Hot New Irrigation

The hot new irrigation items this season are Pressure Regulated, and Water Wise.  What do these terms Pressure Regulated and Water Wise actually mean, and do you need these new sprinklers for your yard?  With a short answer, Yes.

• Why has the industry gone pressure regulated?

Many of our yards have too much pressure flowing through the irrigation lines.  Pressure regulated sprinkler bodies have built in features that put a resistance to the flow of water going into the spray body, and lowers the pressure to an optimal level.

Too much pressure can find that you will need to replace a blown out nozzle, or nozzle cap quicker.  High pressure also causes misting which puts more water into the air instead of your lawn.  This water is then evaporated, and considered a loss, but if you're on a metered system, you still pay for this use of water.

This year in the western states, our government launched new regulation that requires us to have our sprinklers and nozzles regulated to 40 PSI max.  With this effort, you can still get the satisfaction of irrigating your yard, without wasting so much water.

• How do I become "Water Wise" with just nozzles?
  

Most nozzles do not work well under pressure.  That is why we need to "Throttle Those Nozzles."  A nozzle that has optimal pressure going into it will release the best amount of water, and give the best coverage that it possibly can.  This helps with lowering over spray, or creating standing water patches in the yard.

The newest nozzles to come out by Rain Bird or Hunter Industries are rated to be "water wise".  These nozzles spray a bigger droplet of water, at a slower pace.  The bigger droplet also helps the spray to stand up to the wind, and lets the nozzle get the water to the landscape instead of all over your hardscape.

Water wise nozzles need you to water longer run times.  This gives the sprinkler more time to give you an even water, and allow the soil to soak up the water evenly and deeper. 

Longer watering times means less times you water throughout the week. When setting up your landscape plan, be sure that your nozzles are spaced far enough part that they can still hit each other with spray.

In some states, by switching to these water wise products, they will sometimes offer you a rebate.  With a quick google search for the water district in your area.  You will be able to see if these savings will add up quicker for you.

Our local district gave us a percentage back in the form of a rebate after we filled out their forms.  One of the biggest requirements for the rebate was to have a valid proof of purchase, for us it was the receipt from the purchase of the new nozzles and spray heads.  It's a quick process, and well worth the time.

If you need help finding great water wise products you can find them here.

Water Wise Products

As always, we are here to help with any questions or answers.  Feel free to reach out to us, and we'll help guide you in the right direction.