A Quick Primer on Sprinkler Systems

Please Read This!

Reading this page is going to help you more than you can imagine at this point. Unless you know how to design a sprinkler system (why are you
reading this?) or have training in hydraulics, it will save a lot of questions if you understand just a little of the basic principles behind irrigation
system design. Ill try to keep it light and easy on the brain cells.
Sprinklers Need Energy
A sprinkler requires two things to operate- water flow and water pressure. When a sprinkler system design fails, it is almost always due to a lack
of water pressure at the sprinklers. This is important because, if you are like 99% of the people using this tutorial, you are thinking solely in
terms of water flow. How much water do I need (or have available) for my sprinkler system? Thats an important question to ask, but it must
go hand in hand with its sister question, How much pressure will I have at the sprinkler? The at the sprinkler part of that question is critical!
Allow me to demonstrate by means of a simple, if not somewhat stupid, example:
Go get a sprinkler, any sprinkler will do fine, even one you put on the end of a hose. Now get a big bucket of water. 5 gallons is an ideal size.
Now place the sprinkler on the ground (somewhere outside is strongly recommended) and pour the water into the sprinkler inlet. Did the
sprinkler operate correctly? Did it water a good size area? NO? Why not? It had plenty of water. Ahh but it didnt have any water pressure!
The water you poured into it didnt have enough pressure to make the sprinkler operate.
Water pressure is the ENERGY that makes the sprinkler do its thing. Water pressure is like the gasoline for the car. Flow is like the distance the
car travels. No gas, no travel. No water pressure, no water flow. (Yes, Ms. Ph.D. in hydraulics, thats not a perfect analogy- but it works for most
people.)
We understand that water requires pressure to push it through the pipes. It also stands to reason that just as a car uses up gas when it travels, the
water also uses up the pressure as it flows! So from the moment the water starts flowing through the pipes of your water system, it is using up
the pressure. We refer to that as losing pressure when designing. Some pressure is lost when the water goes through a water meter. It loses
some more pressure as it moves through the various pipes in your yard and house. Squeezing through valves and/or a backflow preventer eats up
more pressure. Everything the water encounters as it moves from the water source to the sprinkler uses up a small amount of the water pressure.
So here is the key to a good sprinkler system design: After the water gets through all those pipes and valves and reaches the sprinkler head, there
still must be enough pressure left to make the sprinkler head operate correctly. If there isnt, its just like the sprinkler you poured water onto in
the example above. All the water in the world wont make it work without pressure! By using the correct sizes of pipes, valves, etc. you can
control how much pressure is lost in the irrigation system, and that, my friends, is what sprinkler system design is all about!
So heres sprinkler design in a nutshell: Sprinkler design is simply manipulating how much water pressure is lost between the point the water
enters your yard and the sprinkler head. Thats right, you are about to learn how to manipulate! (Come on, youve always had a secret desire to
be able to manipulate, right?)
At the bottom of each page of the tutorials is a link to a glossary. If you run into a term you dont know, click on glossary and look it
up. Warning: The glossary has a lot of my bad puns and weird humor in it.
The Sprinkler System Design Process:
Step #1: Youll learn how to accurately measure your yard and then sketch out the area to be irrigated. Next some information needs to be
obtained. Dont worry, Ill tell you how and where to get it. Well also make an educated guess at an Initial Flow Rate, which will serve as a
starting point for the flow and pressure manipulations mentioned earlier.
Step #2: Well take a look at those things that will eat up your water pressure as the water moves to the sprinklers. Ill show you how to find
out how much pressure each one of those items will use. While were at it, youll learn about sprinkler heads, valves, backflow preventers and all
the other equipment that will go into your new sprinkler system. Youll learn how to tell a good product from a bad one, regardless of brand
names. Then we will manipulate those pressure losses and end up with the actual flow and pressure values you will use for your sprinkler
system. Dont panic, theres a lot of information to cover, but I will lead you through it item by item. It will be easy if you take it one thing at a
time and dont freak out on me!
Step #3: Heres where we actually start drawing the sprinkler system on paper. Finally! You will learn a lot more about sprinklers in step #3. Its
a long wait, but if you had started trying to figure out where to put the sprinklers back in step 1 or 2, like some tutorials do, youd be erasing
them now!
Step #4: Heres where youll divide your sprinkler system up into zones and lay out the piping routes. This is where were going to make the
right decisions to create a sprinkler system that uses less water than most and gives you healthier plants. Bad sprinkler design is a major cause of
turf disease and wasted water.
Step #5: Finally, we will determine the size of each pipe and clean up a few small details. Well look at how to automate the sprinkler system if
you want to.
Congratulations, you are now a sprinkler system designer!

Other Stuff:
If youre in a hurry you can skip the rest of this page. The remaining topics on this page answer a few common questions asked at this point:
Free Designs:
Irrigation design is a deceptively simple looking task. A great number of over-simplified design it yourself pamphlets have not helped the
situation. A few of those pamphlets have even been scanned onto web pages (I was hoping they would be allowed to die a merciful death!). The
current industry trend is toward offering homeowners free computerized designs in place of the oversimplified guides. Im not opposed to
these free design offers; however you should be aware that there is usually a condition attached (such as buy your irrigation materials from the
designer). I will offer the following warning: I have yet to see a computer program that can perform hands off irrigation design. They are
getting better each year, but every irrigation design software package I have encountered requires tweaking of the completed design to obtain a
good irrigation system. So heres what to do. Go ahead and get the free design if you want, then sit down with this tutorial and make sure the
free design measures up! A free design is often a good way to get a running start for your own design. The most common error I see on free
designs is stretching the distance between sprinkler locations, many have small areas where the sprinklers dont provide good coverage. The
theory they are using is that you wont mind a small yellow area if it saves you money. (A reasonable conclusion; you ordered a free design so
saving money is obviously a priority for you.)
Irrigation Design Software
Most irrigation software assumes you know at least the basics about how to design irrigation. The really good ones that do calculations for you
cost way more than you would pay to have a professional design a moderate size irrigation system for you. The less expensive boxed programs I
have seen at retail stores only provide basic drafting tools used to create pretty looking plans. They do not automate any of the tougher design
tasks like figuring out pipe sizes or sprinkler head locations. However, there are a lot of them and I admit I have not looked at all of the programs
available. If you come across a reasonably priced program (under $500 US) that claims that the software will determine the best sprinkler
locations, route the pipes, and give you the correct pipe sizes let me know! Technology is advancing rapidly and I believe the day will come
when such a program will be available.
A behind the scenes look at the tutorial.
So what is it that makes irrigation design so difficult that even the best artificial intelligence computer programs stumble on it? Part of the reason
for the difficulty is that some of the hydraulic principles are rather abstract and hard to understand and apply. The primary difficulty, however, is
that there are many, many variables involved in even the simplest irrigation design. This also creates a problem for me when writing a tutorial
like this one: How do I create a tutorial which can get you through all those variables without frying your brain?
My answer to the problem of making a top-quality tutorial is to attempt to simplify the design process, so that it will take a minimum of time and
learning, while not over-simplifying it to the level of those almost useless pamphlets you get at the hardware store. What I have done for this
tutorial is simplified the mathematical equations, used charts and tables where possible, substituted constant values for a few variables, thrown in
some sample drawings, and glossed over much of the complex hydraulic theory. That eliminates a good portion of the problem. In some
instances, however, I simply cant make assumptions without sacrificing quality. So you will be asked from time to time to provide data. I will
do my best to guide you toward quick and accurate sources from which you can obtain that data. When possible, I will provide data values for
you to choose from. In a few instances, I have made an estimation of the value for you. In those cases I have used a somewhat conservative
value. In other words, I have not used the most conservative value available, as to do so would result in gross over-design most of the time.
Rather I have used a relatively conservative value, which will work in the vast majority of situations. The goal is that when one of these
estimated values is too conservative, it will be balanced by another elsewhere which is too liberal. In the interest of accuracy, I will provide a
technical note whenever I make an assumption. I dont want to do anything behind your back!
Now, lets get started with your own sprinkler design
Easy Tricks for Accurately Measuring Your Yard

Gathering information is the first step for most projects and it is one of the most important steps when designing both sprinkler and drip
irrigation systems. A mistake at this point in the process will affect everything else, so accuracy and care are important. Although the references
here are to a residential yard, the principles apply equally well to other areas. Here are a few tips for getting started.
1. Use a measuring tape or other accurate measuring device. Many irrigation system problems are traced back to inaccurate measurement of the area
to be irrigated. Go ahead and round off numbers to the nearest foot. But keep in mind that a minor deviation of a couple of feet can result in dry
spots! Pacing off the distance using your stride almost always results in errors. If you are being that sloppy at this point, chances are additional
sloppiness later on in the design and installation will compound those errors. Remember that old shop class advise: measure twice cut once? You
thinking having to replace a piece of wood cut the wrong length is bad? Try digging trenches twice!!
2. Draw the area to be irrigated to scale on a piece of graph paper as you measure it. Use a scale of 1 square = 1 foot, or 1 square = 5 feet if needed.
Drawing as you go allows you to quickly catch errors. For instance, say you measure the perimeter of the yard. Eventually you get back to the point
where you started, but you find that the lines drawn on your paper dont meet like they should! Now you know there is an error in one of the
measurements, and you can go back and find it quickly, while its all still fresh in your mind.
3. If there is a building adjoining the irrigated area, start by measuring the buildings perimeter. Most buildings are built with square corners and
straight sides, which gives you a good, accurate base for the rest of your measurements.
4. Use the straight sides of the building as a guide for establishing the perimeter of the area to be irrigated. Measure in a straight line the distance
from each corner of the building to the edge of the irrigated area or property. (Locations to measure are shown in red on the sample drawing
below.) Use the straight edge of the building to line up your measurements. Now you can draw in the property lines on your graph paper using
these measurements. Double check everything by measuring the length of each property line. It should match exactly what you have drawn. Dont
be surprised if you find that an area you thought was rectangular is actually lopsided like the one in the sample drawing! Most pieces of property
arent perfect rectangles.
5. The final step is to draw in the other items that are present in the area. For example, if this is your house, you would need to show the edges of
lawns, tree locations, the location of your pool house, the servants quarters, etc. (Okay, I realize most people with servants quarters dont design
their own irrigation systems.) With the building and property lines drawn it is easy to use the grid on your graph paper to establish the locations of
these items.

How to Measure the Perimeter of the Yard.
Measuring Changes in Elevation
Changes in elevation are also easy to measure. Simply get a yard, meter stick, or long pole. If using a pole, make marks on it one foot or 10 cm
apart, starting at the bottom. You will need a helper and some of those little wire flags used to mark sprinkler head locations. Now you need a
long carpenters level, preferably one about a yard or meter long. Place your pole at the lowest part of the yard. Now place your level along the
side of the pole, at the same level as one of the marks , such as 2 feet. Adjust the level so is level. Put your eye at one end and look across the
top of the level. Now have your assistant place a flag in the ground at the spot you see aligned with the end of the level. Repeat with different
levels and locations in the yard. When you are done you will have a row of flags at the points that are 2 feet above the place where you put the
pole.

Use a carpenters level and a pole marked with distances to find changes in elevation.



Measure Your Water Supply
Now its time to measure your water supply. Measure water? Sure! Water flow is measured in gallons per minute (GPM) and water pressure is
measured in pounds per square inch (PSI).. (Okay, in most of the world the standard measurement is liters per second or cubic meters and
pressure is in bars.) But hold on, dont go grab your bucket yet! In most cases theres no need to get wet. We have better ways to get this
information. The method depends on where you get your water from.
Next Page of Sprinkler Design Tutorial, Select One of the Following Options:
City Slicker Water. Its like, you know, the water just gets here, like maybe in a really, really, big pipe, from somewhere else. You
know? Like, I just get a bill each month and I pay for it, so, like duh, how would I know how it gets here? Its like, I think my whole city gets
their water from the same big pipe too. So like, Im bored by all this Lets go to the mall!
Country Bumpkin Water. You pump yer own water, partner. It may come from a well or maybe a pond or the creek. Its the rural lifestyle, self
sufficient. Anyhow, key thing here is you use a pump to git it done. You may share a pump with a few of the neighbors or kin folk with places
nearby. Yee ha!
Backwoods Water. Doggonit, that there water aint comin from none of them fancy contraptions. It done flows from a tank, a crick, or pond up
on da hill without no help from nutin but gravity. Now get yer butt off ma porch bfor I fill it with a coupler barrels o rock salt!
(Ha ha! My spell checker is sure unhappy about those paragraphs above!)
Measure Your Water Supply, City Slicker Method

If your water comes to you from a water company, youre on the right page.
However
If your water supply is from a pump and/or well on your property, skip this page and go to How to Measure the GPM & PSI from a Pump or
Well page. If your water comes from a tank or other gravity fed system, skip this page and go to How to Measure the GPM & PSI from a
Gravity Fed Water System.

If you have a printer, there is a Sprinkler System Design Data Form that will make things easier for you. There is also a PDF version of the
Sprinkler System Design Data Form.
The path ahead viewed dimly through the fog??? What were about to embark on here is known as doing it the right way. We are going to
start by figuring out what the maximum water supply would be if you had perfect conditions, such as a very short pipe from the water meter to
your house, lots of water pressure, a small yard, a happy family, a low interest rate mortgage, and good neighbors! Then we are going to modify
that number later in the tutorial to reflect your actual conditions (long pipe, lousy water pressure, bad neighbors, whatever.)
The end result is that we will determine what the exact, optimum water supply is for designing your sprinkler system. What that means for you is
that your sprinkler system will use less water, last longer, and there wont be dry spots! Now its going to be a little more work than
guesstimating would be, but it will be worth it. Dont get discouraged, be patient, and it will all come together. The worst thing you could do
right now is to try deciding what sprinkler you want to use. That would be putting the cart before the horse. Trust me, I know what Im doing.
Now lets get on with it

A. Find your water supply pipe.
Hopefully you already know where the water service pipe comes onto your property, or at least where it enters your house.
Mild Winter Climates: In milder climate areas there is typically a shut-off valve and or a water meter at the location where the pipe enters the
property. From there the pipe generally goes to the house, then surfaces above ground where a house shut-off valve is located, then the pipe turns
and runs into the side of the house. Often this location where the pipe enters the house is where the tap for the irrigation system will be made.

Water meter near curb.
Note the W etched in the curb in front of the concrete water meter box in the photo above. Often there will be some type of mark on a curb at
the location that the water supply pipe to the house runs under it.

Pressure regulator at house entry point.
The photo above is of a typical mild-climate water supply line where it enters the house. This one has a rather unusual model of pressure
regulator (the gizmo with the white adjustment knob on top) to reduce the water pressure. Many houses do not have a pressure regulator. A ball
valve (with a blue handle, the handle is in the off position) is on the incoming water supply pipe. The pipe going into the wall is the house
supply. The pipe exiting the photo at the lower left goes to a hose bib.
Cold Winter Climates: In colder climates the water line often enters directly into the basement or crawl space under the house from
underground. This water pipe to the house is often buried very deep to keep it below the frost line. The shut-off valve, and possibly a water
meter, are often located in the basement or crawl space to help protect them from freezing.

A pressure regulator & water meter in a basement.
The photo above shows a typical water supply line in a cold-winter climate. A copper water pipe enters through floor, goes up into a ball valve
(yellow handle), then through a pressure regulator, then a remote-reading water meter. You would tap in for the sprinklers after the water meter.
The mainline supply size would be measured on the copper pipe coming out of the floor. The water pressure in this case could be measured at
any water faucet after the regulator (probably any faucet in the whole house would work). Photo credit and thanks to Ed Pletsch.
What type of pipe is it?
Once you find your supply pipe you need to know what type of pipe or tubing it is. Keep in mind that there may be more than one type of pipe
or tubing used at different locations! Often copper is used under concrete slabs and then it converts to PEX for other locations.
Steel Pipe. Steel pipe comes in two types, black steel (used mostly for gas lines) and galvanized steel (galv. steel) which is used for water pipes.
Galvanized steel pipe will be a silver gray color, and a magnet will stick to it. It will have threaded joints. Steel pipe is made in conformance
with IPS (iron pipe size) standards. Galvanized pipe is often found on homes in inland areas, especially on less expensive tract homes.
Brass Pipe. Brass pipe is sometimes used for homes. Like copper it can take on a greenish tint with age. A magnet will not stick to it. It will
have threaded joints. Brass pipe is made in made in conformance with IPS (iron pipe size) standards. Brass is not very common except for short
sections of pipe, due to cost.
PVC Pipe. PVC plastic pipe is almost always white or gray, and is more rigid than the other commonly used types of plastic water pipe.
Standard PVC pipe is made in conformance with IPS (iron pipe size) standards. It should have the letters PVC printed on the pipe. PVC is
fairly rigid, and it is not easily scratched with your fingernail. PVC tends to be more commonly used in mild climate areas. Another type of PVC
called CPVC is sometimes used inside homes and often is found in older mobile homes. It is similar to regular PVC, but will be labeled
CPVC. Most often it is a yellowish, gold, or tan color. CPVC in homes is usually made to copper tube sizes (look for SDR-11 printed on the
pipe), but is also sometimes iron pipe size (labeled IPS). PVC is often used for house supply pipes in mild winter areas.
Copper Tube. Copper tube is very common in homes. It takes on a dirty green color as it ages. A magnet will not stick to it. Most joints will be
soldered, look for silver color solder at the joints to identify it. Copper tube has a different diameter than iron pipes, and is made in sizes known
as CTS (copper tube size). Copper has been the standard high quality tube used on better homes for decades. Often used in areas near the
coast where salt air causes rapid corrosion of steel.
PEX and PE Tube. Both are both polyethylene (poly) products. Both tend to be used in areas with severe winters and/or rocky soil. There is a
lot of confusion over these two poly-based products. Be careful, both are sometimes called poly, especially by the sales people in the big home
improvement stores. True PEX is a stronger form of cross-linked polyethylene that has become popular in recent years. Both PEX and PE are
flexible, and both have a glossy appearance and slick surface. So how do you tell which one you have? Older PE is almost always black, and in
most cases PEX is not black. PE is almost never used inside a house if the house was built to code. The surest thing to look for are the letters
PEX printed on the tubing. Making things even worse, white PEX looks a lot like PVC, especially if it is old or dirty! PEX is easily scratched
with a fingernail, PVC scratches, but not easily. PEX was not invented until the 70s, and it is seldom found in homes built before 1975. (It
wasnt officially sold in the USA until 1985. Of course, if your house has been remodeled, you could still have it in a older house.) PEX is
almost always made to conform with CTS sizes. The heavy duty PE tube used for plumbing is most often made to a uniform size standard
(labeled SDR-7), but many different PE products used for irrigation do not conform with this size standard. Be careful when working with PE
tube, if possible take a sample with you when you go shopping for parts so you can test fit them at the store. PEX is quickly becoming the
default tube for piping new homes due to low cost and ease of installation.
Warning: PEX pipe has a very thick wall, thus it has a smaller inside area for the water to flow through. This means it has much higher pressure
losses when the water passes through it. For this reason you need to be careful when replacing a copper or PE tube with a PEX tube. Often when
replacing a copper or PE tube with a PEX tube it is necessary to use PEX that is one size larger than the tube it is replacing. So if you are
replacing a 3/4 copper tube with PEX, you should consider using 1 size PEX tube for the replacement. Otherwise you may notice a drop in
water pressure after the replacement is made.
One good hint to the type of pipe is the way the pipes are connected to each other. PEX and PE are never glued at the joints.
Sometimes PEX & PE are heat welded together, but most of the time they are connected together with fittings using clamps, teeth, or
compression-nuts that hold the tube onto or into the fitting. (Fittings is the term we use for the various connectors that are used to join two or
more pipes together.) If the pipe has glued joints it is almost always going to be PVC or ABS. (ABS plastic is typically black rigid pipe, almost
always 3 or larger in diameter, and is mostly used for sewer and drainage pipes. ABS can be other colors so dont assume a pipe is PVC just
because it is white or gray!) Another hint is that poly pipe tends to be used in colder climates, and PVC tends to be used in warmer climates. If
you have to regularly shovel snow from the driveway, chances are the pipe is PE or PEX. Copper pipe is often soldered to the fittings. Look for
the silver color solder at joints. Steel and brass pipe have threaded connections, a few threads almost always are visible at the joints. Confused
yet? Your best bet is to find lettering on the pipe that says what type it is.

B. Find your Water Meter:
Now we need to know if you have a water meter. Most, but not all, water companies use a water meter to measure the amount of water you use.
If you dont have a meter, there will almost always be a shut-off valve at the point your house water line connects to the water providers
pipes. Often the valves are buried, sometimes several feet down, and a sleeve comes up to the surface with a small lid or box over it. The water
company uses a special tool that can reach down and open or close the valve. Often grass has completely grown over the lid and you cant find
it. Try probing the ground with a pitchfork, metal rake, or screwdriver to find the hard cover of the box.
The water meters are normally installed in an underground box as close as possible to the property line. This is usually at the street or alley. Most
of the time the box will have water meter or the water company name stamped on the lid. In areas with severely cold winters the water meter is
often installed in the house basement or a utility room of the house. If you still cant find it, call your water company and request their assistance.
Try to find a size stamped on the meter. If you cant find a size, ask your water company or just assume the meter is the next size SMALLER
than the pipe running to the house. It is common for the meter to be one size smaller than the pipe. Standard water meter sizes are: 5/8, 3/4, 1,
1 1/2.
Spiders and snakes: If the meter is in a box, watch out for spiders and ants in the meter box! Most of the pro irrigation repair guys I know carry
a can of spider spray with them! Sometimes we find snakes, rats, gophers, and other beasts in the boxes too! I found a turtle shell in a box
once. No tunnels or holes into the box that I could find. I have no idea how it got in there.
Enter the meter size on your Design Data Form. If you dont have a meter, enter 0 (zero).

