Inground sprinkler system

   / Inground sprinkler system #11  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One other consideration in your area would be draining the system in the winter )</font>

Yep, about 28 years ago I had a neighbor who installed his own system, PVC of course, and he didn't provide for that and the first Winter I think almost all that PVC shattered from one end to the other.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #12  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( One other consideration in your area would be draining the system in the winter )</font>

Yep, about 28 years ago I had a neighbor who installed his own system, PVC of course, and he didn't provide for that and the first Winter I think almost all that PVC shattered from one end to the other.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #13  
See if you can put a selenoid on the well, triggered by the sprinkler controller, to turn the well on while irrigating. Or, design the system to use a flow close to your well capability; that will keep the pump on... You do not want the well cycling; that will wear the pump out.

Use head to head coverage. The spray from one head should hit the head next to it. If not, you will not have proper coverage.

Most spray heads work in the 15-30 psi range, at the spray head. Less than 15psi, and they won't pop up consistently. More than 30psi, and the heads will mist instead of spraying; mist is very ineffective.

Due to friction loss in the pipe, you may need 50 psi at the valve so 30 psi reaches the head, but you only need 30 psi max at the actual spray head.

If you want to use spray on some zones, and impacts on others, you need to split your system so you can regulate them seperately. Also, not many impacts or rotors like 6-8gpm...

Your design pressure and volume may not match your supply, especially static. Your well may not flow 8gpm at 50psi

The best reference I have used is the Rainbird catalog. In my short expierience, I had the best performance and reliability from Rainbird products, although Hunter PGP rotors were nice.

The biggest factor is to find the volume per pressure that your well can flow consistently. You want to flow test your well at like 30psi, 40psi, and 50psi. I believe the Rainbird catalog has that info.

Also, do not buy Home Depot/Lowes/Ace sprinklers. Even the name brands are consumer grade; go to a good plumbing or irrigation place. There is a difference...

Make sure you filter the water before it goes in to your system. Grit from the well will clog your spray heads(make sure the spray heads have thier little filters installed too).

Run bigger pipe for smaller friction losses, especially since you are coming off a well; you want every advantage you can get.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #14  
See if you can put a selenoid on the well, triggered by the sprinkler controller, to turn the well on while irrigating. Or, design the system to use a flow close to your well capability; that will keep the pump on... You do not want the well cycling; that will wear the pump out.

Use head to head coverage. The spray from one head should hit the head next to it. If not, you will not have proper coverage.

Most spray heads work in the 15-30 psi range, at the spray head. Less than 15psi, and they won't pop up consistently. More than 30psi, and the heads will mist instead of spraying; mist is very ineffective.

Due to friction loss in the pipe, you may need 50 psi at the valve so 30 psi reaches the head, but you only need 30 psi max at the actual spray head.

If you want to use spray on some zones, and impacts on others, you need to split your system so you can regulate them seperately. Also, not many impacts or rotors like 6-8gpm...

Your design pressure and volume may not match your supply, especially static. Your well may not flow 8gpm at 50psi

The best reference I have used is the Rainbird catalog. In my short expierience, I had the best performance and reliability from Rainbird products, although Hunter PGP rotors were nice.

The biggest factor is to find the volume per pressure that your well can flow consistently. You want to flow test your well at like 30psi, 40psi, and 50psi. I believe the Rainbird catalog has that info.

Also, do not buy Home Depot/Lowes/Ace sprinklers. Even the name brands are consumer grade; go to a good plumbing or irrigation place. There is a difference...

Make sure you filter the water before it goes in to your system. Grit from the well will clog your spray heads(make sure the spray heads have thier little filters installed too).

Run bigger pipe for smaller friction losses, especially since you are coming off a well; you want every advantage you can get.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #15  
Great comments Robert, I agree with all you said. Worth repeating is to use similar heads on similar runs. Don't mix impacts with pop up spray heads or gear driven. Out here in California everyone uses irrigation and most of it is in the ground. One way or another, you will get to be pretty good at irrigation, either repair or installation. I have a interesting setup at my place. I have two pipes that run to my place, treated water for the domestic needs and ditch water for irrigation. We get the irrigation water much cheaper since it does not go through anything more then a few screen filters.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #16  
Great comments Robert, I agree with all you said. Worth repeating is to use similar heads on similar runs. Don't mix impacts with pop up spray heads or gear driven. Out here in California everyone uses irrigation and most of it is in the ground. One way or another, you will get to be pretty good at irrigation, either repair or installation. I have a interesting setup at my place. I have two pipes that run to my place, treated water for the domestic needs and ditch water for irrigation. We get the irrigation water much cheaper since it does not go through anything more then a few screen filters.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #17  
I looked at home last night, my Rainbird catalog does not have any design info for working with wells. I used to have a couple good web links; I will have to see if I can find them again.

Also, in regards to impacts and spray heads on the same system(NOT same circuit) Rainbird and others make little pressure regulators that go in the spray heads to get you down to 30psi. Have not used one though...

Not sure if they are in your area, but John Deere Landscape suplly is here; they would have Rainbird and others in a contractor grade.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #18  
I looked at home last night, my Rainbird catalog does not have any design info for working with wells. I used to have a couple good web links; I will have to see if I can find them again.

Also, in regards to impacts and spray heads on the same system(NOT same circuit) Rainbird and others make little pressure regulators that go in the spray heads to get you down to 30psi. Have not used one though...

Not sure if they are in your area, but John Deere Landscape suplly is here; they would have Rainbird and others in a contractor grade.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #19  
One thing I did not add. Most spray heads are adjustable, to a point. Always use them between 80-100% of thier range. If you have a 10' head, you can adjust it down to 80%, or about 8'. If you go below 80%, you will get a poor spray pattern. This is true for most other heads too.
 
   / Inground sprinkler system #20  
One thing I did not add. Most spray heads are adjustable, to a point. Always use them between 80-100% of thier range. If you have a 10' head, you can adjust it down to 80%, or about 8'. If you go below 80%, you will get a poor spray pattern. This is true for most other heads too.
 

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