Irrigation systems – or lawn sprinkler systems, as they are often called – can be highly efficient solutions for ensuring that your lawn and gardens stay healthy and green all season+ long. However, improperly designed and installed irrigation systems can waste energy, water, and money. Some homeowners, in an effort to save some money, attempt to install their own in-ground lawn irrigation systems, but without design and installation experience, their results can be far from satisfactory.

In-ground irrigation systems: there’s a lot going on that you don’t see
Most homeowners don’t realize it, but an irrigation system is an underground configuration with pipes, valves, electrical connections, and controls. Not surprisingly, there’s a science to properly designing, installing, and maintaining an irrigation system.

Let’s take a look at what’s involved in a lawn irrigation system:

Sprinkler pipes Think of these as the system “arteries”, taking water from a central source and moving it out to various areas throughout your yard. They create pathways for the separate sprinkler heads to dispense water evenly over your grass and garden plants.  We use high quality pipe, beware, not all pipe is created equal.

Sprinkler heads Two basic styles of sprinkler heads – rotary and spray heads – They can either rotate to cover greater area or stay stationary to irrigate a specific spot. Above-ground sprinkler heads are fixed in place. Sprinkler head size, placement, and movement are determined by the irrigation system design and the size and shape of the area to be watered.

Valves Irrigation valves are devices that control how much water passes through the irrigation system pipes. Valves are perhaps the most complex component in the irrigation system because they are constructed of several different parts which have to work smoothly together. The system timer tells the valves when to open, enabling water to flow at a specific rate through the flow inlet and out of the sprinkler heads.

Controller This is the brains of the operation. The controller interfaces with all the system components and coordinates their use in a series of processes that make up the individual water use cycle. Controllers can be relatively simple devices or sophisticated graphical touch screens, depending on the system design and use.

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into an irrigation system. If you’re considering one for your home or business property, consider using the services of an irrigation system expert like Mike Lynch Enterprises. The residential and commercial irrigation system experts at Mike Lynch Enterprises can design and install a lawn irrigation system designed to meet your specific needs, helping you save money and water while conserving energy.