C. Measure Your Water Pressure
Water pressure is the energy that powers your sprinkler system, so it is very important. If you work with it, it will make your sprinklers do the
rain dance. If you ignore it, it can bite you hard in the wallet! For this tutorial I use the pressure units PSI which means pounds per square
inch. When pros talk about pressure readings we almost never say the words pounds per square inch, we just say the letter names P. S. I.
Outside of the United States pressure is most often measured in bars.
First off, grab the phone and call up your water supplier. Ask them for the static water pressure for your neighborhood. Dont be shy, people
call them all the time to ask! They may give you a pressure range, like 40-60 PSI. If so, write down the LOW number of this range. You can also
measure your own water pressure using a pressure gauge that attaches to a hose bib on your house (you can purchase a 0-120 PSI gauge with a
hose adapter on it at pretty much any hardware store).
Pressure regulators (also called pressure reducing valves)
Pressure regulators are devices used to reduce the water pressure and are commonly found on home water supplies in towns with hills. It takes
lots of water pressure to lift water uphill. So in order to get the water to the houses on top of the hill the water pressure in the water system has to
be very high. But this causes the pressure at the homes at the bottom of the hill to be too high. So pressure regulators are installed on the water
supply pipes to homes in the lower areas of town, where the pressures are very high. The pressure regulators are generally set to someplace
between 50 and 65 PSI.
If the water company tells you your neighborhood pressure is over 65 PSI, you probably have a pressure regulator installed someplace on the
water supply line to the house. The pressure regulator reduces the water pressure in your house, so that it doesnt damage your plumbing
fixtures. Look around and see if you can find it (see the pressure regulators in the pictures above). The regulator may be installed near the water
meter or at the point where the water supply pipe enters the house. This is important, because if you have a regulator and you tap into the water
supply for your sprinklers after the regulator, the pressure will be a lot lower.
If you have a pressure regulator on your house you must use a gauge to test the water pressure yourself. Most pressure regulators are
adjustable, so the water company has no idea what pressure the regulator is set at. When in doubt, test the water pressure with a gauge.
At this point you should make at least a preliminary decision as to where you want to tap into the house water supply pipe for the irrigation
system water. Typically, the closer you can tap to the point the water enters your property, the better. Of course, you must tap into the pipe after
the water meter. In areas where it gets very cold some people like to tap into a pipe in the basement or someplace else inside a heated building.
That way they dont have to worry about the shut-off valve for the irrigation freezing. (Be sure to install a drain valve after the shut-off valve to
drain the water out of the irrigation pipe during freezing weather!) If you have a pressure regulator, consider if it would be better to tap before or
after it.
A static water pressure higher than 70 PSI can damage the fixtures and appliances in a household. If you measure a static water pressure
higher than 70 PSI when you do your water pressure check as described below, then you should consider installing a pressure regulator on your
house water supply if there is not one already. It will help your faucets, pipes, washing machine, dish washer, etc. to all last a lot longer. Make
sure it is a good quality brass-body pressure regulator.
For a pressure regulator to work accurately the pressure setting on it must be at least 15 PSI lower than the inlet pressure. So if your
static pressure is 70 PSI, the highest pressure you should set on the pressure regulator would be 55 PSI. 55 PSI is a good pressure for both the
needs of a house and a sprinkler system.
Hose Bibs as a Water Supply Source = BAD!
Using a hose bib or even a sprinkler system stub-out pipe provided on the side of the house for sprinklers is not a good idea. There are often
unknown restrictions in the house piping that cause the water supply from these hose bibs to be severely limited. The water running through the
house pipes can also be very noisy at night and disturbs some peoples sleep. Do this only as a last resort, when there is no other reasonable way
to get water for your sprinkler system. I would suggest you assume the pipe is 1/2 size, even if it appears larger. If you have concrete that
prevents running a new pipe around the house, call a boring contractor and find out how much it would cost to bore a 1 pipe under the
concrete. It may be worth the price. Directional boring technology now allows them to bore and install curved pipes around obstacles.

How to Measure the Water Pressure with a Gauge

Important: If you want to test the pressure yourself, everything that uses water in your home: faucets, ice makers, toilets, etc., MUST be turned
off when you take the measurement (thats why its called static water pressure, the water isnt moving.) Everything! This is critical or you will
get a false low reading! You can test the pressure at any faucet that is at about the same height as the proposed irrigation tap. If all the water is
turned off, the pressure will be exactly the same regardless of where you test it. (Try it and see!) The easiest place to test the pressure is usually
a hose bib or garden valve on the outside wall of the house.
To test the water pressure using a gauge, attach the gauge to a water outlet, like a hose bib or washing machine connection. The place where you
attach the gauge can be anywhere in the house, as long as it is about the same height (elevation) as the place where you will tap in the sprinkler
system supply. Ie; dont check it on the 3rd floor if you plan to attach the sprinklers at the first floor! (It is one of those weird, hard to understand
hydraulic laws that as long as the water is not flowing the pressure is the same at any point on a pipe that has the same elevation above sea level.)
Double check that all the water so water is turned off and not flowing in the house pipes. Then turn on the valve the gauge is connected to and
allow the water to enter the gauge. Read the pressure on the gauge. Thats all there is to it, its very easy to do! Turn off the water and disconnect
the gauge, youre done!
OK, I realize I may have confused you, because earlier I told you not to use a hose bib to tap the sprinklers into, and now I just told you that you
can use a hose bib to measure the static pressure. This is because you can get an accurate pressure measurement from a hose bib if the water
is not flowing, as described. The small pipe cant restrict the flow if the water isnt flowing! Confused? Hydraulics is hard to understand. I
may sound crazy but I know what Im doing! Often users of the tutorial have an ah ha! moment when they get about 95% done with their first
design and suddenly it all makes sense.

The static water pressure that you were given (or you measured with a gauge) is your Design Pressure. Write down the Design Pressure on
your Design Data Form!

D. Measure the Maximum Available Flow (GPM)
Flow is the traveling companion of water pressure. Pressure is the energy that moves the water through the pipes. Flow is the measure of how
much water is moved in a given amount of time. Flow is measured in this tutorial using Gallons per Minute (GPM). Other common units used to
measure flow include cubic feet per second (commonly used to measure river flows here in the USA), liters per minute, cubic meters per hour,
and many others. Now that you know your Design Pressure you need to determine how much water you can use at a time, or your available
flow.
Measure Your Supply Pipe Size
You need to find the water supply pipe and measure its size. Grab a piece of string about 6(152mm) long, then find the location where your
water supply pipe enters the house. Strip away any insulation, so you can get at the pipe and wrap the string around it. Measure how many inches
of string it takes to go around the pipe once.
The string length is the circumference of the pipe (yikes, bad memories of high school geometry!). Using the circumference we can calculate the
diameter of the pipe, which allows us to look up the pipe size, from which we can calculate the flow of water using the formula zzzzzzzzzz..
Lets forget all those calculations! Based on the string length use the table below to find your pipe size.
For Copper Pipe & PEX Tube
2.75 (70mm) = 3/4 pipe
3.53 (90mm) = 1 pipe
4.32 (110mm) = 1 pipe
5.10 (130mm) = 1 pipe
For Steel, Brass or PVC Plastic Pipe
3.25 (83mm) = 3/4 pipe
4.00(102mm) = 1 pipe
5.00(127mm) = 1 pipe
6.00(152mm) = 1 pipe
For most PE Tube
2.96-3.33 (75-85mm) = 3/4 pipe
3.74-4.24 (95-108mm) = 1 pipe
4.90-5.57 (124-141mm) = 1 pipe
5.70-6.28 (145-160mm) = 1 pipe
Your string length will vary a little, depending on such unavoidable variables as string stretch, dirt on pipe, manufacturing tolerance, what kind
of mood youre in, etc.

Enter the supply pipe size on your Design Data Form! Also make a note of the type copper, brass, steel, PVC, PEX, or PE.


Find Your Maximum Available GPM:
Your maximum available GPM is the maximum flow of water you have available for your sprinkler system. Actually, it would be more accurate
to call this the Maximum Safe GPM. In most cases it is possible to push a higher flow (GPM) through the pipe. However, at high flows the water
actually damages the inside of the pipe.
Use the smallest pipe to determine the Maximum Available Flow. Often the water supply coming into your property will not be a single type and
size of pipe. You may have a plastic pipe running underground from the water company to your house. When the pipe enters the house it might
switch from plastic to copper pipe, or possibly it might be galvanized steel. Then as the water supply pipe runs through the house it likely
branches off in several directions with the pipe becoming smaller and smaller in size as it goes. When determining your Maximum Available
GPM you will need to check the Maximum Available Flow for each of the types of pipe that the water will pass through, then use the lowest
value as the Maximum Available GPM for your sprinkler design. You only need to be concerned about the pipes the water will pass through
before it reaches the point where you are going to tap into it for the irrigation system.
There is an exception to the statement above. Often a short section of a smaller pipe size will be present on the water supply for one reason or
another. Maybe the plumber didnt want to drill a larger hole in the wall for the pipe. As long as this smaller pipe section is less than 5 feet long,
you can ignore it and use the larger pipe size to determine maximum flow. The higher flow will be able to squeeze through the smaller pipe. The
smaller pipe may wear out faster over time, but typically these short pipes are in places where they are easy to replace. Plus, the smaller pipe is
often brass or steel, which has a higher resistance to wear than copper or plastic. You have to make a judgement call on this. In most cases I
choose to ignore the small section of pipe.
Small Valves. It is not uncommon to find that a shut-off valve installed on the water supply pipe is a smaller size than the pipe. Dont worry
about it. It will not impact the available flow and valves are constructed to handle higher flows than the pipe.
Example 1: You find the water supply pipe entering the house, examine and measure it, and find that it is 1 copper pipe. But youre an
ambitious type, so you also have done some digging around in the yard and discovered that the pipe going to the house through the yard is 1 1/4
PE plastic. It just changes to copper about 6 feet away from the house (this is actually a fairly common situation.) After the copper pipe enters
the house it quickly branches off in multiple directions and becomes smaller, but this doesnt matter to you, because you have already decided
that you are going to tap your irrigation system into the 1 copper pipe right where it enters the house. So the irrigation water will not pass
through any of those smaller pipes inside the house and you can ignore them.
Looking at the table you find that 1 1/4 PE gives a flow of 23 GPM. But looking at 1 copper pipe in the table shows a flow of only 18 GPM.
Since the copper pipe is over 5 feet long you cant just ignore it. This means you must use the lower 18 GPM value. But wait a minute! What if
instead of tapping into the copper pipe, you decide to tap into the PE pipe out in the yard before it switches to copper? Now you can use the
higher 23 GPM value because the water will no longer go through the 1 copper pipe!
Example 2: You found you have a 3/4 copper pipe that comes into the basement but you have no idea where or what type of pipe is used in the
yard. Its 0 degrees outside, and you couldnt get a shovel into the frozen ground even if you wanted to, which you dont! In this case its
reasonably safe to assume the pipe in the yard is 3/4 copper also. So you would use 11 GPM from the table.
Example 3: You have no idea where the water pipe enters the house, you have no idea where it is in the yard, and you have no desire to try to
find out. In this case you must face reality, its time to hire a sprinkler contractor!
Maximum Available GPM Table (Maximum Safe GPM)

Maximum Available GPM (Maximum Safe GPM)
Pipe
Size
Steel Pipe Copper Pipe PVC Pipe
PE (poly)
Tube
PEX (CTS)
Tube
1/2
6 GPM(7
ft/sec)
6 GPM(7
ft/sec)
6 GPM(7
ft/sec)
6 GPM(7
ft/sec)
3 GPM(7
ft/sec*)
3/4
11 GPM(7
ft/sec)
11 GPM(7
ft/sec)
11 GPM(7
ft/sec)
11 GPM(7
ft/sec)
7 GPM(7
ft/sec*)
1
18 GPM(7
ft/sec)
18 GPM(7
ft/sec)
18 GPM(7
ft/sec)
18 GPM(7
ft/sec)
12 GPM(7
ft/sec*)
1 1/4
23 GPM(5
ft/sec)
23 GPM(5
ft/sec)
23 GPM(5
ft/sec)
23 GPM(5
ft/sec)
-
1 1/2
32 GPM(5
ft/sec)
32 GPM(5
ft/sec)
32 GPM(5
ft/sec)
32 GPM(5
ft/sec)
-
2
52 GPM(5
ft/sec)
52 GPM(5
ft/sec)
52 GPM(5
ft/sec)
52 GPM(5
ft/sec)
-
Important Notes:
CTS = Copper tubing size.
Caution: The values in the table above are the maximum safe flows for the given size and type of pipe.
These values are NOT the amount of flow you actually will use for your sprinkler system! Step #2 will show you how to modify these values to
reflect your actual flow.
Velocities (ft/sec) are shown for reference only.
* PEX tube has an extremely small inside diameter when compared with the other pipe/tube types, this limits flow. Some manufacturers suggest
that PEX will not be damaged by higher flows, up to 10 ft/sec. I dont feel there is sufficient evidence yet to warrant damaging your plumbing by
using flows that are too high, so I am sticking with the old industry standard for plastic pipe of 7 ft/sec maximum velocity. If you wish to take the
chance, values at 10 ft/sec are
1/2=6 GPM, 3/4=11 GPM and 1=18 GPM. Use these higher values at your own risk. They could cause serious damage to your both your house
plumbing & irrigation piping. Read More on Water Hammer.
Flow Test
A flow test is optional, but suggested if you are not positive about the size or type of water supply pipe. The flow test should be run at a faucet as
close as possible to the point you will tap into the water pipe for your irrigation system.
Get a 5-gallon bucket. Old paint buckets work great. Since most 5-gallon buckets actually hold more than 5 gallons of water, you will need to
calibrate the bucket as follows: Find an accurate measuring container, and measure out 5 gallons of water into your bucket. Then mark the water
level on the side of the bucket with a marking pen so you can easily see it. ?The test is simple. Put the bucket under your water outlet pipe and
time how long it takes to fill the bucket to 5 gallons. ?The formula for calculating the flow in GPM is: 300 divided by the seconds it takes to fill
a 5 gallon bucket = GPM.
If the result of the bucket test is lower than the Maximum Available GPM from the table above, something is restricting the flow. It may be the
faucet you are using for the test, or there may be a restriction someplace in the house water supply pipe. You can try to find the restriction and
get rid of it, or you can simply use the lower flow test GPM for your Initial Design Flow below.

If the result of the bucket test is higher than the Maximum Available GPM you determined in the table above, use the lower value from the table.
The Maximum Available GPM Table gives you the maximum SAFE flow. The bucket test is only used to determine if there is an unseen
restriction in the water supply pipe that reduces the flow below the level given in the table. Yes, many sprinkler tutorials and sprinkler
salespersons may tell you a bucket test should be used for the design flow, they are wrong! In most cases a bucket test like this one gives you an
unsafe flow. See the answers to common questions at the bottom of this page for details on why this happens.

Enter your Maximum Available GPM on your Design Data Form.

E. Initial Design Flow
Your Design Flow is the maximum amount of water you will design your sprinkler system to use. For now, use the same number as the
Maximum Available GPM, or use the actual Flow Test GPM, whichever is lower.
You will probably need to reduce your Design Flow later, so additional lines are provided for Adjusted Design Flows on the Design Data Form.
The initial flows here are very optimistic, 20 to 30% too high for most situations. You will make the adjustment, if needed, later in step #2.
Dont worry about it now. This is just an advanced warning so you wont be surprised when you need to change the flow later.

Enter your Design Flow on your Design Data Form. Use a pencil so you can change it later!!!!

F. Do you have enough water available?
You are going to need about 20 GPM of water to irrigate 1 acre of grass with sprinklers. One acre is equal to 43,560 square feet (or 4047 square
meters). So if you have a 2 acre grass yard you will need to have 40 GPM of water available in order to water it. If you have shrubs, they
typically only use 1/2 as much water as grass, so 20 GPM would water 2 acres of shrubs.

There are only so many hours in the day to water. The amount of water needed varies with the climate, these values are typical for hot summer
areas where most sprinkler systems are installed (daily high temperatures over 90 degrees F., 32 degrees C.) These values assume you would be
willing to water as many as 10 hours per day. If you are willing to water more hours per day you can increase the area irrigated by a similar
percentage.
If you dont have enough water I can suggest a few ideas for you to look into.
1. You can consider pushing the limits and using a higher Minimum available GPM than I recommend in the table above. If want to try using a higher
flow than recommended above, then go to http://irrigationtutorials.com/faq/increase-irrigation-gpm.htm for full instructions on how to proceed.
2. Another option is to use drip irrigation for shrub areas. With drip irrigation you only water the area the plant foliage actually covers. Therefore, if
the plants only cover half the actual ground area, you only need half the water.
3. Consider reducing the amount of lawn and replacing it with shrubs. Shrubs use about half the amount of water as lawn.
4. Another option for getting a higher flow is to install a larger water supply pipe. A description of how to do that is at the bottom of this page.
If youre happy with your Maximum Available GPM value, you can skip down to the end of this page.

Answers to common questions:

Why is the flow you measured with a bucket often too high? The GPM rates in the Maximum Available GPM Table above are based on a
SAFE water velocity. When you do the bucket test, there are few restrictions on the flow, so the water velocity may easily exceed that safe limit.
If you design your sprinkler system to exceed these flows some really bad things can happen. The first of these is called water hammer. Water
hammer is a pressure surge which declares its presence by destroying the weakest point in your plumbing. The weakest point is usually that little
water tube that runs between the shut off valve and the toilet in your bathroom, or possibly the ones that go to the sink faucets. The result is a
flooded house, and thats something you dont need. Water hammer is exponentially related to water pressure. The higher the water pressure, the
greater the water hammer danger. If your water pressure is over 80 PSI, I suggest that you reduce your maximum flow found in the table above
by 20% and read carefully the High Pressure Alert below! The other bad thing that happens at high flows is called scrubbing. Scrubbing is
what happens when the high water velocity actually scrubs molecules loose from the inside of the pipe. Eventually it wears away enough that the
pipe develops a leak. The higher the velocity, the more scrubbing you get. A little scrubbing may take 20-30 years to create a leak. But with a
higher velocity the problem becomes much worse. I have seen 7 year old homes need a total replacement of all the copper pipes due to scrubbing
damage. This is extremely expensive to repair! In my 30-year-old neighborhood, most of the homes have now had to replace the water supply
pipes to the house due to scrubbing damage caused by sprinkler systems installed back in the bad old days before any of us realized the dangers
of high flows. There are still a lot of old tutorials and literature being published that were written before the dangers of high flows were
discovered, so be careful when comparing advice on this topic. A lot of industry professionals still havent gotten the word on this either!
But, but, but you didnt hear any water hammer when you did the bucket test, and nothing broke, so whats the deal? After all, that higher
flow could save some serious money on sprinkler parts! The deal is that you are only human. You cant close the valve fast enough by hand to
create water hammer, but dont worry, an automatic sprinkler valve can! It can snap that valve closed almost instantly. The higher the water
pressure, the faster the valve closes. When that valve snaps closed, it sends a shock wave through the pipe (water hammer). It may take weeks or
even years for it to wear down the weak point in your plumbing and break. But it will! Then the cost savings on sprinkler parts will seem trivial.
Do it right the first time! Water hammer and scrubbing are insidious and relentless. They just keep working away, little by little, day after day.
Clunk, clunk, clunk, chew, chew until the day you come home to a flooded house.

Clunk, clunk, clunk? Pipe noise!!! I hear those loud noises every time the washing machine or dishwasher runs! Is that water hammer??? You
bet it is, and you better do something about it! First if the water pressure in your house is over 65 PSI install a pressure regulator to lower the
pressure. If that doesnt get rid of it, go down to your local hardware store and buy a water hammer arrestor. You can get one that screws onto
the washing machine or dishwasher fill pipe. They cost about $10-15 and they work pretty well for water hammer caused by appliances. They
dont work nearly as well for water hammer caused by sprinkler systems. This is because many sprinkler systems exceed the maximum water
velocities by so much that the arrestor is over-whelmed by it. Ive written a whole tutorial on this topic: Water Hammer and Air in Pipes.
Select Sprinkler System Equipment and Collect Pressure Loss Data

In this step you will make some preliminary selections of the equipment such as sprinkler heads, valves and more. When selecting your
sprinkler equipment we need to also find out how much pressure loss each item creates. The amount of pressure loss may require that you
reconsider one product over another. Keep reading and it will become clearer.

Like all other mechanical systems an irrigation system consumes energy when it operates. The irrigation system uses energy in the form of water
pressure which, as we noted earlier, we will be measuring in PSI (pounds per square inch). Each component in the irrigation system that the
water passes through consumes a little bit of that water pressure. A bit like a car uses more fuel for each mile it goes. If we run out of water
pressure before the water makes it through the system, then the irrigation system will not work. So we need to calculate how much pressure will
be lost in each component of the irrigation system. To start we will make some educated guesses, which are then confirmed and adjusted by
using a trial and error process. Dont worry, its easy to do
Below is a Pressure Loss Table that lists items that you MAY need to factor into your pressure loss calculations. Some of the items may not be
necessary in some situations. The tutorial has a page for each of the items that will tell you everything you need to know. I will explain to you
all the pros and cons of the various product types available. For the more complex choices like backflow preventers, I will lead you through a
series of simple questions that will guide you toward the best solution for your specific irrigation system. Then you will pick your actual
equipment and enter the associated pressure loss value into the Pressure Loss Table on your Design Data Form.

Near the bottom half of your Design Data Form there is a copy of the Pressure Loss Table below.
Hopefully you picked up a copy of the Design Data Form earlier in the tutorial. If not, please go back to the appropriate page for your water
supply source below so you can figure out the correct values for available GPM, PSI and get the form:
City Slicker Water. Water supply from a water company, utility, or district.
Country Bumpkin Water. You use a pump to get water from a well, stream, pond, etc.
Backwoods Water. Gravity flow water system from a tank or spring. No pump.
Youll refer back to these values several times throughout the design process and you may need to change them a few times, so use a pencil so
you can erase and rewrite values! If you have bad handwriting skills like me, you may wish to write a bit neater than normal so you can read it
later! Theres nothing worse than having to go back and recalculate your data because you cant read your own handwriting. Believe me, Ive
had to do it way too many times! If an item on the table doesnt apply (for example, you dont have a water meter) just enter n/a and a pressure
loss value of 0 for that item.
OK, heres a typical Pressure Loss Table.
Pressure Loss Table
Item (links jump to a page with details on each item) Brand & Model PSI Loss
Water Meter

Flow Sensor (optional)

Master Valve (optional)

Backflow Preventer

Filter (optional but strongly suggested)

House Mainline 1 (pipe to house)

House Mainline 2 (pipe through house or to irrigation connection)

Irrigation Mainline

Valves (remote control valve, zone valve)

Elevation change (change in feet x .433 = PSI)

Sprinkler Heads or Drip Emitters

Lateral (branch) Pipes (20% of sprinkler head PSI Loss maximum)

Total Pressure Loss (add together the values above.)


