before revamping the whole system is adding an accumulator tank and a boost pump at your source. This could allow you to run a zone for say 5 or 10 mins at a higher pressure then take a rest while the pump recovers then run the next zone and so on until you get through your whole system. If you just added zones every where without adding a boost pump it likely you would end up with 60 zones or something. A boost pump setup probably worth it since you likely pay quite a bit less for your irrigation water. The OP suggestion of asking your neighbors how their systems work is a really good idea before you go down rabbit holes. I would like to hear how it worked out for you. Good luck.
Thanks for the video. Is there a formula of how much the pressure decreases for each sprinkler head? I assume each head just popping up decreases the available pressure. Does using a specific sprinkler head reduce water pressure more than other? (ie rotors, rotary nozzles, spray nozzles, impact sprinkler heads…). Does too many sprinkler heads reduce the pressure just mostly at the end or even the first sprinkler head? And what type of sprinkler head still works ok at very low PSI? (I bought a house with a full system set up over 1/2 acre. At the bottom of the hill I tried to test the PSI and I think it’s like 10. There are 14 Rain-bird rotating R Vans and even a drip line to this section. Oh, and does having all the sprinklers in a row off the same line effect pressure any differently than having the main line branch 2 separate directions with the heads off 2 different branches? Thanks. Sorry so many questions.
Answer #1- yes each head will rob a little pressure, but proper sizing of pipe and distance travelled will allow functional pressure throughout a zone. Answer#2- standard spray nozzles use more Gomes than other types. Impact nozzles use the most. Rotors less. #3- too many heads on a zone reduce all head pressures not just at the end. #4- rotating sprinkler heads work best at lower psi. You can seek out pressure compensating filters for low psi as well Finally, a straight shot for plumbing is beat, not practical, but does not rob psi from friction loss in turns and angles. Coach.
@@YardCoach thanks so much for the answers. For your answer number 2 what was “Gomes” supposed to mean? Pressure? Impact use up the most pressure for each one added? And for answer number 3, I’ve fot a zone with too many heads and a drip line also (installed by previous owner). The first 7 heads work great, the next 4, all are downhill, work ok, and last 4 barely get any distance. I was going to try maybe impact at the end so more water but now I’m not sure. Thanks.
Very helpful and informative.
Thanks. Look for us next week when I show how to draw a system out. Tell a friend. Coach
Thank you for being clear and explaining this subject. I have an automatic sprinkler system with 4 zones and my water source is ditch water and is supplied from my HOA. My annual HOA fees pay for the use of this ditch water. The HOA supplies ditch water to each property that is pressurized and each property has a brass shut-off valve to turn water off to the property. This brass shut-off valve is located in the front yard and in the corner of the property where the phone pedestal, cable pedestal, etc. are located. This brass shut-off valve is the point of where the responsibility of the HOA ends and the responsibility of the home owner begins. From this brass shut-off valve my water is carried into my property in a 1 1/4 inch PVC line and before my manifold I have a hose faucet followed by a brass gate valve and then the inline "Y" filter. On the discharge side of the filter this 1 1/4 inch PVC line is reduced to 1 inch and this goes into my manifold. All four valves are 1 inch and the water line coming out of each valve is 1 inch. Since there are numerous properties "sharing" this water at any given time the flow rate and pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. I have my timer set to start watering at 8 pm as this is the time when no one else near me is using water. My flow rate is 6 GPM and the pressure is 20 PSI. As a result, my sprinklers underperform and are anemic in their water distribution on the lawn. Each zone has between 6 and 8 sprinklers. I have determined that the piping in each zone is working properly and that there are no brakes in the piping. The 1 1/4 inch line may or may-not have a brake in the line. I have yet to determine what the status of this line is. My house is on a cul-de-sac and all my neighbors have thick lush green lawns. My lawn is not in the same league as my neighbors. Therefore, my problem seems to be with my system and not with the HOA water. The brass shut-off valve at the front of the property does open and close as I have tested this. This valve is open as far as it can open. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this issue?
It would seem that the main culprit is gpm and psi. Especially to run that many sprinklers on one valve with these numbers.Is there a chance of sediment or organic blockage restricting flow? Was your flow rate and psi test done at the first hose bib or elsewhere? Also, check the filters of your sprinklers heads for obstruction. Then I would ask neighbors if they know what their psi and flow rate is. Maybe it is just yours or maybe 8pm is more popular time than you think. Best I can do and I hope you find the culprit.
I know this is an old post but I thought I might pitch in since it's spring time. If those psi and flow rate numbers are correct and since it is ditch water I am not surprised if they are. You are probably looking at 2x or 3x 1/2" pop-ups per zone or maybe just 1 3/4 inch rotors per zone that can run at that pressure and flow rate but it's very low. Landscape folks that design and install sprinkler systems are very likely to get that wrong.
One option you could consider before revamping the whole system is adding an accumulator tank and a boost pump at your source. This could allow you to run a zone for say 5 or 10 mins at a higher pressure then take a rest while the pump recovers then run the next zone and so on until you get through your whole system.
If you just added zones every where without adding a boost pump it likely you would end up with 60 zones or something.
A boost pump setup probably worth it since you likely pay quite a bit less for your irrigation water.
The OP suggestion of asking your neighbors how their systems work is a really good idea before you go down rabbit holes.
I would like to hear how it worked out for you.
Good luck.
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Thanks for the video. Is there a formula of how much the pressure decreases for each sprinkler head? I assume each head just popping up decreases the available pressure. Does using a specific sprinkler head reduce water pressure more than other? (ie rotors, rotary nozzles, spray nozzles, impact sprinkler heads…).
Does too many sprinkler heads reduce the pressure just mostly at the end or even the first sprinkler head?
And what type of sprinkler head still works ok at very low PSI? (I bought a house with a full system set up over 1/2 acre. At the bottom of the hill I tried to test the PSI and I think it’s like 10. There are 14 Rain-bird rotating R Vans and even a drip line to this section.
Oh, and does having all the sprinklers in a row off the same line effect pressure any differently than having the main line branch 2 separate directions with the heads off 2 different branches? Thanks. Sorry so many questions.
Answer #1- yes each head will rob a little pressure, but proper sizing of pipe and distance travelled will allow functional pressure throughout a zone.
Answer#2- standard spray nozzles use more Gomes than other types. Impact nozzles use the most. Rotors less.
#3- too many heads on a zone reduce all head pressures not just at the end.
#4- rotating sprinkler heads work best at lower psi.
You can seek out pressure compensating filters for low psi as well
Finally, a straight shot for plumbing is beat, not practical, but does not rob psi from friction loss in turns and angles. Coach.
@@YardCoach thanks so much for the answers. For your answer number 2 what was “Gomes” supposed to mean? Pressure? Impact use up the most pressure for each one added?
And for answer number 3, I’ve fot a zone with too many heads and a drip line also (installed by previous owner). The first 7 heads work great, the next 4, all are downhill, work ok, and last 4 barely get any distance. I was going to try maybe impact at the end so more water but now I’m not sure. Thanks.
@wstt4 it was suppose to be gpm or galleons per minute.
Too much chit-chat for me to stay.