About Lawn Sprinkler Systems

A lawn sprinkler system is a network of pipes and spray heads designed to channel water throughout the lawn and landscaping features of a residential or commercial property. The lawn sprinkler system delivers the right amount of water at the right time of day for optimum growth of grass, trees, flower beds and gardens.

History

Irrigation techniques have been identified as being used as far back as ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, well before 6,000 B.C. Whenever the natural rainfall is not sufficient to sustain crops, irrigation methods are used to bring water to the growing fields. From irrigation canals in the Peruvian Andes circa 4,000 B.C. to water-storage systems in Northern India circa 3,000 B.C., humans have learned how to grow crops in places with insufficient rainfall. The primitive methods of canals and ditches didn't change much for thousands of years, until technology brought motors, pumps and other advances into the solving of irrigation problems. Lawn sprinkler systems use the same principles as does large-scale farming irrigation--pumping in water throughout a series of pipes directly to the growing "crop" (in this case, lawn grass).

Features

Following the journey of water from its source to the lawn gives great insight into how a lawn sprinkler system works. The source of the water is generally the existing city water line. More remote areas may feature a pump that takes in water from a sustainable source, such as a lake or well. The water is pulled through the pipe from the city line up to the sprinkler-system valves. This line is known as a mainline. At the valves, the pipes are split into several lateral lines. The valves control the amount of water going into a lateral line, as well as stopping any water from going back into the clean water supply. The water is then sent past the valves into the lateral lines and out through the sprinkler heads. When water pressure builds up, the sprinkler heads emerge from the ground; when the pressure is gone, the sprinkler heads sink back into the ground.

Benefits

Most lawn sprinkler systems are considered "in-ground," denoting a system that is either entirely or mostly buried underground. This is to keep the landscaping of a residence or business more aesthetically pleasing. Everything from the pipes to the pop-up sprinkler heads to the control valves is located underground.

Warning

A good deal of controversy surrounds lawn sprinkler systems. Many people feel that these systems waste water and abuse irrigation privileges, all for the sake of aesthetics. Many homeowners set their lawn sprinkler systems to overwater their grass. Also, many sprinkler systems have improperly set sprinkler heads, leading to wasted water when sprinklers spray onto sidewalks, driveways and streets.

Expert Insight

To maximize water pressure and minimize wear and tear on the apparatus, most lawn sprinkler systems are set up into zones. A zone is generally one lateral line that is controlled by a single irrigation valve. This line goes out to one area of the lawn, and usually has several sprinkler heads as outlets. A lawn may have as few as one zone or as many as are needed for large areas like parks, baseball diamonds or school grounds. Each zone is governed by an electric controller. Users can program in their watering preferences, such as what time each zone will be watered, for how long and how often. Zones maximize the capabilities of a lawn sprinkler system, because most systems would be unable to openly water each zone at the same time.