Dont panic! The next few pages of the tutorial goes through each item on this table and helps you to figure out the pressure losses to enter on
each line of the table. If youve used the tutorial before and already know a lot of this, the links in the table above will allow you to jump ahead
in the tutorial to the page where the details on that item are located. For most people you will want to just keep reading the pages in order.
Pressure Regulators & Pressure Reducers
Before we continue on we need to address pressure regulators/reducers. A pressure reducer is another name used for pressure regulators. Im
going to use the name pressure regulator to avoid confusion. A pressure regulator is a special valve that reduces the water pressure to a set
level and keeps it at that level. Some homes have these pressure regulators installed on the water supply, which can impact the values used in
the Pressure Loss Table. If you have a municipal water supply, you already learned a little about pressure regulators on the City Slicker Water
page of the tutorial. Back on that page you should have discovered if you have a pressure regulator and, if you do, you also decided if you
would tap into your water supply before or after that pressure regulator.
If you have a pressure regulator on your house then you get to take a little shortcut. On your pressure loss table you get to ignore the pressure
loss for everything upstream of the pressure regulator.
Installing a Pressure Regulator
If you are planning to install a new pressure regulator be aware that there are two types sold. The one you want to use on your house will be
made of bronze or brass, have a pressure adjustment screw so you can set the downstream pressure you want, and generally are pretty expensive.
If you need one for a sprinkler system I suggest it also be this more expensive type. There are also cheaper models that use a different principle
to work, these cheaper ones are often used on drip irrigation systems. They are not adjustable, and not nearly as accurate and will often allow a
damaging pressure surge to pass through them. They typically are barrel-shaped and constructed of plastic. They will not have a adjustment
screw or knob on them.

Good quality bronze/brass pressure regulator suitable for sprinkler system or house. The hex-head bolt on top adjusts the outlet pressure.
Before you decide to take a shortcut and install a pressure regulator right before the valves so you can ignore pressure loss in the mainline,
consider that the higher pressure may not be good for those upstream components. Generally I try to avoid pressures over 100 PSI in any portion
of my sprinkler systems. I strongly recommend that you do likewise. Also remember that maximum water velocities also still apply to the
mainline pipes, so you will still have to do the size calculations for the mainline.
When placing a pressure regulator on an irrigation system I normally install it right after my main irrigation system shut-off valve at the place
where I tapped into the water supply. Thus I have:
connection to water supply > emergency shut-off valve > pressure regulator > irrigation system.
Dont forget the pressure setting of a pressure regulator must always be at least 15 PSI lower than the incoming pressure. So if the incoming
pressure is 80 PSI the pressure regulator must be set at 65 PSI or less. Otherwise the pressure regulator will not work accurately and may allow
damaging pressure surges to pass through it. To restate this another way, the pressure regulator must reduce the pressure by 15 PSI or more
for it to work accurately and reliably
Typical Pressure Loss for Water Meters

You may or may not have a water meter. If you buy your water from a water company or municipal water district you probably have a meter. If
your water comes from a well, lake, or stream you probably dont have a meter. The water meter measures how much water you use, that way
the water company can charge you for the amount you use. Even if you get your water from a water provider you may not have a water meter, I
didnt have one at a couple of the homes Ive owned (water was provided for a flat monthly fee regardless of how much was used.) If you do
have a meter where should you look for it? In warm weather climates it will most likely be located near where your water supply taps into the
water companys pipes. This is usually right next to the street curb, or perhaps adjacent to an alley behind your home. In climates with extreme
cold weather the meter may be under the house in the crawl space, but in most cases it is inside the basement. Many newer meters have
electronic features for remote reading, they send your water usage information to the water company via wires or radio signals. Many of these
new electronic models are actually flow sensors rather than traditional meters. See the section on flow sensors below.
Just as a side note, most water meters measure cubic feet of water. Cubic feet is the measurement unit that water providers like to use. A cubic
foot of water is equal to 7.48 gallons. Do not confuse cubic feet with acre feet. Both are measurements of water quantity, but they are not the
same thing. An acre-foot is a whoping 325,900 gallons!

Combination mechanical and electronic water meter with a radio transmitter built into the box lid. You can read water quantity used on the
mechanical dial face and it also transmits water use to the water district.
Flow Sensors (optional)
Some people install their own water metering device on the irrigation system main supply pipe so they can monitor just the irrigation water
usage. A flow sensor rather than a water meters is used for this. The difference between the two is that a typical water meter measures only the
amount of water used, flow sensors measure the rate of flow. This allows them to monitor how much flow the irrigation system is using at any
given moment. The flow sensor typically creates an electronic pulse when a given amount of water has passed through it, for example a cubic
foot of water. The flow sensor connects up to the irrigation controller that is used to turn on and off the irrigation system. Some higher-end
models of irrigation controllers have the ability to monitor the number of pulses from the sensor and use the data to determine how much water
is flowing at the moment, as well as the total amount of water used per irrigation cycle. Using this information the controller can evaluate the
irrigation system performance and respond to it. For example the controller might detect that the flow is higher than normal, indicating a leak in
the irrigation system, or maybe a broken sprinkler head. Likewise a flow that is lower than expected might indicate a valve did not open when it
was supposed to. The controller then sounds an alarm, or may shut off the water to limit damage from the leak. Flow sensors and controllers that
monitor flow are features that are common on many larger irrigation systems, like parks and golf courses. Now, as the price of the equipment is
rapidly dropping and water conservation is becoming an issue in more places, homeowners are starting to implement these optional flow sensing
features as well. Controllers that have this monitoring feature are called Smart Controllers. Note that not all Smart Controllers have this
monitoring feature. For more information see the article on Smart Controllers.
If the meter is buried in a box, be careful when you open the box. Over the years Ive encountered just about every creepy thing one can imagine
in those boxes! Turtles, rats, snakes, various dead things. Ants and spiders are most common. Its not a bad idea to be prepared to jump back, and
maybe have a can of bug killer handy when opening a underground box. Once you find the meter you will likely need to clean it off so you can
clearly see it. The meter should have a size stamped on it, if not, sometimes the meter size is shown on your water bill. If all else fails, call your
water company and ask them for the meter size, it should be in their water billing information. The pressure loss (PSI Loss) for water meters is
based on the meter size and the flow rate. If you know the brand of the water meter you can probably find a table on the manufacturers website
that tells you the pressure loss for the meter size at various rates of flow. If not, the charts below should be close enough.
The charts below give typical pressure losses for various meter sizes and flow rates. If your meter is a combination of two sizes (like 5/8 x 3/4)
use the chart for the smaller size. These dual-size meters are made by taking a small meter and putting a larger size inlet and outlet on it. So it is
really the smaller size meter. For flow sensors you will need to contact the sensor manufacturer to find out how much pressure loss to expect in
your unit. Flow sensor losses are generally less than those for a standard water meter, so if you cant find a manufacturers flow loss table, in
most cases you can safely use the values in the water meter tables below for flow sensors.
Find your meter size below, then use your Initial Design Flow (from your Design Data Form) to find the PSI loss. Enter the PSI loss from
the table below on the water meter line of the Pressure Loss Table. If you dont have a water meter just enter 0 on the table. If you modify the
Initial Design Flow later you should come back and change the water meter/flow sensor PSI Loss values as well. (This will be true of all your
PSI Losses in the Pressure Loss Table that are based on flow. If you change the Design Flow for your system you will need to update the PSI
Loss values. There is a bit of trial and error to the irrigation design method as you attempt to find that sweet spot that balances pressure vs.
flow to give the optimum performance.)
5/8 meter
5 GPM 1 PSI loss
7 GPM 2 PSI loss
9 GPM 3 PSI loss
11 GPM 4.5 PSI loss
13 GPM 6 PSI loss
15 GPM 8.3 PSI loss
Dont exceed 15 GPM

3/4 meter
4 GPM 0.5 PSI loss
8 GPM 1 PSI loss
11 GPM 2 PSI loss
14 GPM 3 PSI loss
17 GPM 5 PSI loss
20 GPM 6.5 PSI loss
Dont exceed 20 GPM

1 meter
8 GPM 0.5 PSI loss
13 GPM 1 PSI loss
19 GPM 2 PSI loss
23 GPM 3 PSI loss
26 GPM 4 PSI loss
29 GPM 5 PSI loss
32 GPM 6 PSI loss
34 GPM 7 PSI loss
Dont exceed 34 GPM

1 1/4 meter:
(This is not a standard water meter size. If you have one it is probably a 1 meter modified to have a 1 1/4 inlet and outlet. But, then again, it
might be a 1 1/2 modified to 1 1/4. Not very helpful? Unless you are reasonably sure by looking at it that it is a 1 1/2, you should assume it is
1.)

1 1/2 meter
17 GPM 0.5 PSI loss
22 GPM 1 PSI loss
31 GPM 2 PSI loss
38 GPM 3 PSI loss
45 GPM 4 PSI loss
50 GPM 5 PSI loss
55 GPM 6 PSI loss
60 GPM 7 PSI loss
Dont exceed 60 GPM

2 meter
36 GPM 1 PSI loss
51 GPM 2 PSI loss
63 GPM 3 PSI loss
72 GPM 4 PSI loss
82 GPM 5 PSI loss
88 GPM 6 PSI loss
100 GPM 8 PSI loss
Contact manufacturer for larger size meters.
That wasnt hard, was it? Youre gonna fly through this!

Electronic remote reading water meter in a basement. The water supply pipe exits the floor, theres a ball valve with yellow handle, then a
pressure regulator, and finally the water meter. (Note wires for remote reading.)


A typical water meter box near curb.
How to Select the Proper Backflow Preventer

Backflow Preventer: A device that allows water to go through it in one direction, but prevents it from going backwards in the opposite
direction.
A backflow preventer is like a one-way gate for water. Most backflow preventers are used to keep unsafe water from reversing flow and entering
the clean water supply. Backflow preventers can be as simple as a single check valve that closes when water flow reverses. Using a simple check
valve as a backflow preventer might be considered the equivalent of a turnstile at a store entrance, it is not very reliable, even a small amount of
effort will overcome it. A more elaborate backflow preventer can be a complicated device that consists of multiple check valves, water release
valves, air vents, and/or systems to allow it to be tested to assure it is working properly. This kind of backflow preventer might be the equivalent
of an airport exit security checkpoint with one-way gates and a armed guard.
Here are links to the backflow preventer related topics below in case you come back and want to reread something. (Sorry this page is so long,
its a complex topic and there are a lot of options available to you!)
Why do you need a backflow preventer?
Backflow Preventer Costs
How to Select a Backflow Preventer
Descriptions of the types of Backflow Preventers:
Atmospheric Vacuum breaker
Anti-Siphon Valves
Pressure Vacuum Breaker
Double Check Type Backflow Preventer
Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer
Backflow Preventer Basics:
Backflow Preventer definition: A device that allows water to go through it in one direction, but prevents it from going backwards in the
opposite direction.
A backflow preventer is like a one-way gate for water. Most backflow preventers are used to keep unsafe water from reversing flow and entering
the clean water supply. Backflow preventers can be as simple as a single check valve that closes when water flow reverses. Using a simple check
valve as a backflow preventer might be considered the equivalent of a turnstile at a store entrance, it is not very reliable, even a small amount of
effort will overcome it. A more elaborate backflow preventer can be a complicated device that consists of multiple check valves, water release
valves, air vents, and/or systems to allow it to be tested to assure it is working properly. This kind of backflow preventer might be the equivalent
of an airport security checkpoint with one-way gates and an armed guard.
You should have a backflow preventer on your irrigation system if your water comes from a potable (drinkable) source (see next
paragraph.) If your irrigation water source is considered potable, then in most places it is illegal to not have the proper local authority-
approved type of backflow preventer on your irrigation system. If your water source is non-potable, you generally are not required by law to
use a backflow preventer (but not always, some jurisdiction even require them for non-potable water like recycled, reclaimed, and gray water
sources.)
There are many types of backflow preventers. Almost everywhere the local authorities will dictate that certain types of backflow preventers may
NOT be used with irrigation systems within their jurisdiction. In some cases, the authorities will dictate the exact type of backflow preventer you
MUST use. You may hear or see the term Cross-Connection Control, this essentially is referring to backflow prevention. A cross
connection is a connection between a drinking water supply and a source of pollution or contamination.
Whats potable water? Definition: potable water means the water is suitable for drinking. Depending on local law, that may include drinking
water for animals. If you would be willing to drink it without treatment, then it is probably going to be considered potable. Non-potable water is
water that is not suitable for drinking. (Once water enters into your irrigation system it is considered to be non-potable, more on that later.)
Examples of water sources that are often considered non-potable are lake and pond water, water from streams, and well water from a
contaminated aquifer that is not suitable for drinking. Most other wells do require a backflow preventer, even if the well doesnt provide drinking
water. This is to protect the aquifer the well takes the water from, because even if you dont get drinking water from the well, your neighbors
may get drinking water from the same underground aquifer. If you plan to apply fertilizers or pesticides using your irrigation system, then in
most cases you must have a backflow preventer- regardless of the water source. Nobody wants those chemicals going into lakes, streams or the
water table!
Why do you need a backflow preventer? All irrigation systems contain a chemical called dihydrogen monoxide. This odorless,
tasteless chemical is known to be deadly if inhaled and has killed millions of people. OK, before you flame me, dihydrogen monoxide is, of
course, the scientific name for ordinary water (h2o). Which points out that you have to be really careful about what you read and believe on the
Internet. Unfortunately when it comes to backflow preventers there is a lot of questionable, and sometimes completely wrong, information. So
whats the deal with backflow prevention? Is it really necessary? The answer is yes!
Your landscape has all kinds of nasty things in it that will make you sick or worse if you drink them. Thus irrigation water is officially
considered a contaminant (creates a health hazard) rather than just a pollutant (is objectionable in color or odor). Whats in irrigation water?
How about toxic chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) and animal waste? (Not that I want to gross you out, but every day millions of dogs lift
their legs in a fond salute to their favorite sprinkler head!) These things can and WILL come back up your irrigation pipes and into your drinking
water if you dont stop them. If you have a well, they can go down your well and into everyone else drinking water. If you are on a community
water system they could go back up into the pipes and poison your neighbors. The valves that turn on and off your irrigation system are not
sufficient to stop backflow. The purpose of the backflow preventer is to protect you when the valve breaks or leaks, which all valves will do
eventually. Saving a little money by skipping the backflow preventer will not seem so smart after you spend a small fortune on hospital bills (or
funeral expenses) for a poisoned family member or pet!
Now wait a minute, some people say, doesnt the water pressure in the water system keep the irrigation water from going backwards? Yes, most
of the time it does. But there are times when the water pressure drops in the supply system, and this is when the backflow occurs. No, it is not a
frequent occurrence. But it does happen more often than you think, often at night when you dont notice the water was off for a few
minutes. Such as when the water company has to shut off the water to repair a water pipe, or hook up a new pipe. This makes construction
projects easily the most common cause of backflow problems. Fire fighting is another common cause of backflow. Fire trucks use huge pumps
to suck the water out of the fire hydrants. This often causes the water pressure in the surrounding areas to drop, and backflow will occur in the
surrounding neighborhoods.
You can do a quick experiment yourself and create backflow in your home pipes. Simply tun off the water valve leading to your house. Next
have someone turn on a faucet. Now turn on a different faucet that is higher than the first. You will hear air being sucked into the higher faucet.
You just created backflow in your house piping. Pretty easy, wasnt it?
Another common argument against the need for backflow preventers is that if all the valves are closed the water cant go backwards through
them. So the valves should prevent backflow. The obvious problem with this is that if the backflow occurs at a time when the valve is open, like
when the sprinklers are on, the valve will not stop backflow! But even when the valve is closed it may not prevent backflow. A standard
manually operated valve should stop backflow when it is closed if the valve if fully closed, has good seals, and does not leak. However most of
the automatic valves, such as the electric solenoid valves used for irrigation systems, will not stop backflow even when off and fully closed.
This is because these solenoid valves are directional in design. If you look on the valve you will see that it has an arrow on it showing the flow
direction. If the flow is reversed, the valve will often open slightly (thats why the valve has the arrow on it- to warn you not to install it
backwards!) Thus when backflow occurs and the flow direction reverses, an automatic valve will not stop the backward flow.

Backflow Preventer Costs
Prices vary dependent on your situation, but as a general rule the costs of backflow preventers fall into the order that follows, from most
expensive to least expensive. (Dont panic, descriptions of each of the types are further down this page. Knowing prices will help with selecting
which type to use.)
$$$$ Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer (RP)
$$$ Double Check Type Backflow Preventer (DC)
$$ Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB)
$ Anti-Siphon Valve (ASV) -up to about 6 valves*
*Generally a PVB with standard globe valves becomes less expensive than anti-siphon valves when you have a lot of valves on the system.

How to Select a Backflow Preventer
There are several types of backflow preventers available, so lets take a look at your options. Always check with the local water provider or
government building department (whomever issues building permits) to be sure that the backflow preventer you plan to use is legal to
use in your area. Regulations vary depending on location. Backflow preventers are expensive, so you do not want to have to tear it out and
install a different one!!!
The following questions will help you decide which type to use. Each type is described in detail further down on this page, a link on the name
will take you to the description.
WARNING: Be sure to read the description and related warnings about the type backflow preventer carefully before deciding which type
to use. Make sure your choice is legal in your community!
1. Is this a commercial or a single family residential site?
o Commercial: (This includes ANY business property, including apartment complexes and condominiums.) Use a Reduced Pressure Type
Backflow Preventer. This is the industry standard. For commercial projects you dont take chances, you use a Reduced Pressure Type
because it provides the highest level of protection. If something goes wrong a commercial property owner is likely to be held to a very high
standard. An hour of your attorneys time in court costs you more than any backflow preventer!
o Single Family Residential: Continue to the next question.
2. Do you plan to use fertigation, apply fertilizer, pesticides (such as for insect control), or apply anything other than pure water using your irrigation
system? This includes products labeled as organic, natural, and safe. This also includes the safe mosquito control products applied by
misters and sprinklers. Remember all these products are concentrated in the irrigation system water, so while they may be safe when dispersed
into the air, they can be much more dangerous when concentrated in the water in the pipes.
o Yes: Use a Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer.
o No: Continue to the next question.
3. Do you want the backflow preventer to be installed below ground in a valve box?
o Yes: Consider a Double Check Type Backflow Preventer, it is the only type that can be installed in a box below ground. Note: other types
may sometimes be installed in a large vault with unblockable drainage. (For example, you can generally put a Reduced Pressure Type
Backflow Preventer in a large basement.)
o No: Continue to the next question.
4. Is it possible to install the backflow preventer in a location where it will be at least 6 inches (150mm) above all of the sprinkler heads or drip
emitters/drippers?
o No: Use either a Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer or a Double Check Type Backflow Preventer.
o Yes: Continue to the next question.
5. Is the area to be irrigated reasonably small, such as a front yard or back yard of a tract home?
o No: Use a Pressure Vacuum Breaker, Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer or a Double Check Type Backflow Preventer.
o Yes: Continue to the next question.
6. Would it be acceptable to you if one or more valves are installed on pipes, at least 6 above ground? (Maybe you can hide them behind a shrub or
put a decorative cover over them.)
o Yes: Use Anti-Siphon Valves.
o No: Use a Pressure Vacuum Breaker, Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer or a Double Check Type Backflow Preventer.

Types of Backflow Preventers
Following is a list of the various types of backflow preventers. All of the following backflow preventer types are available in all sizes. You may
need to contact a specialty irrigation store or plumbing supplier to obtain some of these backflow preventers.
A control valve is the valve that is used to turn on and off a group of sprinklers or a drip system. Typically an irrigation system will have
several control valves, each turning on the irrigation in a different area of the yard. A control valve may be automatic (turned on and off by a
timer) or it may be manual (turned on and off by hand.)
Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker. The atmospheric vacuum breaker (AVB) is the least expensive backflow preventer. The AVB is installed on
the pipe right after the control valve. If you use AVBs for backflow prevention you must install one AVB after EVERY control valve, no
exceptions. It must be installed at least 6 inches (150mm) higher than the highest sprinkler head, bubbler, or drip emitter outlet that is turned on
and off by that control valve (some AVB manufacturers, and in some areas local officials, require that AVBs be installed 12 inches (300mm)
higher than the sprinkler heads). It may not be installed in any location where it might ever be submerged under water, like in a underground
box. As a general rule AVBs are not economically practical if you have more than 6 or so valves. In this case you would want to consider a
pressure vacuum breaker. Some municipalities do not allow the use of AVBs. Most people use a anti-siphon valve (see next item) rather than a
valve and a separate AVB. An anti-siphon valve is generally less expensive and less work to install. If you install any valves, of any type, on the
pipes downstream of the AVB, the AVB will not work! The downstream valve creates back pressure on the AVB which causes the vent in it to
jam in the closed position. If this vent cant open, the AVB will not prevent backflow. (Exception: drain valves for winterizing the system are
OK and may be installed after an AVB valve, provided they are configured only to drain the pipe. A properly installed drain valve should not
create backpressure on the AVB.)
Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker Installation Detail

Anti-Siphon Valve. A anti-siphon valve is a manual or automatic control valve with a built-in atmospheric vacuum breaker. Like the AVB it
must be installed 6 inches (150mm) higher than the highest sprinkler head or drip emitter outlet. If you install any valves, of any type, on the
pipes downstream of the anti-siphon valve, the anti-siphon valve will not work! The downstream valve creates back pressure on the anti-
siphon valve which causes the vent in it to jam in the closed position. If this vent cant open, the anti-siphon valve will not prevent backflow. It
may not be installed in any location where it might ever be submerged under water. (Exception: drain valves for winterizing the system are OK
and may be installed after an anti-siphon valve, provided they are configured only to drain the pipe. A properly installed drain valve should not
create backpressure on the A/S valve.)
Anti-siphon valves are the most common type of backflow preventer used on residential irrigation systems, primarily because they are simple
and inexpensive. Some municipalities do not allow the use of anti-siphon valves, so it is best to check with the water company first. Generally
you would install the anti-siphon valves in one or more groups, at the highest point in the area to be irrigated. A mainline pipe is run to the anti-
siphon valve location(s) from the water source. Pipes then extend from each anti-siphon valve to the sprinklers or emitter tubes. Because anti-
siphon valves must be installed at least 6 inches (150mm) above ground, it is a good idea to put a small planting of shrubs around them to help
hide them from view. They are not particularly attractive! Water may come out of the anti-siphon valve periodically, so make sure you install
them someplace where a little spilled water will not be a problem. The water will come out of the vent, which is under a cover on the top of the
downstream side of the valve (you can see the vent holes under the cover if you turn the valve upside down and look for them.) If water does
come out of the anti-siphon it means something is wrong that needs to be fixed. In most cases it means either a stick or rock got into the anti-
siphon seal and jammed it open, or the anti-siphon valve was not installed higher than all the sprinkler heads or emitters.
1. Never install a anti-siphon valve upstream of any other valve. If you do the anti-siphon valve will not prevent backflow and you have wasted your
money buying it. (Exception: drain valves.)
2. Never use an anti-siphon valve as a backflow preventer installed on the mainline upstream of other valves. This is a common error that a lot of
people make. I have heard employees at home improvement stores recommend installing a anti-siphon valve as a backflow preventer with
standard electric globe valves installed after it for each of the sprinkler zones. I have seen many contractors do this also. Both should know better!
Dont you do it!!! It will damage the anti-siphon valve. Plus the anti-siphon valve will not prevent backflow when installed this way. You are no
better off than if you didnt use a backflow preventer at all. (Contractors and suppliers: before you flame me for being wrong, do some research.
Dont embarrass yourself! Most anti-siphon valves have a warning on the box or in the installation instructions about this. Just read the
instructions!)
3. If you plan to use anti-siphon valves, every one of your sprinkler or drip zone control valves must also be an anti-siphon valve. You can use a ball
valve upstream of the anti-siphon valves for an emergency shutoff. But no valves may be downstream of them. If you are paying attention you
will note that essentially this is the same thing I said in #1 and #2 above! So hopefully youre getting the message by now!
4. Anti-siphon valves should never be installed below ground.
5. You can build an enclosure around the anti-siphon valves to hide them. But they must be above ground, and the enclosure must allow water to
freely drain out of it if the anti-siphon valves leak.
Anti-Siphon Valve Installation Detail

