How to install a sprinkler system in your yard

It should come as no surprise this is the No. Obviously, the larger the lot the greater the overall cost will be as additional materials and labor will be required, but other factors come into play as well: The slope of the yard, type of landscaping , number of sprinkler zones required, type of soil to be excavated, type and brand of components selected, and any local permits required.

For many, the sheer convenience and ease of use of an irrigation system is sufficient reason to purchase one, as not everyone enjoys the challenge of manually watering their lawn several times a week.

Having the ability to automate watering schedules and frequency allows homeowners to stop worrying about finding the time to water their lawns and gardens. An automated irrigation system also allows homeowners to spend time away from their home without concerning themselves with how or who will water their lawns.

Another major benefit is the ability to water during optimal times of the day and deliver the exact amount of moisture needed for the types of grass and plants being irrigated. Common consensus within the lawn care community is the optimal time to water a lawn is during early morning hours before full sunlight occurs. Watering before full sunlight helps to prevent excessive water evaporation from occurring allowing more time for lawns and gardens to properly absorb needed moisture.

Watering after sunset introduces the potential for diseases and fungus to develop, as the lawn remains moist overnight. Utilizing rain and moisture sensors, an irrigation system also can deliver the right amount of water needed for each zone of your lawn and garden, helping to remove all guess work from the equation.

Since overwatering can frequently be as detrimental to certain types of plants and grasses as lack of water, having the ability to automate and control this vital component is definitely one benefit that should not be overlooked. An often overlooked benefit to irrigation systems is potential monthly utility savings with reduced water usage. With the optimal time to irrigate a yard occurring during early morning hours an automated irrigation system can ensure this occurs as much or as little as needed once programmed by the owner.

By consistently avoiding irrigation times later in the day the water required for proper irrigation will be less in volume versus watering later in the day when a larger percentage of moisture will be lost to natural evaporation. A good example of this is the use of a soaker hose system within a garden bed where the volume of water needed for proper irrigation may be far less than what a typical full size sprinkler head is delivering to the main yard.

You can start by assembling the PVC pipes and the poly pipes. Other items such as the PVC cement and the primer are also important when fitting the valve manifold. When assembling the valve manifold, you need to avoid having trouble with the water supply. One end of the valve manifold should join the main water supply line to complete water channeling.

It would be best if you also clamp and tighten the components to secure the water supply. The other end of the manifold connects to the PVC pipe. You can then attach risers using degree connectors at every flag that you set during the first step. The risers will play an important role in holding the sprinkler heads in place once the setup is complete. The next step should be to install the sprinkler heads. Before installing the sprinkler heads, ensure that you flush water through the system to remove any debris.

It would be prudent to go for high-pressure sprinklers or guns to ensure the best outcome. It might be problematic if you install the sprinkler heads while the pipes have a partial blockage. Once you clear the debris, the sprinkler system will begin to work with greater efficiency. Once the trenches are clear, you can then proceed to install the sprinkler heads.

After you receive your estimate and give us the go ahead, the Commercial Lawn Irrigation crew will perform all of the utility locates. This is actually a frequently asked question from our customers. Our crew has extensive experience performing these locates, and on the off chance something is severed during the install process, we take care of the repairs as well.

When we design your sprinkler system, we do so using design principles centered around zones and head types, based on how wide and deep your property is.

With a wide-open area, we use adjustable rotor heads, while on the sides of houses the yard typically narrows, so we drop down to pop up spray heads that spray a nice mist. Certain yards may also necessitate the use of mist heads. Drip irrigation zones are one of our other specialties. We find that areas of landscaping with more fragile plant life, or even full-blown gardens or greenhouses, benefit most from these slow-drip irrigation zones.

No matter what, we also take into consideration plant types and water needs when envisioning your future spray zones. In most cases, we use square or triangular spacing with head-to-head coverage, which simply means that one head pops up and sprays up to the next head.

Our crew will typically be pulling into your property around 8 or 9 in the morning to flag the head locations. The typical turnaround time for a normal-sized yard up to an acre is one day. When our crew first begins the install process, it will look like a mole ran through your yard, but the most important thing our crew keeps in mind during installation is the aesthetic of your property.

With the sod out of the way, use a trenching shovel, garden hoe or mechanical trenching machine to dig a 6- to inch deep trench for the sprinkler line.

Then, dig a hole for your zone valve box. Note : Trenching machines can save a huge amount of time and effort, especially when installing large sprinkler systems. If you decide to go this route, you can rent a trenching machine from many home improvement and equipment rental providers. For your water supply connection, you can either use an above-ground spigot or an underground main water line. If connecting to a main water line, turn off the water at your meter.

Cut into the pipe with a pipe cutter or hacksaw and splice in a tee fitting with an outlet diameter the same size as your sprinkler line. Starting at your zone valves, begin laying the sprinkler lines into the trench with the appropriate fittings. Whenever necessary, use a pipe cutter or hacksaw to cut the pipes. Connect tee fittings at each point a sprinkler head is being installed, with the open end of the fitting pointing straight up.

If using PVC pipe, thoroughly prime and glue each end of the connection to ensure a watertight seal. You can also use pipe clamps for a stronger connection. For PVC pipe, apply thread seal tape onto both ends of the risers. Thread one end of the riser into the tee fitting on the sprinkler line, then thread a sprinkler head onto the top of the riser. For poly pipe, connect a piece of tubing from the tee fitting onto your sprinkler head the same way you attached the rest of the fittings.

Place the zone valve box over the top of the zone valves and mark around the areas the bottom of the box contacts the sprinkler lines.

Measure the height from the bottom of the hole to the top of the sprinkler lines and transfer that measurement onto the marks on the box. Use a hacksaw to cut out the marked-out area on the box for the sprinkler lines to fit around.

Walk the entire length of the sprinkler line while looking for leaks coming from cracks in the lines or poor connections at the fittings. Finally, bury the sprinkler lines and zone valve box with the dirt you removed, while allowing enough room for the sod to sit flush with the surrounding grass.