Installing a sprinkler system will simplify your lawn care routine. The following three tips will help ensure that your system works well and is properly designed for your yard.

1. Check the Water Pressure

Water pressure is not a constant, as it can vary per your municipality. You can get a municipal pressure reading and also a reading for your property by contacting your water district. If you are on well water, then you will need to use a water gauge to determine water pressure. To do this, you attach the gauge to an outdoor faucet. Then, you make sure there is no other water running on the property before you turn the faucet on to the highest setting. The resulting reading on the gauge is your water pressure. The smaller the reading, the less pressure and the smaller you will need to make each sprinkler zone to ensure that water can travel to each emitter.

2. Set Up Useful Zones

Don't simply try to divide your lawn evenly when developing the watering zones. Instead, draw a map of your property on grid paper. Make note of sun exposure, soil drainage issues, and plant types growing in each section of the property. Then, develop your zones so that they reflect the multitude of micro-climates throughout your lawn. For example, the fully shaded and slow draining shrub beds by the house may be one zone, where the large expanses of sun-drenched and fast-draining lawn areas may need to be divided into two or three zones depending on your water pressure. By keeping similar micro-climates and plant types in separate zones you will be better able to set your sprinkler system to only water each zone when it is needed.

3. Use a Combination of Emitters

It may seem simple to use the same type of emitters throughout the system, but this can lead to wasted water and poor irrigation. In flower beds, opt for drip emitters that limit water loss and deliver moisture only to the roots. Bubblers are a good choice around trees and shrubs. Water bubbles up from the emitter instead of spraying and damaging the bark. There are two good choices for lawn areas, depending on how large of an area you need to water. Rotary emitters cover large distances and are a good choice for big lawns if you have decent water pressure. Small spray heads cover less distance, but less water is also lost due to evaporation. Spray heads are suitable for small areas, oddly shaped areas, and for lawns with low water pressure.

For more information, contact a sprinkler installation service like Schaefer  Lawn Sprinklers Inc.