Pressure Vacuum Breaker. A pressure vacuum breaker (PVB) is similar to a atmospheric vacuum breaker except that you only need to install
one of them and it is installed on the mainline leading to the control valves. Like the AVB it must also be installed above ground and it must be 6
inches (150mm) higher than the highest sprinkler head or drip emitter controlled by any of the valves. In a sloped yard it would typically need to
be installed at the highest point in the yard, with a mainline pipe running up to it from the water source, and then another mainline running back
down to the control valves.
A few local authorities require that the PVB be installed within 18 inches (450mm)of the connection to the water source, in which case you cant
use a PVB unless the water source is at the high end of the irrigated area. It may not be installed in any location where it might ever be
submerged under water. Some municipalities do not allow the use of PVBs with drip irrigation systems. Some dont allow the use of a PVB at
all, so check with your water provider. A PVB backflow preventer may spit or spill water out from under the cap when backflow occurs, so it
should be installed in a location where water spillage would not cause problems.
Warning: If used on a water system where a pump and pressure tank supplies the water (like is used on most rural homes that have a well), the
PVB may spit water each time the pump shuts off. This is because the pressure variations caused by the pump and pressure tank system can
cause backflow from the irrigation system back into the water system. The likelihood of water spitting, and the amount of water that spits out,
both increase with a longer mainline on the irrigation system. So if you have 10 feet (3m)of mainline between the PVB and the farthest valve
there is less likely to be water spitting than if you have 500 feet (150m) of mainline pipe. One way to stop, or at least reduce, this water spillage
is to install a spring-loaded check valve right after the PVB. The PVB may still spill a little water with the check valve installed, however in
most cases it should be much less water.
Pressure Vacuum Breaker Type Backflow Preventer Installation Detail

Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer. The reduced pressure backflow preventer (R.P. Unit) is the king of the backflow preventers, made for
high-hazard uses. It is also an expensive piece of equipment. It is the standard for commercial irrigation installations. This is the type of
backflow preventer that I use on most of my designs. The R.P. Unit must be installed 12 inches (300mm) above ground, but it does not have to
be higher than any of the sprinklers. It may not be installed in any location where it might ever be submerged under water. If installed in a
structure or basement there must be a drain located near the backflow preventer. A single R.P. Unit is installed upstream of all the valves. R.P.
Units are used for many things other than irrigation systems. Drive through any commercial business area and you will likely spot a lot of these
units, most often sitting right out by the street. Many times you may see several grouped together, each used for a different purpose. R.P. Units
may spit out water if they detect backflow, they also spit water if they are broken. So dont install them inside a building without providing a
floor drain.
Reduced Pressure Type Backflow Preventer Installation Detail.

Double Check Backflow Preventers. Depending on who you ask, double check backflow preventers may or may not be appropriate for
irrigation systems. In many communities they are legal to use, and even recommended by local officials. Other communities do not allow them
to be used on irrigation systems. I will attempt to present both sides of the argument.

Dont be fooled! A Dual Check is NOT the same thing as a Double Check Backflow Preventer! They sound very similar, and they are
relatives, but they are not the same. Dual check backflow preventers are for use with non-toxic materials. A typical use for a dual check is to
install it where your house water supply connects to the water districts pipe. The water in your house is (hopefully!) non-toxic, so a dual check
is OK. The water in your irrigation system is not as likely to be non-toxic, so a dual check is NOT OK! So how do you recognize which is which
when you see them? A Double Check will ALWAYS have two manual valves, one on the inlet and one on the outlet. These manual valves are
used as emergency shut-offs and are also necessary to properly test the operation of the backflow preventer. A Double Check will also have test
cocks (small outlets sticking out of the side of the backflow preventer) for connecting to test gauges. If it doesnt have those shut off valves and
test cocks it is NOT a Double Check Backflow Preventer! Many communities that allow double check backflow preventers do not allow the use
of dual check backflow preventers. Dont mistakenly buy the wrong thing! For more on dual checks, click here.
First lets take a look at what a double check is and how it works. A double check backflow preventer is simply two spring-loaded check valves
in a row, with a shut-off valve on either end and test cocks to allow the unit to be tested for proper operation. The double check backflow
preventer is the only true backflow preventer which does not have a vent to allow air to enter the lines or to allow water to escape when
backflow occurs. It relies entirely on the tight seal of the two check valves to prevent backflow. In most places where double check backflow
preventers are legal, local officials will allow them to be installed underground in a vault. But not all do, so you should always check with local
officials before installing the unit underground. Double check backflow preventers can be installed lower than the irrigation system and often
they are installed in basements in order to protect them from freezing. Regardless of where they are installed they must be readily accessible for
maintenance and testing. Even in areas where double check backflow preventers are approved for use they may not be used on any irrigation
system where chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, pipe cleaning agents) are injected into the irrigation water.
Double-Check Type Backflow Preventer Installation Detail
For an explanation see my separate article with an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons of double check backflow preventers.
Dual Check Device. Technically this one is NOT a backflow preventer. It is essentially a stripped down version of the Double Check Backflow
Preventer, without the shut-off valves or test cocks. So what are they made for? Just to confuse people? It may seem like it! What they are is a
flow control device rather than a backflow preventer. Now I admit there is a thin line of difference between the two. A typical use for a dual
check is to install one after a water meter to prevent the meter from running backwards (gee, I wonder why the water company wouldnt want
that to happen?). OK, to set the record straight, I have heard that some authorities do suggest the use these devices as backflow preventers. In
most cases they are requiring them in locations where the general consensus is that no backflow preventer is needed at all. (Most municipalities
do not require backflow preventers on water supplies to single family homes, provided water is only used for drinking. The authorities assume
that your toilets, washing machines, bathtubs, and dishwashers all have built-in backflow preventers which pretty much all of them do.) But
some authorities apparently are allowing, and even recommending(!!!), that dual checks be used for irrigation systems, and this is very risky.
What if someone wanted to build a nuclear power plant a few blocks from your home, and they decided to build the cheapest model available,
one that wasnt even designed to be used as a power plant? Then to save even more money, they decide to leave out all the test equipment used
to confirm that it is not overheating or leaking radiation? Only Homer Simpson could get excited about that! So why would anyone in their right
mind use a flow control device that has been stripped of all its test equipment as a backflow preventer?


Pressure Losses in Backflow Preventers
(PSI Loss)
To find the pressure loss through the backflow preventer you will need to consult the manufacturers literature. All of the following backflow
preventer types are available in several sizes.
1. Atmospheric vacuum breaker. Although you may have several atmospheric vacuum breakers on your system, the water will only flow through one
of them on its way to the sprinklers or emitters. So you only include the pressure loss for one vacuum breaker in your calculation. Most
manufacturers dont have pressure loss information for vacuum breakers, so assume a pressure loss of 2 PSI for a vacuum breaker if no
manufacturers literature is available.
2. Anti-Siphon Valves. If you plan to use an anti-siphon valve enter 0 as the backflow preventer pressure loss. The backflow preventer is part of the
anti-siphon valve and the pressure loss is included with the valve so you will enter it later.
3. Pressure Vacuum Breaker. You will need to obtain the manufacturers pressure loss information for the pressure vacuum breaker you plan to use.
As a general rule pressure losses for pressure vacuum breakers range between 2 and 5 PSI, so using 5 PSI would be a fairly safe figure.
4. Reduced Pressure Backflow Preventer. You will need to obtain the manufacturers pressure loss information for the reduced pressure backflow
preventer you plan to use. As a general rule pressure losses for reduced pressure backflow preventers range from 8 and 12 PSI. So using 12 PSI
would be a fairly safe figure. Pressure losses for reduced pressure backflow preventers are very high compared to other backflow preventers due to
the method they use to prevent backflow. The pressure drop is used to detect the backflow and redirect the water out of the bottom of the
backflow preventer. Yes, it will spit water from time to time so make sure you provide somewhere for the water to go!
5. Double Check Backflow Preventer. You will need to obtain the manufacturers pressure loss information for the double check backflow preventer
you plan to use. As a general rule pressure losses for double check backflow preventers range from 3 and 5 PSI. So using 5 PSI would be a fairly safe
figure.
6. Check Valves and Dual Checks. There are two other types of backflow preventers available that you may run into. The first is a check valve. The
second is a dual check. It is NOT the same thing as a Double Check even though it may be marketed as one! Dont get ripped off! Pressure losses
through a check valve tends to be about 3 PSI, Dual Checks have losses similar to Double Checks (5 PSI).

IMPORTANT!
All backflow preventers must be installed correctly. Follow the instructions that come with the units. Backflow preventers should be
checked yearly for proper operation. In areas where it freezes, the backflow preventer should be protected from freezing. See the
Irrigation System Winterization tutorial for details.

This page is linked into several of the tutorials. If you are working through one of the tutorials, please select below to continue the tutorial you
are using, or use your browsers back button.
Return to Drip Guidelines: Back to Drip Irrigation Design Guidelines page
Sprinkler System Mainline Pipes

Quick & Dirty Summary
Definition of irrigation mainline: The mainline is all the pipes between the water source (POC) and the irrigation zone control valves.
Another definition is that mainline is any pipe that is always pressurized with water.
Worksheet for Choosing Your Mainline Pipe or Tube

Excessive Water Pressure: In all cases if your static water pressure exceeds 100 PSI it is advisable to install a pressure regulating valve at the
irrigation connection point to maintain a pressure lower than 100 PSI. All of these pipes or tubes may burst at higher pressures.
Temperate Areas (ground doesnt freeze in winter)
Rocky Soil: Is your ground very rocky, so that it would be impossible to keep rocks larger than 2 diameter from contacting the pipe? If yes
consider using PEX tubing for you mainline.
Normal soil: If ground is not rocky consider using SCH 40 PVC pipe for your mainline. If pipe larger than 2 is needed use Cl 315 PVC pipe.
Frost Areas (ground freezes at least a couple inches deep in winter.)
If your static water pressure is less than 60 PSI the use of 125 PSI rated poly tube may be sufficient if cost is a major issue. However it would be
better to use 160 PSI tube if you can afford it.
For static water pressure between 60 and 80 PSI, use 160 PSI rated poly tube.
For static water pressure between 80 and 100 PSI, use 200 PSI rated poly tube.
Make sure you provide a method to blow out or drain the water from the mainline completely during winter.
Pipe or Tube Size: There is no easy way to say what exact size you should use. It you really dont want to do calculations the following is a
very rough educated guess that will work for most (but not all) situations. Use a pipe or tube size that is the next size larger than the water
supply pipe the irrigation system (POC) is tapped into. Do not use smaller than 3/4. Ie; if the irrigation system mainline is going to tap into a
1 house water supply pipe (POC), then use a 1 1/4 size mainline for the irrigation.
Pipe Depth: Bury the mainline pipe at least 18 deep from the top of the pipe to the ground surface. It is critical that this pipe be protected from
accidental damage and light frosts.
No water running through the house! To avoid nasty surprises, avoid using a water supply (POC) for your irrigation system that passes
through a house inside the walls, under floors, or through the attic.
Keep reading for in-depth details and answers to why?
Why is this page so darn long? Its because a lot of the basics of irrigation system piping and hydraulics that you will need to know to create a
good design are first introduced here. So there are lots of explanations on this page. Plus there are a lot of different mainline variables and I
need to address all of them because I dont know which ones will impact you and which wont. Finally, I give some rather detailed examples to
help you understand all of this hydraulics stuff.
P.O.C. stands for Point of Connection, this is the standard name used in the irrigation industry to describe the point where the irrigation system
taps into a water supply. You might consider it the start of the irrigation system. It is standard industry practice to label the location of the
water source on irrigation plans with the letters POC.
Pipes or tubes? I tend to use the term pipe because we use primarily PVC plastic pipe here where I live, but tube is an acceptable term as
well. Pipe tends to be those products with diameters similar to iron pipe, tube tends to be used for those products with diameters similar to
copper tube. Ive have never found that either term is uniformly used, in the real world they tend to be interchanged a lot.
Mainline Background Information
Your water source may be a water company pipe in the street or alley, or it could be a pump, a well, lake, pond, stream, tank, or whatever. For
residential properties there is typically already a house water mainline that takes water to the house. Most of the time you will be tapping into
that house water mainline for your irrigation system water. In that case you have two mainlines, a house mainline taking water to the house,
and a irrigation mainline that takes water to the irrigation valves.
The irrigation mainline pipe is the primary or main pipe in your sprinkler system. As mentioned above, it is the pipe that goes from the water
source to the zone valves used to turn on the sprinklers or drip emitters. It is typically always filled with water and pressurized. For this reason
it is typical to use a higher quality of pipe for the mainline. The mainline often has higher water pressures in it and also has a lot more pressure
surges (water hammer) in it. Typically it always has pressurized water in it, so if it breaks a lot of water may be wasted before the break gets
noticed and repaired.
Most pipe has a maximum pressure rating. The pressure rating is not the recommended normal operating pressure, it is the maximum pressure
the pipe should be exposed to. Because of the higher demands on the mainline, normally the pressure rating of the pipe you use for mainline
should be double the actual static water pressure. So if you have 60 PSI of static water pressure, the mainline pipe should be rated for 120 PSI or
higher. This may sound like over-kill at first, however huge pressure surges in an irrigation system are a normal occurrence, so you need to
design the system to withstand them. Pressure spikes of twice the normal pressure may occur every time a sprinkler control valve is closed.
Thats a lot of pressure spikes over the life of your irrigation system, and each one puts a huge stress on the pipe. Using a higher pressure rated
pipe allows for a margin of safety and helps reduce the frequency of pipe breaks. Breaks are difficult and expensive to repair.
Building Codes:
Local building codes may dictate exactly what type of pipe or tube you may use. The Uniform Building Code, National Electrical Code, and
the International Plumbing Code are standard systems of code requirements that have been developed to try to create some uniform standards,
and almost all areas of the USA have adopted these codes for uniformity. However each local jurisdiction has the ability to add to, modify or
waive the uniform codes. Other countries also use similar, if not the same, codes. So the basic rule is that you have to check with the local
building officials to find out just what the codes are.
On the upstream side of the backflow preventer (the side the water is coming in from) the Uniform Plumbing Code applies, and it
requires that all pipes and tubes be the same type as whatever the code requires locally for domestic potable water pipes. Note: In some
places the building officials require the ENTIRE irrigation mainline be installed to building code requirements.
In most places you need to get a building permit for your irrigation system before you install it. As part of the permit process an inspector may
need to check the water pipe or tube after you place it in the ground, but before you use or bury it. Generally the authorities consider the
irrigation mainline to be a potable water pipe (ie; it contains drinking quality water.) They can be really, really anal about this. Ive never seen
them fine anyone for using the wrong pipe, but I have seen a lot of pipe/tube have to be ripped out and replaced! Before you decide to do your
own thing with the mainline it is best to check the local requirements. While many dont care, in some areas the building officials are very picky
about what type of pipe you use for the entire irrigation mainline, and sometimes the entire irrigation system right out to the last sprinkler head.
This is especially true for areas where water is in short supply, like the southern and western USA. In these areas officials want to avoid possible
leaks or breaks resulting from poor quality pipes and tubes that will waste water. Please call them up or check the local building department
website and check. It is very expensive and a lot of hard work when they discover you used an unapproved pipe/tube and they make you remove
and replace it.
Types of mainline pipe:
PVC Plastic. PVC pipe is the default pipe used for irrigation systems throughout the western and southern areas of the USA and is also used in
most other temperate climates. PVC pipe comes in different types, the common ones are schedule 80, schedule 40, class 315, class 200,
and for really low-quality cheap systems, sometimes class 125 is used. (There are other classes of PVC available that are not commonly used
in irrigation.) Schedule is often abbreviated SCH and class is abbreviated Cl. For mainlines the normal recommended type of PVC is
Schedule 40 PVC (SCH 40) with the letters UPC and NSHF stamped on the pipe. Often the local authorities will require that 2 size and larger
mainline be class 315 PVC stamped UPC & NSHF, check with local building officials. For pipe sizes larger than 2 inch, Cl 315 PVC pipe is
stronger than SCH 40 PVC and is a better choice.
Polyethylene (poly) Tube. In areas where the soil freezes heavy wall (rated 125 PSI) polyethylene tube has been used for many years. Poly
tubing rated at 160 PSI is now commonly available and is the most common poly tube to use for mainlines. 200 PSI poly tube is also available
at some stores and is even better. Poly tube, as it is often called, is a flexible black plastic tubing which bends easily and has a slightly oily feel
to it. You can easily scratch the soft surface with your fingernail. Polyethylene holds up better to freezing than PVC does. However,
polyethylene as a general rule has a low pressure rating, and thus is subject to bursting and splitting open. The tubing sold as Irrigation poly
tube is a lower quality, low pressure rated tube made for low pressure irrigation laterals. Do not use it for mainlines.
PEX tubing. PEX tube is now used in place of polyethylene mainlines in most places and is now used extensively for plumbing inside
buildings. PEX is a form of polyethylene which is reinforced to make it stronger while maintaining good flexibility and freeze resistance. This
does not mean you should allow the water in PEX to freeze, it is just less likely to be damaged by a light frost! Be aware that PEX tube has less
carrying capacity than polyethylene (as well as most other tubes and pipes), so you will need to use a larger size of PEX tube than you would
have used for polyethylene.
PEX is often sold as an equivalent or equal to copper tube, because it has the same outside diameter and can use compression type
fittings similar to those used for copper tube. However PEX has a much thicker tube wall so the inside of the tube has a smaller diameter than
copper, and thus the area inside for the water to flow through is smaller. This smaller inside area results in considerably less water capacity than
copper. So if you replace a 1 copper tube with a 1 PEX tube you may discover a large drop in water capacity and pressure through the
tube. As a general rule, when replacing a existing copper tube with new PEX tubing I feel it is best to increase the PEX tube size to be one size
larger than the copper tube was. If anyone argues this with you just ask them to get you both and hold them up side-by-side. While the outside
dimensions are identical, you will see that the PEX is much smaller inside. Smaller means less capacity. Yes the PEX is slicker inside than
copper and allows the water to flow easier. That helps a little but doesnt solve the problem. There are a series of spreadsheets on this website
that calculate pressure loss and velocity in tubes. Get the one for PEX and the one for copper and plug in the same size, flow and distance into
both. You will see a huge difference. And yes, those spreadsheets do take the slickness into account. Dont misunderstand, PEX is a great
product from my observations and I use it. It hasnt been around long enough to know for sure how it will hold up over time, but so far its
good. Just remember you do have to use a larger tube size than you use for copper.
Metal pipe or tube. You can also use copper or galvanized steel pipe for new mainlines if you wish. Copper is expensive, but a great choice as
it is very durable. I often use copper for short irrigation mainlines,. The mainline on my house front yard irrigation is only 8 feet long so I used
copper for durability and because my house plumbing is also copper.
Galvanized steel is not such a great choice for irrigation systems, it corrodes on the inside and will slowly choke off the water flow over time.
Galvanized steel also flakes off bits of rust and corrosion inside the pipe which can cause massive, expensive problems with irrigation systems.
Early irrigation systems used galvanized steel pipe, but the use was mostly stopped in the 1960s.
Pipe Depth
The Uniform Plumbing Code says water pipes and tubes should be at least 18 deep or below the frost line*, whichever is deeper. The depth is
measured from the average soil level to the top of the pipe (so burying it 12 deep and putting a 6 berm over the pipe location doesnt meet the
code requirement of 18 deep.) While digging a 24 deep trench so that the mainline pipe/tube can be 18 deep is a lot of work, there are really
some good reasons to do it even if the authorities dont make you. The mainline pipe is your most important pipe in the irrigation system, when
it breaks the whole system is out of service. Having the mainline that deep protects it from most of the common sources of breakage (like
gardening tools and car tires!)
Cold Climates & Winterizing
It is important to keep water from freezing inside your mainline pipe in cold climates. The standard method for winterizing a mainline is bury
it below the frost line, or more often, to drain or blow the water out of your mainline prior to each winter. If you plan to winterize the irrigation
system by removing the water you dont need to bother with burying the pipe below the frost line, UNLESS of course, the local building
officials say you do! If you plan to drain or blow out the mainline you will need a winterization shut-off valve located someplace where
the winterization shut-off valve and pipe upstream of it will not freeze (or you can use a special freeze-proof valve, and/or heating cable to
prevent it from freezing.) Most people put the shut-off valve in their basement or a heated shed/pump house. I strongly recommend that you use
a high-quality brass ball-valve for the shut-off valve (or a special frost-proof designed valve.) A ball valve is a type of valve design, you will
find them at any hardware store. Do not use a gate valve as they tend to leak. If you plan to blow the water out of the pipes you need a capped
tee right after the winterization shut-off valve so you can connect the air compressor to it and blow air into the mainline. See the Winterization
Tutorial for more information on winterizing your irrigation system.
Pressure Loss Calculations
Common question: Can I skip calculating the pressure loss in the house mainline? It is upstream of where I measured my static water
pressure. NO! Sorry to yell at you, but its a huge, common mistake, so I want your attention. When you measured the water pressure you
measured static pressure, that is, the pressure when the water is not moving. There is no pressure loss in pipes when the water is not moving.
But when you run the sprinklers the water will be moving, so there WILL be pressure loss in the house mainline as well as the irrigation
mainline. Often the pressure loss in the house mainline is substantial. Therefore you must also calculate the pressure loss for the house mainline
and add it in with your other pressure losses. For purposes of irrigation design your house mainline starts where your house water supply pipe
branches off of the water suppliers big water mainline, which is typically in the street or alley. The house mainline ends at the point where you
tap into it for your irrigation water. More on this later in this page.
Why not measure the pressure with the water flowing (dynamic pressure)? Because it is pretty difficult to get the correct flow rate and
you would likely need to disassemble part of your house piping and build a special test pipe to get an accurate measurement. Not convinced?
Youre going to need to trust me on this one, or take a college level course in hydraulics.
Pressure Loss in pipes and tubes is often called friction loss. Often all pressure loss is called friction loss. I sometimes slip into this bad habit
as you may notice. So if you find a reference to friction loss just think pressure loss.
In most cases you will have two (or more) different mainline pipe sizes or types between the water source and irrigation valves. For example,
you may have a 1 copper house mainline and a 1 1/4 PVC irrigation mainline. (A bigger irrigation mainline you ask? Yes, that is perfectly
fine. Often it is advantageous for the irrigation mainline to be larger than the house mainline.) In any case, you will need to calculate the
pressure loss separately for each different pipe size and type, then add them all together. This is why the Pressure Loss Table in the Sprinkler
Design tutorial has 3 entries for mainlines, House Mainline 1, House Mainline 2, and Irrigation Mainline.
Example: You have a 1 polyethylene house mainline that starts at the water companys main (your water source, a large water company
pipe in the street that supplies water to all the houses in the neighborhood). Your polyethylene house mainline tube takes the water to the water
meter and then continues to take it on to the house. At the house the mainline becomes copper, and extends into the basement then on to all the
various faucets in the house. You decide to tap into this copper tube in the basement for the irrigation system water. This location will be your
Point of Connection (P.O.C..) for the irrigation system and you will want to install a good quality shut-off valve at the start of your irrigation
mainline, for turning off the irrigation for repairs or winter. You install a new 1 copper irrigation mainline from the shut-off valve to a
backflow preventer in the basement and the copper continues through the basement wall back outside again. Finally you use an adapter to
attache a new 1 1/4 PEX irrigation mainline to the copper mainline just outside the house. The PEX mainline runs a short distance across the
yard to the location of the irrigation zone control valves.
OK, heres what you do. You will need to calculate the pressure loss for each of those sections of pipe or tube separately, then add them all
together for the total mainline pressure loss.
1 poly house mainline to meter and then continuing to house
+ 1 copper house mainline
+ 1 copper irrigation mainline to backflow preventer and out through wall
+ 1 1/4 PEX irrigation mainline to the valves
= Total mainline pressure loss
Now you need to know the length of each of these pipe sections.
Where are the existing pipes? Existing pipes are sometimes not so easy to find or measure the length of, they may be already buried and you
cant see them, and they may even be under a street or driveway too! So, if the water companys big water supply pipe is somewhere out it the
street, how do you know where it is so you can measure the length of your house supply mainline from it to the house? You will probably need
to make an educated guess. Look up and down the street for manhole covers labeled water. Generally they are located directly over the pipe,
and the pipes in most cases run parallel to the street curbs. If you can find two manholes, the pipe generally runs in a straight line between them.
I know thats not real helpful, and there is one other trick that sometimes works. If you call 811 (for those in the USA) they will send someone
out to mark the underground utility locations for you using paint, including the location of the water companys pipe, as well as the location of
the pipe running onto your property. You are going to need to do this anyway if you plan to install your irrigation anywhere near the
street. Often utilities are actually located in an easement on your property. Ive seen lot s of water pipes and especially high-voltage electrical
wires that run right through peoples front yards, often in places I would never have expected. The problem is if the water companys pipe is off
of your property out in the street you probably dont plan to dig out there so they wont mark it for you. They will only mark locations where
you plan to dig. Generally you outline the area you are going to dig up with white paint (they will give you instructions on what to mark and
how.) If you can be there to meet them when they mark the pipes they will likely be happy to tell you where the water pipes are. You could also
just mark the street to indicate you are going to be digging up the street. But be warned that they may notify the street maintenance people, who
may have some questions for you as to why you are indicating you plan to be digging up the street!

Dial 811 for Free Utility Location in USA & Canada
Irrigation mainline length. So how are you supposed to know the length of your irrigation mainline before you even design the sprinkler
system? At this point you probably dont know how many valves you will need or where they will be located, so how can you know how long
the mainline is going to be? Good question! The answer is that you are going to need to guesstimate. As discussed above, the irrigation mainline
essentially goes from the point of connection (thats the place where you tap into the existing water pipe for the new irrigation water supply) to
the sprinkler control valves. So ask yourself where would you like for the control valves to be? Simple irrigation valves can be installed
underground in a box almost anywhere you want, although in most cases it is best if they are near (but not within) the area that they will be
watering. A special type of irrigation valves called anti-siphon valves cant be buried and must be higher than the area to be watered, so that
will limit where you can install them. Also keep in mind that with an automatic irrigation system the valves dont need to be in a single group.
While I suggest you install them in small groups for convenience, it is perfectly fine to have several groups in various areas of the yard.
It is best not to locate a valve within the area that is watered by the sprinklers that the valve turns on and off. If you do, you are probably going to
get sprayed by the sprinklers when you turn them on. This is not fun.
Example:
So lets say you have a typical house where the water supply pipe comes from the street and runs to the house. You decide to tap into the water
supply for the irrigation system in the basement, right after the pipe comes in from the yard. So your point of connection is in the basement.
From there the irrigation mainline would run out through the basement wall to, say, the front yard. The part of the irrigation mainline that is
within the basement should be metal or PEX pipe (not all local building officials allow PEX pipe in a basement, so check first.) Many people
install their backflow preventer in the basement also. That is what we will be doing for our example. So we will put a reduced pressure backflow
preventer on the new mainline before it leaves the basement. (Since it is a reduced pressure backflow preventer we also assure that there is a
drain inlet in the basement floor, as they sometimes spit out water onto the floor.) From the backflow preventer the metal irrigation mainline pipe
continues through the wall and out to the yard. Be sure to seal and water-proof the hole through the wall around the pipe! After the irrigation
mainline is through the wall the metal pipe should extend another 12 inches beyond the edge of the wall, then you can change to plastic pipe
using an adapter. If the adapter uses threads make sure the female threads are metal, and the male threads are plastic. If you use plastic female
threads with metal male threads the hard metal male threads will expand ad contract with temperature changes and cause the soft plastic female
end to split open. If the pipe comes out of the wall above ground it will need to be metal until it is a few inches underground. Plastic pipe should
never be used above ground where it would be exposed to sunlight. Sunlight will degrade it and cause premature failure.
You plan to water the front yard with the new sprinkler system, so you will need some control valves for the front yard. If you are using anti-
siphon valves you dont have a lot of choice as to where they are installed. They must be installed at the highest point in the front yard. In this
case we are using a reduced-pressure type backflow preventer in the basement and standard globe-type control valves out in the yard, so we
dont need the valves at the highest point. Where the new mainline comes through the wall there is already a big group of shrubs, perfect to hide
the valves in. So the mainline will come out of the basement and extend to the front yard valves, which we will install underground in a box
hidden by the shrubs. So far, so good. Hopefully you are now starting to get a mental image of what your irrigation system might look like.
Now lets say you also want to water the backyard. You could put the valves for the backyard near the same clump of shrubs with the front yard
valves. But this would mean lots of pipes going to the backyard from the front. Plus it would be inconvenient- if you needed to work on the
backyard sprinklers, you would have to walk all the way around to the front yard each time you wanted to turn on the valve. So the best solution
is usually to continue the mainline from the front yard, around the house, to the back yard. Some people choose to run the mainline under the
house in the crawl space, through an unfinished basement, even through an attic- this is OK but you should use metal or PEX pipe under or in
the house. The type of pipe under or in the house must meet building code requirements.) You can even use metal pipe and strap it on the outside
wall of the house, but it looks a little ugly! Now the question is where to put the valves for the backyard? As with the front yard, if you plan to
use anti-siphon valves you must install them at the highest point in the back yard. So your choice is already made for you. If you plan to use a
backflow preventer and globe valves, then the choice of valve locations is up to you. Again, a good location is someplace out of the way, but
also near the area they will control the water in. A good place for the valves is along the perimeter of the yard. I like to run my mainline about 24
inches away from the property line. Usually a shrub border is planted at the perimeter of a property, so this also works well as a way to hide the
valves.
Calculating the Mainline Size
What size should your new irrigation mainline be? I wish there was an easy answer, but, unfortunately, you will need to start with an educated
guess. Then you need to calculate the total pressure loss in your mainlines and add it to all of your other pressure losses in the sprinkler system.
If the pressure losses are too great, you may then need to increase the size of your new mainline. Using a larger size pipe means there will be less
pressure loss as the water squeezes through it. More on that later. Unfortunately, there are no magic ways to determine what size a pipe should
be. Pipe size is based on many different variables, what works at one house may not work next door! Dont panic, it is easier than it sounds and I
will lead you through it step-by-step!
As previously stated, you need to start with an educated guess for the irrigation mainline size. Almost always the irrigation mainline will need to
be the same size or larger as the house mainline, so that is one good place to start. Even better, start with one size larger than the house mainline
as in most cases this will be needed, especially if your Design Pressure is less than 50 PSI. Another good starting point is one size larger than the
water meter if you have a meter.

Bigger is better! Remember that with sprinkler system pipes a bigger pipe almost never hurts anything and is almost always better. Using a
larger size pipe will not hurt anything except in a few very, very rare situations. The chance of you actually having one of those situations is
close to zero. In 35 years of doing this I have never run into one of those situations. Never. On the other hand, using a smaller pipe can hurt in
many situations. This seems illogical, and you will run into a lot of professional sprinkler folks who will swear that a smaller pipe is needed to
increase water pressure. They did not learn this in school! It is not true. They arent bad people, they were probably taught this by whomever
taught them irrigation, and the irrigation-myth gets passed along again and again, taking on a life of its own. Heres the science-based truth:
When you make the pipe smaller and try to force the same amount of water through it, the water must travel faster (higher velocity) to squeeze
through that smaller pipe. Bernoullis Principle states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.
Decreasing the size of the pipe will not create more water pressure, it does just the opposite. You can test it yourself- go to Animated
Demonstration of Bernoullis Principle where there is a interactive graphic demo that allows you to change the size of a pipe and see what
happens to the velocity and pressure. Its fun, and a picture is worth a thousand words!
Hose Bibs and Yard Faucets
One more item to quickly remind you of. I strongly recommend that you do not use a hose bib or faucet on your house as your irrigation water
source. It is best if you avoid running the irrigation water through the house. Connect to the house mainline between the water source and the
house if possible. If you do need to install a backflow preventer in the basement, tap into the water supply as close as possible to the point where
it enters the basement. You can then run a new pipe for the irrigation under or around the house if you want to get the water to the back yard.
Most existing pipes inside the walls of houses are too small to handle the volume of water needed for an irrigation system. Those pipes are
intended to supply the much lower flow requirements of household appliances, faucets, and showers. If you force more water through those
pipes, the high flow velocity can create pin-holes in the house pipes. These pin-holes are extremely expensive to repair! Often the only fix is to
completely replace the pies or install a plastic coating on all the pipe in the house. Plus the noise of the water flowing through the pipes when the
sprinkler system is running may drive you nuts! It can be very loud.
Looped Mainlines
If you have a large yard it may be beneficial to use a looped irrigation mainline. Typically there is no benefit to this on a smaller residence, but if
you have a big country estate with lots of irrigation it may be worth looking into. If you have more than an acre of property I would suggest you
take a look at the tutorial How to Design a Looped Mainline for Irrigation Systems. I almost always loop the mainline on large estates. If
nothing else it allows me to put lots of manual hose bibs around the yard for the owner to use.
Velocity
Water velocity, or speed, in the pipes is important. it is possible to force the water to go way faster through the pipe than is safe. When the
water goes too fast it causes two major problems. The first is water hammer. Water hammer is what happens when all that fast moving water is
forced to stop moving almost instantly. This happens when the automatic valves on your irrigation system close. It also happens when the
automatic valves on your dishwasher and washing machine close too! The sudden stop causes a huge pressure surge, often doubling the water
pressure in the pipes and tubes for a second or two. This can cause the pipe or tube to burst. It is also very loud! The second problem cause by
excessive velocity is called scrubbing. It is pretty much what it sounds like, believe it or not, water is slightly abrasive. At high speeds it
scrubs away the inside layers of the pipe or tube. This is really common in homes with copper pipe, since copper is a soft metal. The result is
tiny pin holes start to form in the tube. Whole industries have sprung up re-plumb homes where the owners have installed appliances or
sprinkler systems that use too much water and cause high velocity in the house pipes. You better believe it is expensive to re-plumb a house!
The good news is that the pressure loss calculators listed below will also tell you the water velocity. The spreadsheet calculators will even warn
you if the velocity is too high. For mainlines the velocity should be kept under 5 feet/second. For other irrigation pipes that are downstream
or after the zone valves (these are called lateral pipes) you can go up to 7 feet/second. These lateral pipes have less pressure surges because
they are after the valves, and scrubbing is not as big an issue as the water only flows through them when the irrigation valve is on.

How to calculate pressure loss
Water pressure loss in pipes is calculated by using the pipe size and the flow rate of the water through the pipe. This website has several
calculators you can use, or you can do it the old-fashioned way and use tables.
Spreadsheets for Calculating Friction Loss
This is how I do it. Ive created a whole collection of spreadsheets that do all the calculations for pressure loss and velocity for various types of
pipe and tubing. Hopefully you will find these spreadsheets pretty easy to use, I tried to make them do as much of the work for you as possible.
They will calculate both pressure loss and velocity, and will warn you if the flow you have selected is too high. Spreadsheets are available for
pretty much all the common types of pipe found in homes today. Spreadsheets for Calculating Friction Loss & Pressure Loss in Pipes and Tubes.

Stand-alone Windows Pressure Loss Calculator
There is also a free stand-alone Windows friction loss calculator available, which was created by Steve Granger. Use the value of 1 for both the
Specific Gravity and the Viscosity of water when using this calculator. Under the heading Material, Plastic is PVC plastic. The current version
doesnt work for poly plastic. The windows calculator will calculate friction losses for galvanized steel several other materials in addition to
plastic. Download the calculator from http://www.IrrigationTutorials.com/LineSize.exe. Many thanks to Steve for creating this calculator and
providing it free for everyone to use.

Pressure Loss Tables
There is a page on this website with a few old-fashioned pressure loss tables you can use to calculate the friction loss in your mainline. This is
the old-school, low tech method. See the Irrigation Mainline Pressure Loss Tables page.
Whew, this was a long page with a lot of information! Glad you made it through. You can do this
What Type of Valve to Use & What Size

This page explains everything you need to know about irrigation valves!
There are many different kinds of irrigation valves available. You will need at least two different types for your irrigation system.
1. Emergency shut-off valve:
This valve should be installed at the closest point possible to your water source, that is, the location where you tap in for the irrigation system.
Without this valve you will need to shut-off the water to the entire house when you want to work on the mainline or irrigation valves. The most
commonly used valves for this purpose are gate valves because they are inexpensive. Unfortunately the cheap gate valves youre likely to find
in your local hardware store also tend to fail after a very short period of time. I recommend that you use a ball valve, or if you need a really
big shut off valve (over 3 inch size) use a disk valve, or butterfly valve. These cost a bit more but are much more reliable and will last
several times longer. So if you pay twice as much for a ball valve its probably still the best deal! If you want to use a gate valve make sure that
it is a wedge type and buy a good quality one (it will probably cost more than a ball valve.) Theres nothing worse than trying to repair a
system when you cant shut off the water completely. OK, thats about all you need to know about emergency shut-off valves. The rest of this
page is about Irrigation Control Valves.
2. Irrigation Control Valves:
These are the valves that turn on and off the sprinklers, they also may be used for drip irrigation systems. Other names sometime used for them
are irrigation valve, sprinkler valve, solenoid valve, and lawn valve. Sometimes they are incorrectly called Garden Valves. A garden valve
is a manual valve that you connect a garden hose to.
Globe Valves vs. Anti-Siphon Valves
You have two basic styles of control valves to choose from.

Globe or angle valve:
This valve is available in any size and is commonly installed underground in a box or vault. Since it doesnt incorporate a backflow preventer
you must provide one separately. See the article on backflow preventers. The globe style valve is the most commonly used valve on commercial
and larger size sprinkler systems.
Anti-siphon valve:
Available only in 3/4 and 1 size. This is the most common used valve style for homeowners. The anti-siphon valve incorporates a backflow
preventer into the valve. This saves a considerable amount of money, as backflow preventers are very expensive. The anti-siphon valve MUST
be installed above ground and MUST be at least 6 higher than the highest sprinkler head. This means that if you want to use anti-siphon valves
you will have to locate the valves at the highest point in your yard, and run a water supply pipe to them from the water source (this water supply
is called a mainline). The mainline pipe leading to the anti-siphon valves should be buried 18 deep to protect it.
Valve Operation/Control Systems
Manual, Hydraulic and Solenoid Valves:
The sprinkler valves may be manually operated or they can be remotely controlled (automatic valves.) Manual control is simple, the valve has a
handle that you use to turn it on and off using your hand as the power source. Remote control valves are either electric or hydraulic operated
using a timer or other signaling device to tell them to open and close. Today almost all of sprinkler control valves are electric powered solenoid
valves. The electric solenoid valve operates on 24 volt alternating current (vac) and is turned on and off by a timer called an irrigation
controller or often just controller. Anti-siphon, globe, and angle valves styles are all available as automatic valves.
Solenoid Valve and Controller Compatibility
Pretty much all 24volt valves and controllers are compatible with each other. The most common exception to this rule is valves operated by
controllers that are battery or solar powered. (By battery powered I mean they are not plugged into a power source other than the
battery. Many controllers have a battery to prevent program loss in case of a power failure, these are not battery operated.) So in most cases
you can buy a brand X controller and it will work fine with brand Y valves. You can even mix two or more brands of valves together if for
some reason that appealed to you. For example the irrigation system where I test valves and controllers has many different brands all running
together. If the valve is not universal or compatible it will typically have a warning on the packaging.
Flow Control
I strongly recommend that if you are going to use automatic valves, you select a valve model that has a manual flow adjustment control feature
on it. Dont confuse the flow control with a manual on/off switch. The flow control is a separate handle (sometimes a screw) in addition to the
manual on/off control on the valve. This flow control feature is not found on many of the less expensive budget valves. The flow control
bypasses the automatic valve features allowing the valve to be closed in an emergency by turning a handle just like a standard manual valve.
More important is that it also allows the valve to be throttled, that is, the water flow may be adjusted to any rate desired. This ability to adjust
the flow rate is very useful in many different situations, both when installing your sprinkler system and later when managing it. It can literally
make the difference between being able to make a troublesome valve work and having to remove and replace it! I very strongly suggest that this
is a feature worth the extra cost.

Using the manual flow control you can manually force the valve closed if it sticks open. The manual on/off switch will not close the valve if it is stuck
open. Failure to close automatically is one of the most common valve problems, so theres a good chance that someday you will use the flow
control to force closed a valve that is stuck open.
If your flows are on the low end of the valves operation range, it may be helpful to throttle down the flow control to make the valve close faster
and more reliably. Without the flow control feature you may have a lot of problems in this situation, you will probably have to replace the valve.
Partially closing the flow control will make the valve close faster, which is not something you want to do normally, but sometimes it is desirable. On
automatic systems it is common for the next valve to open before the previous one fully closes. The resulting loss of pressure due to two valve
circuits being on at the same time can cause the first valve to never fully close. A flow control on the valve can help correct this problem.
Buy valves with the flow control feature. Just do it. Dont be one of the many people who later makes some lame excuse to me, like the guy at
the store, who normally works in the paint department but was filling in for the day on the irrigation aisle, said it was a waste of money!
Should You Use Metal or Plastic Valves?
Sprinkler valves come in both brass and plastic models. Most valves used today are plastic, but brass is not out of the picture. There is no doubt
that a brass valve will last longer in most situations, especially if installed above ground in the sunlight. From an operational point of view both
are reliable, especially for automatic systems. For manual valves my experience is that plastic valves wear out fast and have a very short life.
Brass will last much longer. If you use plastic valves above ground you may wish to consider building a cover for them to protect them from
sunlight, which can destroy the plastic over time.
Two types of plastic material are used for valves. Glass-reinforced nylon is the best, it is tougher, more resistant to impact, and has a higher
pressure rating. PVC is used for lower cost valves, it still is pretty strong, although that really depends on how thick the plastic is! A few valves
use ABS plastic or polyethylene, especially for minor parts like screws or caps. Both of these plastics are less strong and are typically used for
parts with little stress on them. I recommend avoiding valves with solvent weld connections (the pipe glues directly into the valve.) If the
valve fails, they can be difficult to replace. Only the cheapest valves come with solvent weld connections. Hmmm cheap valves fail more and
with glued ends are harder to replace- sounds like a bad idea.
Jar Top or Traditional Top Held on with Screws?
OK, just personal opinion here, but I dont see any advantage to a jar top valve. Yes, they seem to work as well as a top with screws holding it
on. They primarily are only found on cheaper valves. The only selling point I have heard for them is that they are supposed to be faster to open
for repairs. Are you repairing it that often? I hope not! But I guess if it is a cheap valve? My experience is that by the time the valve is old
enough to need repairs the jar top has seized up and it takes a strap wrench to get the top off. Personally I prefer using a simple screwdriver to
remove a few screws as opposed to wrestling with a strap wrench in a tight spot like a valve box.
Maintenance
Todays valves are pretty maintenance free. Almost all automatic valve failures result from installation or design problems. Ignore the following
and you will hate your valves regardless of what type or brand you buy!

Join the Hall of Regrets! Simply ignore the following advice, then send me your Im an idiot, I wish Id listened sob story. Ill add it to
my collection and shed an alligator tear or two for you!
Dirt in the irrigation pipes. Inside the valve there are very small water passages that lead to and from the solenoid. Water must flow freely through
these small passages. If a grain of sand or glob of algae gets into these passages it can block them and the valve will fail to open or (more likely) fail
to close. It is critical to flush all the dirt out of the pipes before installing the valves. A 100 to 200 mesh filter installed at the water source
connection can also help keep out contaminates that comes in with the water supply. You may be surprised to learn that most water companies
have considerable amounts of sand in their pipes. When you install a new sprinkler system the higher flows stir up this sand and then it gets into
your new system. Thats why I suggest to you in the installation tutorial to flush for so long. You have to get the sand out of both the sprinkler
system pipes and the water supply pipes! I cant stress this enough! Its like a cheap low-flow toilet. You have to flush, flush, and flush again!
Almost all valve solenoid failures are caused by water getting into the solenoid. The water gets into them through the wires. The solenoid wires
have multiple strands of wires twisted together with insulation around them. Because they are twisted there are very small gaps between the wires
which form passages along the length of the wire. Water is sucked up through these small passages and deposited into the solenoid by capillary
action. Thus it is critically important that the wire splices on the valves be completely water proof so that water cant be sucked into the solenoid
through the wires. You should water-proof the wire splices right after you test the valves! No kidding, a single drop of water on the bare valve wire
end can be quickly sucked up into the solenoid and will ruin the solenoid. The Installation Tutorial has more on this.

Valve Size and Pressure Losses:
Emergency Shut-Off Valve:
The pressure loss through the emergency shut-off valve is not significant enough to worry with. We will ignore it. The emergency shut-off valve
should be the same size as the pipe it is installed on. If a smaller size shut-off valve is used then you do need to worry about losing pressure
through the valve. Probably about 2 PSI would be a safe assumption of the pressure loss.
Automatic Valves:
WARNING!!! If you use the wrong size automatic valve, the valve may not work! READ THAT AGAIN! Let it sink in. The correct valve size
often will not be the same size as the pipe it is connected to.

The pressure loss in an automatic solenoid valve is the primary energy source used by the valve to open and close the valve. The electricity sent
to the valve solenoid is just used to jump-start the process, the real force used is the water pressure. If the valve doesnt have enough pressure
loss it will not have the energy needed to close by itself. Always size automatic valves based on the flow rate using the manufacturers chart as a
guide. Never assume that the valve should be the same size as the pipe! It is very common for the valve to be a different size than the pipe it is
installed on. I have seen some rare cases where a 3/4 valve was the proper size for the flow through a 2 pipe!!! If you absolutely must guess,
use the next solenoid valve size smaller than the pipe size and assume a pressure loss of 6 PSI. Never guess if your flow is less than 5 GPM,
always use a chart! Many automatic valves wont work at all at flows below 5 GPM!
The size of the automatic valves is determined by the manufacturers recommended flow range, together with the pressure loss through
the valve at the selected flow. You will need to get the valve manufacturers flow chart for the model of valve you plan to use. This information
should be on the valve packaging. If you cant find it on the package, try the valve manufacturers website or ask for a data sheet on the valve at
the store where you buy the valve. (At discount home improvement stores you are likely to get a blank stare from the employee if you ask for a
data sheet!)
Some valves dont appear to have data sheets available anywhere, so as a last resort Ive assembled some data for you based on my own research
for some of the more popular ones. You will find it in the reviews on this website, Click Here. That said, if the valve manufacturer doesnt
provide this necessary information it shows an extreme lack of professionalism, I would be very reluctant to use the product!
If you cant find pressure loss and flow range information for the valve you want to use, I strongly suggest you use a different brand of valve.
After the valve is installed is not a good time to discover its the wrong size and wont open or close automatically!
Example: lets say you are going to use an automatic anti-siphon type valve. Your Design Flow is 20 GPM, so for now we will assume the flow
through the valve will also be 20 GPM. (If it turns out the flow will be less,you can resize the valve later.) The manufacturers flow chart would
look something like this:


Doesnt Work Valve Company, Inc. Valve Performance Data

5 GPM 10 GPM 15 GPM 20 GPM 25 GPM
3/4 Anti-Siphon Valve 5.0 PSI 5.5 PSI 6.0 PSI 8.0 PSI
1 Anti-Siphon Valve 2.5 PSI 3.5 PSI 3.0 PSI 4.0 PSI 9.0 PSI
Warning: The chart above is not real. DO NOT USE THESE VALUES!

The example chart above tells us that the pressure loss for our valve at 20 GPM flow would be 8.0 PSI if we used a 3/4 valve and 4.0 if we used
a 1 valve. So we could use either one. The pressure loss information from the chart would be the number that you write into your Pressure Loss
Table on the _____ PSI Valves line. So if we decided to use the 3/4 valve, the value would be 8 PSI. But what if after adding all the
pressure losses in the loss table, you discover that the losses are too high? In that case you could go back and change to a 1 valve. That would
reduce the pressure loss down to 4 PSI, rather than 8. With that said, as a general rule I try to avoid losing more than 6 PSI through a valve. So I
would not use a 3/4 valve in the example above if it were my sprinkler system. Why? Valves need pressure drop for them to work correctly, but
really high pressure losses are hard on the valve. As the pressure loss through an automatic valve increases, the speed that the valve closes also
increases. Thus a high pressure loss can cause the valve to snap closed extremely fast, and that is bad for the entire sprinkler system. Plus the
water is moving extremely fast through the valves at those higher pressure loss rates, resulting in more wear on the valve seats. So the valve will
fail earlier.
If you looked closely at the chart above you may have noted a couple of interesting items. First, and most obvious, is that no pressure loss is
given for a 3/4 valve at 25 GPM. This is because that flow is outside the acceptable range for the valve. You should not use the valve for that
flow. The next item is less obvious, but if you look closely, you will notice the pressure loss for the 1 size valve is less at the 15 GPM than it is
at the lower 10 GPM flow! No, it isnt a mistake. It is very common for valves to have higher pressure losses at very low flows, so if you notice
this on a flow chart; dont panic, its not a misprint.
Can a valve be smaller than the pipe it is connected to?
As you move through the tutorial you will find that even though the valve will handle a certain flow, that flow is often too high for the same size
of pipe. So it is very common to have a valve that is one, or even two, sizes smaller than the pipe it is installed in. In fact it is so common that
they actually make special pipe fittings (connectors) for this. For example they make a PVC plastic male adapter that glues onto 1 pvc pipe, but
has 3/4 threads to allow you to install a 3/4 valve on a 1 PVC pipe. They also make one that glues onto 1 1/4 pipe but has 1 threads.
For Manual Valves:
Manual valves are much more forgiving than automatic valves. You dont need to worry about having enough pressure to allow the valve to
close by itself, it uses elbow grease to power it! However, you still need to find out what the pressure loss through the valve will be so you can
enter it in your Pressure Loss Table. As with the automatic valves, you use a chart provided by the manufacturer for this. Follow the same
procedure given above for automatic valves. Unfortunately, pressure loss data for manual valves can be hard to find as many manufacturers
dont provide it. As a general rule, allow 2 PSI pressure loss for a globe or angle type manual control valve, 5 PSI if it is an anti-siphon valve.
Manual irrigation control valves should be of the angle or globe type with replaceable rubber seats. Never use a gate valve as a control
valve. Gate valves are not made to be regularly opened and shut. Many gate valves will start leaking after as little as 10 uses!
Want to use a manual valve now but change to an automatic valve later? No problem. Simply design for the automatic valve, but use the manual
one instead. Then you can replace it later when you want to automate the system. Another way to do this is to install the automatic valve and
simply operate it manually using the manual on/off lever. If you do this, then later you just install a controller as well as wires between the
controller and the valves and you have an automatic control system.
Slopes, Hills, and How They Impact Water Pressure

Hills, Valleys, & Slopes:
Consider the slope or youll look like a dope!
Elevation changes can add or subtract water pressure from your water system. That seriously changes how well the system works. Each foot of
elevation change is equal to 0.433 PSI of water pressure. Think of a vertical column of water. At the bottom of the column the weight of all the
water above is resting on the bottom of the column, this weight creates pressure. Have you ever swam down to the bottom of a deep swimming
pool and felt your ears pop or hurt? Thats caused by the increased water pressure pressing against your eardrum. The deeper you go, the more
pressure you feel.
Not Just for Irrigation
While this page is written for irrigation design, these same principles apply to any piping system that carries water in it. The elevation impacts
described here would apply to a huge city water system, to the pipe bringing water from a well to a rural home, or a pipe taking water from a
creek or pond to a remote tank. If you jumped here from an Internet search and are not working through the irrigation design tutorial this page is
part of, remember that when designing a water piping system you must consider other sources of pressure loss in your design too, such as
friction loss caused by the water moving through the pipe.
In the USA we measure water pressure most often in pounds per square inch (PSI). Thats the weight in pounds of the water on a one-square-
inch surface area. Sometimes we measure pressure in Feet of Head, especially when dealing with pumps and wells. This is to confuse
you. (Not really.) We also dont use metric here in the good old USA. We do this to annoy the rest of the world. (No, we really do it because
we are lazy and unwilling to adopt the metric system.) So if you are outside the USA water pressure is measured in bars or kiloPascals
(kPa). Or about a half dozen other measurements. Unfortunately the rest of the world is no more agreed on how to measure water pressure than
we are! There are simply a lot of systems used to measure pressure. Fortunately a conversion calculator will allow you to switch back and forth
between any of them. If you dont like that calculator or it isnt working there are many more, just search for pressure conversion calculator.
My tutorials mostly use PSI, although I use Feet Head in parts of the pump related tutorials and metric for drip systems. OK, now its class time!

Hydraulics 101

You can skip down past this section if you wish. Look for the next horizontal line. This section is for those who need to know why? or want
to understand hydraulics.
Since water is essentially a non-compressible liquid it exhibits the unique trait of transferring pressure horizontally when in a confined space.
What this means is that water in a pipe (which is a confined space) exhibits the same pressure as it would if the pipe were perfectly vertical, even
if the pipe isnt. This isnt an easy principle to understand, so be patient and re-read as needed. The best way to demonstrate this is with a
picture.
In this picture the water pressure in the water tank at the top of the water surface level is 0 feet of
head, or you could also say there is 0 PSI. This is because there is no water above it to create pressure. Head is another word that indicates
pressure, it is mostly used when measuring pressure created by the depth of water. So 10 feet deep water will create 10 feet of head at the 10
deep level. So 10 feet of depth = 10 feet of head. Ok? (Yes, I know there would be a small amount of additional water pressure due to the air
pressure above the water, but lets try not to confuse things. This is hard enough to understand! So were going to say that there is 0 feet of head
at the water surface.)
Looking again at the picture above, we see that the ground level is 40 feet below the water level in the tank. Therefore the water pressure at
ground level is 40 feet of head. Again 40 feet of depth = 40 feet of head. Now lets convert that to pressure measured in PSI. As noted earlier, 1
foot of elevation change creates 0.433 PSI of water pressure. So in this case 40 feet of head is going to be about 17 PSI. (40 ft head x 0.433 psi/ft
= 17.3 PSI.) Again, the formula is feet of head x 0.433 = PSI. So far, pretty straight forward. Read again if youre confused.
Static Water Pressure
Now the hard to understand part. In the drawing above, the water enters the house at a level 100 feet below the water level in the tank. So the
static water pressure at the house is 100 feet of head, or about 43.3 PSI, using the formulas in the previous paragraph. Note that I said this is the
static pressure. So now youre likely wondering how this could be? The water level is not just 100 feet above the house there is also easily
180 feet of pipe between the tank and the house! The answer is that the length of a pipe does not matter when the water is static in the pipes.
Static means the water is not flowing, it is not moving, it is standing still. This is very important! Because the water is a non-compressible liquid
it transfers the pressure horizontally along the pipe route for pretty much any distance without any loss of pressure! Cool, right? You bet it is, it
is a principle that is very handy and makes all sorts of neat gadgets used on machines work. This is why a small hose filled with hydraulic fluid
can cause the brakes on every wheel of a mile long train to apply when the engineer hits the brakes!
Now on the other hand, if we measured the pressure with the water flowing, then the pressure would be termed dynamic pressure. With the
water in a dynamic state (flowing in the pipe) the water would loose pressure due to friction on the sides of the pipe and we would get a lower
pressure reading at the house shown in our previous diagram. (Ill deal with dynamic pressure in the next paragraph.) So for now, just
understand that static pressure means there is no flow in the system, so there is no friction, and no pressure loss! Read that last sentence again!
Think about it for a second, go back look at the picture again if you need to. It makes sense if you think about it. Our professor spent a week
drilling this concept into us back in college and a lot of people in the class never did understand it! So if you still dont get it dont feel bad and
dont get discouraged! Just accept it on faith (I wouldnt lie to you) and continue on.
In most cases we use static water pressure values when designing irrigation systems (or any other water piping system for that matter.) Then we
can use calculators, spreadsheets, or charts (if you really want to torture yourself you can even use a very complicated manual calculation) to
estimate the friction loss that will occur in the pipes when the sprinkler system is operating. Then we will subtract the friction loss from the
static pressure to arrive at the dynamic pressure. Why not just turn the water on and measure the dynamic pressure with the water flowing? It
would seem simpler, then we would not have to prepare a separate calculation for friction loss, right? Well, that is correct, however dynamic
pressure is extremely difficult to measure accurately! You have to get the flow just right, and then hold the flow at that level for a minute or two
while the pressure stabilizes. This is a real pain in the rear to do and not nearly as easy as it sounds! Plus, it is a bit hard to do if the pipe isnt
installed yet! You cant measure the dynamic pressure if the pipe isnt installed! So, the result is that we almost always will work by using static
water pressure and then use calculations to determine the dynamic pressure. Its just way easier to do, and who wants to do it the hard way?
Now go back and look at that picture at the top of this page of the tank and house again. As the water flows to the house the water level in the
tank will go down (assuming water isnt flowing into the tank to refill it.) So the elevation of the top of the water in the tank will drop as the
tank empties. When the tank is almost empty the difference might be only 95 feet. So since the water depth is less, the water pressure would also
be lower. This happens all the time and is normal! If the top of the water elevation varies, then the water pressure will also vary. So if the water
level will vary at your water source, the pressure will also vary. I know I keep saying the same things over and over in different ways, but Im
trying to drive home some important, but hard to understand, principles! My apologies if you got it the first time through and are getting bored!
Still confused? Dont worry about it, just follow through the procedures that follow and youll be all right even if you dont fully understand why
youre doing some of these things! Just remember that whenever you measure water pressure with a gauge you need to turn off all the water
outlets so the water is static, that is, not flowing.
Time to wake up!

Hills, Valleys, & Slopes Continued
In a nutshell: Just remember every foot of elevation change causes a 0.433 PSI change in water pressure. If your pipe is going downhill add
0.433 PSI of pressure per vertical foot the pipe goes down. If the pipe is going uphill subtract 0.433 PSI for every vertical foot the pipe goes up.
The word vertical is critical. If the pipe goes up a slope the vertical distance is how high the slope would be if the pipe were going straight up.
Do not use the length of the pipe, use the change in elevation! If you dont want to accept my word for it then youre going to have to go back
and read all that boring Hydraulics 101 stuff above!
Because elevation changes effect the water pressure we must take this into account when determining pressure loss in our water system. If the
area to be irrigated is lower than the water source we will gain pressure, so we may be able to gain some beneficial added pressure to our system.
Care must be taken though. We can only add pressure if ALL the irrigation system is lower. If portions of it are not lower, or are higher than the
water source, then those portions arent going to be getting that extra pressure. It is safest when doing initial design work to just not add pressure
for elevation changes unless youre really sure.
On the other hand if portions of the irrigation system are higher than the water source you will always need to subtract out the pressure loss
created by the elevation gain. Pressure gained can be easily disposed of, pressure lost however, is very difficult to replace. So, for every foot of
elevation gain (higher) in the irrigation system, you should subtract 0.433 PSI from the design pressure.
Example:
The far corner of the irrigation system is 9 feet higher than the water source.
9 feet X 0.433 PSI = 4 PSI loss (loss because it is higher). The water pressure in the far corner will be 4 PSI lower than the pressure at the water
source, simply because it is 9 feet higher.
Another example:
One corner of the irrigation system is 20 feet lower than the water source. Another corner is 12 feet higher than the water source. 12 feet X 0.433
PSI = 5 PSI loss at the higher corner. However in the 20 feet lower corner the pressure will be higher. 20 feet x 0.433 PSI = 8 .7 PSI higher in
the lowest corner. In some cases we might need to install a device to lower the pressure at the sprinklers in that low corner. But well worry
about that later. For now the high corner with the 5 PSI loss is more important. Remember, it is easy to lower the pressure if we need to, but it
is hard to raise it.
A final example:
The water source is on a hill. The highest part of the irrigation system is 50 feet lower than the water source. The lowest part of the irrigation
system is 60 feet lower than the water source. In this case you can add pressure because the ENTIRE irrigation system is lower. But the pressure
added can only be the difference between the water source and the highest part of the irrigation system. 50 feet x 0.433 PSI = 22 PSI pressure
GAIN. So you would subtract this amount from the total system pressure required. In other words you would enter a negative number in your
Pressure Loss Table for Elevation Pressure Loss.
Too Much of a Good Thing:
What if one corner of the irrigation system is a lot lower than the other? While unusual, it is possible to have too much pressure! With too much
pressure the sprinkler heads might not work as well, or they might even blow apart! For spray type sprinklers 40 PSI at the sprinkler head is the
most pressure you want. For rotors it varies, but most small systems shouldnt have more than 70 PSI at the rotor sprinkler head. If you have too
much pressure you will need to reduce the pressure. Most sprinkler heads can be bought with a built in pressure reducing device. You can also
buy an individual pressure reducing device that can be installed on the sprinkler head inlet pipe. These devices will reduce the water pressure to
the optimum level for the sprinkler. Remember, the devices only reduce pressure, they cant increase it! They will always reduce the pressure
by at least a small amount, so they should not be used unless you have too much pressure. More on this topic will be covered when we get to
discussing sprinkler heads so dont worry about it now.
If you are working on a Sprinkler Design enter the pressure loss or gain caused by elevation changes on the Elevation Change line of the
Pressure Loss Table. Enter the value in PSI. Remember, feet of elevation change x .433 = PSI.
How to Pick the Best Sprinkler Head or Bubbler for Your Irrigation System

This article is intended to give you an introduction to the various sprinkler heads used for irrigation. It will help you choose the best sprinkler
for your situation. At the same time it will warn you away from some common and costly errors often made in sprinkler head selection. Similar
information on bubblers is found in the last section of this page.
Types of Sprinklers:
Traditionally sprinkler heads are grouped into two broad types based on the method they use to distribute the water, spray type sprinklers and
rotor type sprinklers. However new technologies are blurring the traditional boundaries between the types.

Spray Heads:
More properly called fixed spray heads these are the small heads that spray a fan-shaped pattern of water. Think of a shower nozzle. Most use
interchangeable nozzles installed on the sprinkler which determine the pattern (1/2 circle, full circle, etc.) and the radius of the water throw.
Some specialty patterns are available for long, narrow areas. Spray heads are spaced up to 18 feet apart. The basic physics of water spray limit
the distance between heads. They need between 20 and 30 PSI of water pressure to operate properly.
Rotors:
Rotor is the term used to describe the various sprinklers which operate by rotating streams of water back and forth or in circles over the
landscape. The example which most people are familiar with is the impact rotor sprinkler (often improperly called a rainbird*) which
moves back and forth firing bursts of water. You probably know this sprinkler best for the distinct sound it makes when operating tooka, tooka,
tooka, tic, tic, tic, tic, tic, tooka, tooka, tooka, etc The impact rotors are rapidly being replaced now by gear driven rotors which are very quiet,
lower maintenance, and much smaller in size. It wont be long before the average person has no clue what I am describing! These new turbine
and gear driven rotors have one or more streams of water which move silently across the landscape. The prettiest of these are the multi-stream
rotors where multiple streams of water rotate over the landscape one after the other. Multi-stream rotors are fascinating to watch. Rotors can be
spaced from 8 feet to 65 feet apart. There are rotors available that can be spaced farther apart than 65 feet but I dont advise using them in most
situations, even golf courses are moving away from using them due to problems. The traditional rotors with spacings over 20 feet require a lot
more water pressure to operate than spray heads. Heres a rule of thumb, The water pressure at the rotor head in (PSI) must exceed the distance
(feet) between the heads. (Known as Strykers Rule, admittedly thats a little ego stroking on my part, but I did create the rule!) Thus if you
want to space rotors 35 feet apart you will need 35 PSI of pressure at the sprinkler head. That means you will probably need around 45 PSI
minimum to operate the system since pressure will be lost in the pipes and valves as the water flows to the sprinklers. More on that later. The
small 3/4 inlet rotors sold for residential use work best at 25 to 35 foot spacings.
(* Rain Bird is the name of a sprinkler company and is a registered trademark. The Rain Bird company makes many different types of sprinkler
heads, including impact rotors. They also many other irrigation products.)
Rotary Nozzles & Rotators:
A new type of miniature rotor has been introduced in recent years and have become extremely popular. These are often called rotary nozzles or
rotator nozzles. The first brand on the market was called the MP Rotator, and several other similar products quickly became available from
other companies. Most manufacturers classify these as a spray heads in their catalogs. They are called rotary nozzles because they are a very
small rotor that is the same size as the standard nozzle on a spray-type sprinkler. Thus they fit onto the smaller, and less expensive, spray head
pop-up bodies. Rotary/rotator nozzles are more efficient than traditional spray heads because they produce less mist that evaporates before it
reaches the ground. Thus they are often promoted for use in place of standard spray heads by water conservation agencies.
These rotary nozzles have a radius generally between 15 and 35 feet*. The exact distance depends on the model. They all use multiple streams of
water that rotate around the nozzle and look like rotating spider legs.
*New models are being introduced each year as the technology advances and I expect to see shorter radius rotators available. Already there are
add on devices like the Little Valve brand devices that will reduce the radius of a rotator.
A few words of caution on rotary/rotator water savings claims:
Keep in mind that the water savings are primarily found when comparing rotators to spray heads. For spacings over 20 it is typical to use rotors
rather than spray heads. I havent seen any independent lab data that suggests that using a rotator nozzle in place of a rotor head will save water.
(As of 2013.)
Like all other claims you must compare apples with apples. I once had a city official, who obviously had just been visited by a rotary nozzle
salesman, order me to replace all the sprinklers on a shopping center irrigation system with rotators. The planters I was watering were 6 feet
wide, and at that time the smallest rotator on the market had a minimum radius of 15 feet. Thus if I had done as he suggested I would have been
watering 9 feet of the parking lot! Not a good move if you want to save water The moral of the story is that you need to use your head and
select the right product for your situation. Replacing a 6 radius spray head with a 12 radius rotator is NOT going to save any water! Yet I hear
that same blanket statement switch to rotators and save water over and over.
Guide to Selecting the Right Sprinkler Type:
Which to use, sprays, rotary nozzles, or rotors? Here are some questions to guide your selection.
1. Is your water pressure less than 40 PSI static? If so you should consider using sprays or rotary nozzles.
2. Is the area long and narrow, between 12-28 wide? Then you should look into rotary nozzles. They may also be appropriate for narrower areas, at
the time I am writing this Hunter has introduced a side-strip rotator for 4 to 5 foot wide strips that are at least 12 long. More combinations of
widths will likely be introduced in coming years.
3. Is the area you want to water greater than 30 x 30 in dimensions? If so, rotors may be the best solution.
4. Is the edge of the area to be watered curved? If the edge has sharp curves (less than 20 radius) then rotors with longer radii will have difficulty
watering the edges without over-spraying them. This may not be an issue depending on what is beyond the edge. If the area beyond the edge should
not get water on it you might want to consider a smaller rotary nozzle or spray-type sprinkler.
Installation Issues related to Sprinkler Selection:
Rotors and rotary nozzles are spaced farther apart than sprays. Therefore installation of them requires less pipe and trenching, but they also cost
more per sprinkler. For most normal-size city residential yards spray heads or rotary nozzles are usually the better choice.
Cost Issues in Selecting Type of Sprinkler:
Surprisingly regardless of the type of sprinkler you use, the cost per square foot of area irrigated comes out about the same, assuming correct
design of course. When using rotors or rotary nozzles there is less pipe and trenches, but the rotors themselves cost more. Spray heads are less
expensive to buy, but they require more pipe, trenches and valves to install. In the end, the price really comes out pretty close either way.
Note: If your static water pressure (design pressure on your Design Data Form) is less than 40 PSI rotors will not work properly, DO
NOT USE THEM. See the previous pages of the Sprinkler System Design Tutorial if you dont know what static water pressure or design
pressure means. If you have a well and pump you must have your pump-on setting adjusted to no less than 40 PSI if you plan to use rotors. A
40-60 setting is typical. Contact your pump company for assistance.

If you are unsure, try using rotors in your design. If they dont work out well, then erase them from your plan and try rotary nozzles. In many
situations the best option maybe to use rotors in large areas, and spray heads or rotary nozzles in smaller or more narrow spaces. So you may
have a mixture. This is OK, but there are some things you need to be careful of when mixing different types of sprinklers. The first is that each
type must be separated and connected to a separate control valve. You cant mix the types together on a single valve circuit or valve zone. More
on this later in the tutorial. The second is determining how to space the heads where the different types meet each other. For example, if you
have a 30 radius rotor next to a 15 radius spray head, how far apart should they be from each other? There are many different schools of thought
on this, but my general recommendation is to split the difference. In this example put them 22 apart. Yes, the rotor would overspray the spray
head by a considerable distance. But if you put them 30 apart you will get a distinct dry spot between them.

Basic Body Styles:
Pop-Up Style Sprinklers:
Pop-up style sprinklers are installed below ground. A piston that contains the nozzle lifts up from the sprinkler body when the sprinkler is
operating and then retracts back below ground when not in use. Consider using pop-up style heads even in shrub areas. Pop-up sprinklers often
dont cost any more than shrub sprinklers when you include the cost of the riser (the upright pipe the sprinkler is mounted on). Two major
advantages of pop-up sprinklers are safety and appearance.
What Pop-up Height Should You Use?
Pop-up style sprinklers are available in a variety of heights, generally 2, 3 , 4 6 and 12 are the common heights. Most of my commercial
clients ask me to use at least a 6 height, even for lawns. The extra height avoids problems. I wouldnt use anything less than 4 on fescue, rye,
St. Augustine, or bluegrass lawns. For close mowed Bermuda grass 3 will work. My experience is that the spray from 2 pop-up heads are
often blocked by even recently mowed grass! For that reason I do not recommend any model of 2 pop-up, you will get dry spots in the
lawn. For groundcover and shrubs use 6 and 12 heads.
Groundcover Design Trick:
Heres a tip for watering a groundcover area next to a lawn. Place the sprinklers for the groundcover about 12 away from the groundcover, in
the lawn area, and aim them back at the groundcover. That way the groundcover does not block the spray as easily.
Shrub Style Sprinklers:
Shrub style sprinklers were a type of sprinkler head designed to be installed above ground on top of a pipe. In the old days they were used for
shrub areas, thus the name. For liability reasons, most irrigation professionals no longer use shrub sprinklers, except in very limited situations
where nothing else will work. You should take a hint from the pros and also avoid using them! Read the warning below! (For shrubs you
really should look into using drip irrigation, it is a better choice than sprinklers for most situations.)
Many people are injured each year when they trip over, or fall on, shrub style sprinklers. Think Safety. Do not use shrub style
sprinklers unless a very tall riser is needed to raise the sprinkler spray over the tops of tall shrubs. When needed, shrub style sprinklers should
only be used in areas well away from sidewalks, patios, and areas where children play. They should be clearly visible. A good idea is to strap
them to a large post, like a 4x4 wood or plastic fence post, to hold them stable and make them easy to see.


Metal or Plastic?
At the grocery store its paper or plastic? but with sprinklers the question becomes metal or plastic?. The conventional wisdom is that metal
is more durable than plastic, and therefore is better. Up until the late 1970s metal (usually brass, sometimes zinc) was the standard material from
which almost all sprinklers were made. However, times have changed and now plastic is the most common material for sprinklers. Very few
manufacturers even bother to make an all-metal sprinkler anymore. The primary reason for this change in materials is cost; machined metal parts
are enormously expensive in comparison to injection molded plastic. Fortunately, most of todays plastic sprinkler heads are very well
engineered and will perform as well as, if not better than, the old metal sprinklers.
Hybrids: A few companies manufacture plastic sprinkler bodies which accept brass nozzles, which they claim results in a better water pattern.
Other manufacturers claim that plastic nozzles perform as well as brass. The research tends to indicate that a really well-machined brass nozzle
has better water distribution. But thats laboratory tests, and in the real world a lot of other factors come into play. I personally havent noticed
any significant difference in performance between most brass and plastic nozzles in well-designed, sprinkler systems, although brass nozzles will
no doubt last longer. More importantly, there are a few nozzles, both brass and plastic, which dont seem to perform as well as others.
Fortunately, they are easily identified by comparing prices (as in you get what you pay for.) Typically these bad nozzles come pre-installed on
sprinklers that dont have the features I list below, so if you stick to sprinklers with my recommended features you will get acceptable quality
nozzles.

Features to Look For:
The following features are common to all good-quality sprinkler heads (for both rotors and spray type heads.) Choosing a sprinkler without these
features is asking for trouble.

Spring Retraction: Make sure a spring is used to pull the pop-up piston down into the case when the sprinkler isnt on. As a general rule the
stronger the spring, the less likely the piston will stick up and get mowed off. Stay away from sprinklers that rely only on gravity to retract the
pop-up piston.
Wiper Seal: This is a soft plastic seal around the pop-up riser stem that seals the riser so it wont leak . The wiper seal also is responsible for keeping
dirt out of the sprinkler body, and is the most important part in determining how long the sprinkler will last. Make sure the sprinkler model you
select has a wiper seal. Note: on some sprinklers you must remove the sprinklers cap and look inside the bottom of it to see the seal. Be careful
when removing the cap, on some models the spring will shoot out!
3 Inch Pop-Up Height (or higher): Unless you just like to trim grass around sprinkler heads, make sure the pop-up height is 3 or more. This way the
spray nozzle will clear the top of the grass. Most professionals use 4 pop-up sprinklers in lawn areas, and 6 or 12 pop-ups in shrub areas.
Rat Traps. This is a design type to avoid if you can. A rat trap is a derogatory name used in the sprinkler business to describe any sprinkler with a
design that allows debris to fall into the sprinkler body when the riser is raised. The more proper name is a bucket style body, but I like the visual
image of the problem that rat trap provides. The debris collects in the bucket area and eventually there is enough garbage in there to prevent the
mechanism from dropping back down. The stuff that falls in there can get pretty ripe smelling as it decomposes, too! Do rats really get trapped in
them? Ive never seen one. The trap only opens when the sprinkler is operating and rats tend to stay away from a sprinkler that is
operating! Mostly grass clippings and dirt get trapped.

Sprinkler Make and Model Recommendations:
Mix and Match. One common question I get from users of this tutorial is who makes the best sprinkler heads or which model should I
use? This probably wont help you much but most of my designs have a mixture of brands and models as I feel different products are best for
different situations. But what you should get out of that is that it is OK to mix and match within limits. On any single valve circuit you should
use one brand and model of sprinklers only. This is because precipitation rates vary between makes and models and if you mix a high
precipitation sprinkler on the same valve zone as a low one you will get mud in one area and dry spots in another. But you can create two
different valve zones and use different sprinklers in each. So one valve might turn on a group of brand X rotors to water a large lawn
area. Another valve might turn on a group of brand Y spray heads to water a small lawn in a parking strip. And a 3rd valve might turn on a drip
system using brand Z emitters that waters some shrubs.
Brands and Models. While I dont recommend specific brands of equipment, I do have a few irrigation product reviews you might want to look
at. I try to be as objective as possible and I do present hard facts when I have them (like results from tests on my sprinkler test stand,) but my
tests arent statistically relevant (I cant afford to buy and test sprinklers from 30 random stores and random times in order to get a statistically
solid sampling.) So the reviews are mostly my personal opinions. If you get 4 industry pros together you will get 4 different opinions of
products, each a heartfelt honest opinion. I try to focus on products sold to retail customers at hardware and home stores. I figure other pros
arent looking for my opinions!
More on selecting your sprinklers is coming later on in the tutorial. At this point in the design process what you need to know is an approximate
sprinkler operating pressure. You may have noticed I used the term operating pressure here rather than pressure loss as previously used for
other irrigation equipment like valves and backflow preventers. While pressure loss is a perfectly accurate term for the pressure used by sprinkler
heads and emitters, operating pressure is more commonly used. Operating pressure is simply the pressure that needs to be present at the sprinkler
or emitter inlet for it to perform as intended.
Manufacturers of sprinklers and emitters provide specifications for each of their products. these specifications typically have a table that lists the
operating pressure, the flow the sprinkler will use, and how far the water will spray at that pressure. You will need to obtain these specifications
for each of the sprinklers you intend to use. This information may be printed on a label attached to the sprinkler, or on the sprinkler
packaging. Most manufacturers also make these specifications available on their web sites. Typically for a sprinkler this specification will list an
inlet pressure as pounds per square inch (PSI) and then give a watering radius (feet) and flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM) that will occur at
that pressure. A typical table might look like this:
Pressure PSI Radius Ft Flow GPM
20 10 2.10
30 12 2.60
The table above is a sample only, please do not assume these values shown are typical. In this sample we can see that at 20 PSI this sprinkler
will have a radius of 10 feet and it will consume 2.10 GPM or water flow. Or at 30 PSI this sprinkler will have a radius of 12 feet and it will
consume 2.60 GPM or water flow. As you can see a higher water pressure results in a larger radius and higher flow requirement, this
relationship between pressure, radius and flow is true of most sprinklers. This is why it is so important to calculate what the water pressure will
be when designing. If you design your sprinkler system with the sprinklers 12 apart you, you would need 30 PSI of pressure at the sprinkler
head so that it would spray the required 12. You would be in big trouble if the pressure lost in pipes and valves resulted in the pressure at the
sprinkler only being 20 PSI. You would get a dry area between the sprinklers. This is why it is so important for you to actually go through this
whole tutorial and do the design right. (No that spacing is not an error, if the sprinkler radius is 12 feet, then you space the sprinklers 12 feet
apart, not 24 feet. More on this later in the tutorial when we discuss sprinkler spacings and placement.) Dont try to guess or assume it will
work. I hear from tons of people wanting to know how to fix a system that they just threw together, and now it installed and there are dry spots
all over the place. Unfortunately it almost always is very expensive to fix at that point, costing them far more than it would have if they had
taken the time to learn how to do it right the first time.
For an emitter the product specification tables would include only operating pressures (PSI) and a flow rate in gallons per hour (GPH) for each
of those pressures. (Radius of throw isnt applicable to drip emitters.)
Cant find a performance chart or specification for the sprinkler or emitter? Then I would suggest you find another brand and model. Not
providing this vital information is an sign of lack of professionalism on the part of the manufacturer. My experience is that most products sold
retail without specifications are poor quality knock off products, often made by a copy cat production plant that makes knock offs of
anything they can find with expired patents that will fit into their molding machines. This week they make sprinklers, next week it will be cd
cases. They often cut corners like using poor quality raw materials, reducing the amount of plastic in the body and using low quality
molds. They are then sold in bulk cheap with no support or guarantee.
Pressure Requirements for Sprinklers
Spray Type Sprinklers, Rotary Nozzles, and Rotators:
For spray type sprinklers, rotary nozzles, and rotators most designers use an operating pressure of 30 PSI, unless a lack of available pressure
forces a lower level. The vast majority of spray type heads and rotary nozzles/rotators are designed to operate most efficiently at 30
PSI. Remember that if you use a lower pressure the sprinklers will need to be spaced closer together, because the water wont spray as far.
Check the manufacturers performance chart for the sprinkler. Additionally, almost all spray type heads have a radius adjustment screw that
allows you to reduce the watering radius for using the sprinkler in smaller areas. (When you adjust the radius using the adjustment screw on a
spray head, you are actually reducing the pressure at the nozzle by means of a small valve inside the nozzle. As the pressure is reduced the water
doesnt throw as far, its exactly the same as shown on that performance chart, a lower pressure gives less radius.) At pressures above 45 PSI
most spray heads start to create lots of mist, which results in poor sprinkler performance. This can also be controlled by using the radius
adjustment feature to reduce the pressure. If all the heads are misting a better solution is to throttle the sprinkler zone control valve (cheapest
solution) which will reduce the pressure at all the sprinklers on the valve circuit. A better solution is to install a pressure regulator on the
mainline to reduce the pressure in the whole sprinkler system, or use special pressure regulating sprinkler heads or nozzles made by some
sprinkler manufacturers. Use of these pressure regulators gives more accurate pressures than adjusting a nozzle or throttling a valve, thus they
increase the sprinkler systems efficiency. But they cost a lot more than throttling a valve. If you have a water source with reasonably steady
pressure, like most municipal water systems, throttling a valve or adjusting a nozzle will be good enough for most people.
Rotor Type Sprinklers:
For rotor type sprinklers the higher the operating pressure the better, within reasonable limits. We dont want to blow the sprinkler apart with
high pressure and rotors can cause mist too under extreme pressures. As a general rule, most rotor type sprinklers do not work well with less
than 30 PSI operating pressure. The optimal pressure is easy to determine for rotors using the following rule, keep reading!

Strykers Rotor Spacing Rule states that the spacing in feet between rotor-type sprinklers cant exceed the pressure in PSI at the rotor. So
what that means is that if you want to put the rotors 35 feet apart, you rotor will need to operate at 35 PSI or higher, pressure. I like to aim for at
least 5 PSI higher than the minimum, so for that 35 spacing I would aim for 40 PSI.
Important! There is a lot of competition in the sprinkler business to see who can get the greatest radius from a rotor-type sprinkler.
Manufacturers literature and packaging tends to wildly exaggerate the maximum spacing of rotors. They get those distances by testing the rotors
inside a big building with no wind. Even the most gentle breeze will shorten the real-world watering radius (water droplets are very light). If the
package says the rotor has a radius of 35 feet at 30 PSI that all wonderful, but dont try to install those rotors 35 apart! In the real world you
will not get that distance (unless you are watering inside a building.) If you have 30 PSI do not space the rotors more than 30 feet apart. If
you ignore this rule, 9 chances out of 10, you will have dry spots in your lawn! (Yep, over-size ego alert, the rule is named after me. I came up
with this rule many, many years ago. So it got my name. Thats how it works!)
Rotor Spacing Example: If you want to space the rotors 30 feet apart then you will need to use a pressure of at least 30 PSI for the rotor. If you
want to space rotors 40 apart you will need 40 PSI for the sprinkler head pressure.
Maximum Rotor Spacing: I dont recommend spacing sprinklers farther than 55 feet apart unless you have an experienced professional design
the sprinkler system. Many tricky problems occur with sprinklers when they are spaced greater than 55 feet apart. Remember that cost is
consistent regardless of spacing so it will not save you money. bigger sprinklers cost a lot more money as well as the larger pipe, plus you
almost always need a booster pump to get enough water pressure, so you have pumping costs (pumps are expensive to buy, maintain, and
operate.)
Drip Emitters:
Most emitters operate best at around 20 PSI. Some emitters are pressure compensating which means they should put out approximately the
same amount of water over a wide range of inlet pressures. (Ive found that many pressure compensating emitters are not a whole lot more
pressure compensating than standard emitters are. Keep in mind that at pressures over 45 PSI emitters may blow apart. Barbed emitters
installed in poly tubing may pop out of the tubing at pressures over 30 PSI.
Mix and Match:
Sometimes you need to use sprinklers that require high pressure such as rotors, with sprinklers that use low pressure on the same irrigation
system. To do this the system is designed using the pressure requirements of the high pressure sprinklers. The low pressure sprinklers (or
emitters) are installed so that a separate valve turns them on and off, and a special pressure reducing valve is used. These valves have a built-in
pressure regulation device that reduces the pressure down to the correct amount for the lower pressure sprinklers or drip emitters. Almost all
irrigation manufacturers now make pressure reducing valves, although you may have to go to a specialty irrigation store to buy them.


If you are working through the Sprinkler Design Tutorial, enter the sprinkler head operating pressure (or the drip emitter pressure
if no sprinklers) on the Sprinkler Heads line of the Pressure Loss Table.
Remember- the pressure you enter in your table is the pressure for a single sprinkler head. So if you will have 10 sprinklers and they each
require 30 PSI you still only write 30 PSI on your pressure loss table. Also the value you enter should be the highest sprinkler head pressure
requirement. So if you plan to use a spray head that will need 20 PSI and also a rotor that will need 35 PSI, you will enter the higher value-
which in this case would be 35 PSI. Finally, remember why pencils have erasers. You can always come back and change this value later if you
want to! So dont agonize over it.
A lot of people ask me why you only write down the pressure for a single sprinkler. This is a bit difficult to understand but I will try to
explain. I think the easiest way to understand is with a mental image. Think of the water moving through your sprinkler system as millions of
water droplets, rather than a single mass of water. On its journey through your sprinkler system a single drop of water will loose pressure along
the way. Each place where it will lose pressure is one of the items that is listed on your pressure loss table.
Lets follow a drop of water through a typical sprinkler system! First our water droplet will travel through a pipe from the water company to
your water meter. Then it will proceed through the meter into the house supply pipe and on to the irrigation system connection. From there our
drop goes into the irrigation system and may pass through a backflow preventer. Onward it travels to the sprinkler zone control valve and
through that valve into the lateral pipes leading to the sprinkler heads. Finally the drop goes into one of the sprinkler heads and is propelled out
onto the lawn. Note that our droplet only passes through one sprinkler head on the way to the lawn. Ill bet youve never seen water on the lawn
jumping back into the sprinkler head so it can go back and try going out through another sprinkler! So it only passes through one sprinkler
head. Awwwwwww!!! Starting to make sense, right? Thus we only consider the pressure needed for a single sprinkler head. (O.K. wise guy,
yes I have seen water sucked back into a sprinkler head. But thats not supposed to happen, it means something is wrong with the sprinkler
system.) At any rate, even if you still dont understand why you use the pressure loss for only a single sprinkler, please trust me, its
correct! Ive been doing this sprinkler design stuff for over 35 years and have designed thousands of systems. Plus this tutorial has been around
since 1997 and successfully used by thousands of people. Plus it is used by dozens of colleges as an irrigation design text.

Still have some questions about sprinklers? Much more information on sprinkler selection is coming later in the tutorial, such as detailed
information on the spacing to use between sprinklers and nozzle selection. If you want to jump ahead and check it out, click here. Just dont
forget to use your back button to return here!

Bubblers
Bubblers are generally used to flood small areas of the landscape with water. In most cases they are not suitable for lawn irrigation and are used
for watering shrubs or sometimes groundcovers. They are most often used to water smaller areas where sprinklers would overspray water out of
the area, although there are other specialty uses for them. For example I often use near floor to ceiling windows where I dont want water spray
to drift onto the windows. Bubblers generally need to be in level areas, since they flood water over the ground surface.
Some sprinkler manufacturers make bubbler nozzles that fit onto their standard spray-type shrub style or pop-up sprinkler bodies. The classic
bubbler is simply screwed directly onto the end of a 1/2 pipe.
Bubblers and drip emitters: The difference between a bubbler and a drip emitter is flow rate. Drip emitters flow at very low rates, most often
4 gallons per hour (16 liters/hour*) or less. The intent of a drip emitter is that the water would soak into the ground at the emitter location with a
minimum amount of water puddling around the emitter. Bubblers flow at higher rates, often measured in gallons per minute rather than hour,
and the intent of a bubbler is to flood the ground surface with water.
(*A little optional puzzle for you. Q. If you do the math 4 gallons rounds to 15 liters, so why did I say 16? A. Emitters arent designed in
English units, they are actually metric. They are designed using liters, so in reality it is a 16 l/h emitter, not a 4 gph emitter. 16 liters rounds to
4 gallons, while 4 gallons rounds to 15 liters. Its a rounding error issue caused by the unit values rather than bad math. OK, enough fun for
the geeks.)
Combining bubblers with sprinklers: Normally bubblers are separated onto a valve circuit of their own so that the watering time can be fine-
tuned for exactly how long it takes to flood the desired areas with water. However, a small number of bubblers with adjustable flows can usually
be installed on the same valve zone with spray-type sprinklers that are watering adjacent shrubs or groundcovers. Installing bubblers on the
same zone wtih spray -type sprinklers is not the most efficient way to go, but as long as it is only 2 or 3 bubblers and they are watering a very
small area (not more than 3 square per bubbler) you can generally play with the bubblers flow adjustments and get a reasonably workable
watering balance. When watering a larger area using many bubblers or when using non-adjustable flow bubblers you should place the bubblers
on a separate valve zone/circuit consisting only of bubblers. Placing bubblers on the same valve zone with rotors or drip irrigation seldom works
out well. Do not combine bubblers on the same zone with lawn sprinklers.
There are a number of different types of bubblers available, so lets start by attempting to group them into some loose categories.
Flood Bubblers
Flood bubblers do just what the name implies, they flood the area around them with water. They further divide into two types, adjustable and
non-adjustable.
The adjustable flood bubblers are by far the most common type found, and are what most people think of if they are familiar with
bubblers. An adjustable flood bubbler is essentially just a small water valve. It typically has a screw or knob that is used to adjust how much
water flows out of it. Most bubblers are designed so that the water gently bubbles out of them, the reason being to avoid erosion caused by a
strong stream of water. The amount of area they will water is very hard to predict, it depends on how far open the valve is (how much water is
coming out), how long it is left on, and the soil type. For purposes of planning your irrigation system, I have found that in most situations flood
bubblers will water an area about 3 feet in radius, at a flow of 2 GPM. Understand that this would be a circular 3 radius area, so if you put them
6 feet apart that would give you 6 diameter wet circles that just barely touch each other! In practice if I am watering a long planter strip 3 wide
with shrubs in it I will install flood bubblers 3 to 4 apart down the length of the planter. If the area is wider than 3 I will install a second row of
bubblers. Again, bubblers tend to be very hard to predict, you may find you can water a much wider area with a single row, or if you have sandy
soil you may have difficulty getting the area flooded with them 3 apart!
Non-adjustable flood bubblers are just that, non-adjustable. Water flows out of them at a fixed rate. The flow rate depends on the
manufacturer, common flows are 1/4 GPM, 1/2 GPM, 1 GPM, and 2 GPM. They are a bit harder to determine spacing for, but that is solved by
the intended use. Typically you install one fixed flow bubbler at each shrub or if they are very small shrubs (not more than 18 24 diameter
full grown) you might install 1 non-adjustable bubbler between two shrubs to water both of them. Once again the area watered is very variable
depending on which flow rate you choose,how long you run the bubbler, and the soil type. Other than having a non-adjustable flow they are
very similar to the adjustable flood bubbler.

A trick you can use is to go to the store and purchase a flood bubbler to use as a test. Also purchase the adapters needed to attach it to the end of
a garden hose, it will probably be an odd Rube Goldbergian type assortment of adapters and nipples. Install the bubbler on the end of a garden
hose, turn it on, adjust the flow, and see how large an area it will flood with water in your yard. To determine the flow you are using for your
design, you can measure the flow by using a 1 gallon bucket and seeing how long it takes the bubbler to fill it. 15 seconds to fill is 4 GPM, 22
seconds is 3 GPM, 30 seconds is 2 GPM, 60 seconds is 1 GPM, etc.
Stream Bubblers
Stream bubblers spray a narrow stream of water, most often the stream shoots out 2 to 5 feet from the bubbler. The purpose of stream bubblers
is to get the water out away from the bubbler and thus allow watering a larger area with it. In actual practice my experience is that they dont do
a good job of actually flooding a large area. However they are great for watering a group of plants provided the plants are located in the
immediate vicinity of where the stream lands. So study the spray pattern of the streams and examine whether the streams will reach the plants
you want to water. For example, for large hedges I often will use a stream bubbler that has two opposing streams, one in one direction and a
second in the other (called a center strip pattern.) I can center one of these between two plants that are 3 to 6 apart and water both plants with
a single bubbler. This is great for large hedges and limited budgets. Keep in mind that foliage will block the spray from a stream bubbler so you
may need to trim the plants to keep them out of the bubblers spray trajectory. As with other bubblers the area watered by stream bubblers needs
to be reasonably level so the water puddles up and doesnt run off.
I have used lots of stream bubblers on commercial projects where drip irrigating shrubs is impractical due to the high maintenance of
most drip systems. These are typically new landscapes where I am designing both the landscape planting and the irrigation system. In this
situation I lay out the irrigation system with stream bubblers 36 apart with the streams adjusted to spray 12. Then I plant the plants at the end
of the streams around the bubblers. A full circle stream bubbler typically has 6 streams of water allowing it to water 6 small plants, like
daylilies, that are grouped around it. Note that my experience is that this idea doesnt work as well with larger plants and/or plants placed further
than 24 away from the stream bubbler. If I need additional rows of bubblers I put the rows 24 apart forming a triangle pattern with the
bubblers. Because these are commercial projects where I typically use this stream bubbler layout, I usually use stream bubbler nozzles and
install them on 6 pop-up bodies so they drop to ground level when not running. It looks nicer and it is much safer.
Micro Bubblers
Micro-bubblers are lower flow bubblers often sold as adjustable flow drip emitters. They often have barbs so that they may be installed on poly
drip tubing. They are called bubblers because they typically have flows over 4 gallons per hour, which is a higher flow than most soils can
absorb without the water pooling on the surface. Although they are adjustable flow, micro-bubbler flows are too low to be compatible with
spray or rotor type sprinklers, so dont put them on the same valve circuit. For more on micro-bubblers see the drip irrigation guidelines tutorial,
where they are called adjustable flow emitters.
General Information About Irrigation System Laterals

Quick & Dirty Summary*
Laterals are the pipes or tubes located downstream, or after the zone control on/off valve. Laterals are not pressurized all the time, only when
irrigation is on.
In temperate zones it is typical to use Cl 200 PVC pipe for laterals. 125 PSI polyethylene is becoming increasingly popular in temperate zones also,
due to ease of installation.
In cold winter areas it is typical to use 125 PSI polyethylene tube for laterals.
Pressure loss in the laterals is typically 4 PSI, with 6 being the maximum advisable if you have a high static water pressure, and economy is more
important than quality.
Lateral pipes should be buried at least 10 deep to protect them from damage from lawn aerators and cars driving over them.
*Quick & Dirty Summary information is based on Industry Standards for a typical home irrigation system and will not work for everyone,
everywhere. The typical solutions in the Quick & Dirty Summary may not give you the least expensive or most efficient irrigation system. If you
want excellent water savings, lowest cost for top quality, or in-depth explanations please keep reading...
Types of Commonly used Irrigation Pipe
Definition: Lateral Pipe or tube. In irrigation, the pipes/tubes between the zone control valves and the sprinkler heads or emitters are called
laterals. These lateral pipes or tubes are not pressurized unless the valve is open and the sprinklers are operating. Lateral pipes are generally
subject to less water pressure, surges, and stress. So a less durable and less expensive pipe material may be used for them. If you visit your local
warehouse hardware store you may find that they use the name branch pipe for laterals.
Two types of pipe/tube are commonly used for sprinkler system laterals, polyvinyl chloride pipe (PVC), and Polyethylene tube (Poly). Both
are types of plastic. PVC is usually white or gray color and semi-rigid. Polyethylene is usually black and is flexible.
PVC is the type most commonly used in warm winter climates. PVC pipe is rated by two different systems, the first is the class system (Cl)
the other is the schedule system (SCH). It is not possible to say that one is always better than the other. Schedule pipe is rated by the pipes
wall thickness, while class pipe is rated by the pipes operating pressure. All PVC pipe has uniform outside diameter sizes. So pipe of the same
size has the same outside diameter, regardless of which type or rating they are. This allows the fittings that join them together to be a universal
size, the same fittings will fit all of them.
All PVC should be protected from sunlight. Some types of PVC are marketed as sunlight resistant my experience is that they last longer,
but still degrade in sunlight. The UV rays in sunlight causes the PVC to become brittle, it will eventually become so brittle that just tapping it
will cause it to fall apart. How long it takes depends on how intense the UV in the sunlight is. So you would guess that in Arizona, with intense
sunshine, it would be a huge problem. But did you know dim winter sunshine reflected off snow can give even more UV exposure? Thats why
you get sunburned so easily when skiing. Same with high altitude areas (less atmosphere allows more UV through.) The damage is permanent
and not reversible, so if the store you buy it from keeps it outside, you might want to question how long it has been sitting out in the sun! A few
months stored in the sun in most climates is not a problem. UV damaged PVC tends to display a noticeably brownish sunburn. If you use
PVC above ground you should protect it from sunlight. 3 coats of exterior latex paint seems to do a reasonable job. Better yet, put foam pipe
insulation around above ground PVC pipe and kill two birds with one stone.
Most PVC pipe is connected together using PVC fittings which are glued in place. The fittings are typically rated as SCH 40 (standard white
PVC fittings), some are available as SCH 80 (stronger and normally gray color.) Sometimes PVC pipe has threaded ends just like steel pipe.
PVC pipe and steel pipe have the same outside diameters, and are interchangeable and steel fittings will fit onto threaded PVC pipe & vice versa.
As of 2014 when I am writing this page update they have just introduced slip together push fittings for pvc that do not use glue. These fitting
use o-rings or flexible seals to prevent leakage, and a locking device with teeth that grips the pipe to hold it inside the fitting. These slip fittings
are removable using a special tool. I have no idea how well these will hold up long term. As with all connectors that use flexible seals, the seal
material quality is key to how long the life of these fittings will be.
Poly tube is commonly used in areas with cold winters (where the soil freezes,) and is also used in special situations that require a more flexible
tube be used, such as very rocky soil. High density polyethylene (HDPE) with high pressure ratings is much more widely stocked in home and
irrigation stores than previously. New push fittings for poly tube that are universal and dont require clamps make installation much easier and
faster. Both of these developments have resulted in increased use of poly tube in all areas, regardless of climate. Poly tube doesnt break as
easily if water freezes in it. Poly tube is more forgiving in rocky soils (big rocks, like granite boulders) as it is less likely to crack if it is installed
against the side of a large rock.
Poly tube is rated by a system of SDR ratios, sometimes labeled just DR. The lower the SDR number, the stronger the tube is. HDPE poly
is commonly rated for 160, 200, and 250 PSI. A cheaper form of poly is sometimes sold as irrigation pipe and is rated for 80 PSI, I personally
would avoid the 80 psi stuff for all but the most economically challenged irrigation systems. All poly tube of the same size will have the
same INSIDE diameter.
PEX tube is a form of poly tube that is much stronger, but also more expensive. It is being used more and more as a replacement for copper
plumbing inside homes. It is constructed to the same outside diameter as copper tube. However it has a thicker wall than copper tube, so has
less flow capacity in a given size of tube. It may be used for irrigation laterals, but tends to be too expensive for most situations.
Traditional insert fittings used for poly tube are often called barbed fittings. Insert fittings shove into the pipe and have barbs to help hold
them in place. Do not rely on the barbs to hold the tube on the fitting! You need to also install a stainless steel clamp around the tube where it fits
over the barb in order to securely hold the tube on the barb. (Exception: sprinkler risers using special twist on barb fittings are designed to not
require clamps.)
A newer fitting type used with both poly tube and PEX are Push fittings. These fittings do not have a barb, the tube pushes into the fitting
and locks in place. These fittings use a flexible seal that stretches around the tube to create a water tight seal even with the less than uniform
outside diameters found with poly tube. The locking feature of these fittings is the result of a set of stainless steel teeth that bite into the soft
poly tube to hold it in place. Thus these push fittings allow quick and easy tube assembly without the need to install separate clamps on each
connection. Push fittings are also used with PEX tube. Warning: some push fittings made for irrigation use are NOT recommended for use on
mainlines and are only for irrigation system laterals. I know this page is about laterals, but I wanted to warn you to be sure to check this if you
want to use them on a mainline!
Saddles are often used on poly tube laterals (most are not made for use on mainlines!) Saddles make a quick and easy way to attach the
sprinkler risers to the lateral pipe. They work well and are very popular due to the ease of installation, especially when connecting a smaller
diameter riser to a larger diameter tube. If you use a saddle that requires drilling through the tube be sure to flush out the tubes extremely well
before installing any sprinklers as there will be lots of small pieces of the tube left inside. Those little fragments of polyethylene will clog up
your sprinklers and nozzles! You dont want to spend hours cleaning brand new sprinklers. If you have a drip system the fragments will ruin
the emitters making them trash.
Maximum Operating Pressure
Background: The pressure ratings for pipes and tubes are based on the maximum occasional surge pressure allowable in the pipe or tube. So
this means a pipe rated for 200 PSI should not be subjected to 200 PSI pressures on a regular basis. Almost all pipe/tube manufacturers
recommend that the pressure rating of the tube be double the normal operating pressure. So to restate what this means, if the system pressure is
100 PSI, the pipe or tube manufacturer requires that you use 200 PSI rated pipe. The rating is NOT the normal pressure for the pipe or
tube! (Burst pressure is not the same thing as the pressure rating. If a burst pressure is given, assume that is 3x the normal system
pressure. So 300 PSI burst pressure = 100 PSI normal pressure.) The reason behind this weird labeling system is that water pressure surges that
double the pressure in a pipe or tube are fairly common. For example, a automatic valve closing can easily cause a pressure spike that doubles
the pressure. Thus a valve closing would be an occasional surge.
Pressure ratings for lateral pipes: In the case of laterals, the lateral pipe/tube is located after, or downstream of, the valve. Fortunately the
pressure surges caused by valves closing will be confined to the mainline, which is upstream of the valve. This is why strong, high pressure pipe
is needed for mainlines (see the page on mainlines.) Pressure surges are much less likely in laterals, and when they do occur most of the surge
pressure is released through the sprinkler head nozzle or drip emitter. For this reason the lateral pipe can have a lower pressure rating, often
125% of the operating pressure is used. I still recommend not using any pipe or tube rated for less than 160 PSI for laterals. Ive just seen too
many of those lower pressure pipes and tubes split over the years. The thin pipe and tubing walls of those low pressure rated pipes and tubes are
too susceptible to physical damage.
Using PVC Pipe:
The industry standard for PVC lateral pipes is to use CL 200 PVC. Many homeowners are tempted to use the CL 125 PVC pipe because it is
cheap, but it breaks easily and they often regret using it later. Ive noticed that starting around the year 2000 most hardware stores started
stocking Cl 200 pipe and stopped selling CL 125. I believe they were losing too much money on returns of split pipe. There is a good chance
you will split open Cl 125 just transporting it home! If you cant find CL 200 PVC then use SCH 40 PVC, which is slightly stronger. (For pipe
under 6 diameter. Starting with 6 and larger pipe, Cl 200 is actually stronger than SCH 40. As SCH 40 pipe sizes get larger the pressure
rating is less. This is because the SCH 40 standard is based on pipe made from steel rather than plastic.)
Most homeowner systems have the pipe buried too shallow, often 6 or less. If you install it less than 10 deep you are asking for
trouble. Remember PVC is brittle and will easily split with even a slight nick from a shovel while gardening. Likewise a lawn aerator will make
Swiss Cheese out of a 6 deep pipe. While PVC doesnt float as bad as poly, a 6 deep pipe will often float up during the first winter, especially
if the soil is saturated with water. Thus a pipe installed at 6 might be 2 deep the next spring. Ive seen many actually float all the way up to
the surface! 10 of dirt over the pipe helps keep it down where it belongs.
Most pros, myself included, avoid using 1/2 size pvc pipe. It has very low flow capacity, is often not available in Cl 200, and has a very small
inside diameter, making it plug up easily. It is very easy to partially block the flow through 1/2 pvc pipe by using too much glue on the
fittings. This can severely impact the performance of your sprinklers! 3/4 is worth the extra price.
Using Poly Tube:
Industry standard is to use 160 PSI, HDPE, SDR 13.5 poly tube for laterals. You may see irrigation tube sold, this is usually the 80 PSI thin
wall stuff. Best to avoid it if you dont want to be digging up and repairing tubes a lot. Often poly tube is plowed into the soil with a vibratory
plow machine, typically 6 deep because that is fast and cheap. Unfortunately if you install the tube 6 deep and then aerate the lawn you will
poke holes in it. Plus 6 deep tube is easy to stick a shovel through when gardening. Finally shallow tube tends to float to the surface in the
winter when the water is blown out of it, especially if the ground gets saturated with water. You might plow a tube in at 6 and discover it is 1
or 2 deep the next spring when you cut it open digging out weeds! I recommend poly tubes be at least 10 deep. All but the cheapest plows can
go 10 deep, it just goes in a bit slower.

Decide which type(s) of pipe best fits your needs and make a note of it on your Design Data Form.

Lateral Pressure Loss:
We will determine the actual sizes of these pipes later using the pressure loss value that we establish here. So this is an important value!
For most residential sprinkler systems on City size lots a lateral pressure loss value of 4 PSI will work great. It gives a nice balance between cost
savings and performance and is a safe figure to use with any type of sprinkler. I would start with 4 PSI for this value. If you find later that you
need to raise it, come back and read the rest of this page before you do. If you decide you want to use a lower value you can do so without
problems.
Note: You can skip to down pencil logo near the bottom of this page if you are going to use 4 PSI for your lateral pressure loss value.
At this point in the design we need to make somewhat of an educated guess for the lateral pressure loss. However there is a guideline for
maximum allowable pressure loss, so we can use that as a starting point. This rule is: The lateral pressure loss may never be greater than
20% of the sprinkler head or drip emitters operating pressure. The sprinkler or emitter operating pressure is established for us by the
manufacturer, and you should have entered it in your Pressure Loss Table already.
Sprinkler Head Pressure x 0.20 = Maximum Lateral Pressure Loss
Example:
Say the sprinkler heads we want to use have an operating pressure of 30 PSI. Then the lateral loss may not be more than 6 PSI (30 x 0.20 = 6
PSI). Therefore we make an educated guess that a lateral pressure loss of 6 PSI will work.
No doubt some are wondering why the lateral pressure loss is limited to 20% of the sprinkler or emitter operating pressure. This is an
industry standard for limiting the variation in performance between the sprinkler heads or emitters controlled by the same valve. We know that
the first sprinkler after the control valve will most likely (but not always, see last paragraph below) have more water pressure than the furthest
sprinkler from the control valve. After all, the water has to pass through a lot more pipe and fittings to reach that last sprinkler, so a lot of energy
is going to be lost getting there! Since both sprinkler and emitter performance is directly related to water pressure it is necessary to limit the
pressure difference between the first head and the last. Otherwise the first head might flood the area around it with water before the last head
even got the area around it wet. Ive seen poorly designed sprinkler systems where the grass is dark green by the valve, and gets yellower and
yellower as you move toward the last sprinkler! This is even more critical with drip systems. I remember a Eucalyptus tree farm I visited a few
years back, where they had planted long rows of trees for firewood production. The first trees (next to the valve) in each row were twice the
size of the trees at the other end of the row! All because the first trees were getting much more water.
Now I guess I need to explain why the last sprinkler head on a line might not have the lowest operating pressure. Theres only one situation I can
think of where this might happen, and that is where the sprinkler system is installed down the side of a steep hill. If the valve and first head were
at the top of the hill and the last head was at the bottom, then the added pressure that results from the elevation change (gravity adds energy)
might be great enough to cancel out all of the pressure loss in the pipes! More on elevation changes and pressure loss in the next page of the
sprinkler design tutorial!
Enter the Lateral Pressure Loss on the line labeled Laterals of your Pressure Loss Table.
Sprinkler Risers:
Sprinkler risers are what connects the sprinkler heads to the lateral pipes or tubes. Some people consider them part of the lateral, others consider
them a separate part of the sprinkler system. They are usually flexible to allow the sprinkler head to move without breaking the lateral
pipe. Thats a nice feature to have when you drive over a sprinkler with the car or hit a sprinkler with the mower. The better quality sprinkler
risers, known as swing risers, have jointed arms that allow the sprinkler to be moved up-and-down as well as side-to-side, which allows you
to adjust the height and position of the sprinkler. To simplify things a default pressure loss value for the sprinkler risers is built into this
Tutorial. (Hurray! Finally, something you dont need to worry about!) So as long as you use this tutorial for your design and a reasonably
standard riser for your sprinkler heads, you dont need to worry about the pressure losses.
Whats a reasonably standard riser you ask? A standard riser would be a PVC swing joint using pipe and fittings the same size as the sprinkler
inlet, any of the poly tube risers commonly know as Funny Pipe, swing pipe or equal (keep the riser tube less than 18 long), or Cobra
Connector (keep them less than 12 long). Dont worry about those riser names for now, more information on risers will come later. In fact,
now would be a good time not to worry about risers at all! I only mention them here because people get to this point and send me emails telling
me I have made a grievous mistake by leaving them out.
Winterization:
In most places above ground pipes should have insulation around them. Even here where I am in sunny temperate Southern California we
sometimes get enough of a hard frost to freeze our above ground pipes, so I put insulation around mine just to be safe. One year we had a really
hard frost here, and it split open thousands of backflow preventers that werent insulated. It was a great year for backflow preventer
manufacturers. Prices skyrocketed all over the USA due to the demand!
Ive written a separate tutorial on ways to winterize your sprinkler system that you should read if your irrigation system will be in an area where
the ground freezes in winter. You cold weather folks need to provide for some method of removing the water from the pipes or tubes. While
poly and PEX are more resistant to freezing damage, they still need to be drained or blown out with air in areas where the ground freezes. If
water freezes solid in any pipe or tube, PVC, poly, PEX, copper, brass, even steel, the pipe or tube will split open!
Guide to Sselecting the Best Sprinkler Riser

Definition: riser (irrigation). A riser is a set of pipes that connect and/or support a piece of irrigation equipment on or to the irrigation
system. Typically the equipment is mounted at or above ground level and the riser connects it to pipes or tubes located below ground. Thus the
source of the name riser, as it rises up above ground to the equipment. Risers are typically used to support sprinklers, drip emitters, valves,
backflow preventers, air vents, and just about anything else.
This article is specifically about types, as well as the pros and cons, of risers used for sprinklers and drip emitters.
Risers for Drip Irrigation: On most drip irrigation systems the emitters plug directly into the drip tubing without using risers. Some drip
systems, where the emitters are attached to threaded outlets, also use risers to attach the emitters. These are often called hard piped drip
systems. The following article on sprinkler risers would also apply to a hard-piped drip system. Just substitute the term drip emitter for
sprinkler.
There are any number of ways you can attach a sprinkler head (or drip emitter) to the lateral pipe/tube. (Lateral pipe/tube is the term used for the
piping/tubing that carries water from the zone control valve to the sprinkler heads.)
Sprinkler Placement:
Before we get into risers lets quickly cover the related topic of sprinkler placement or positioning in relationship to adjacent objects or surfaces.
Sidewalks: 4 to 6 inches is the normal distance a sprinkler should be from the edge of a sidewalk. (Before you ask, no, a 6 inch distance does
not cause a dry spot along the edge of the sidewalk. Sprinklers are designed to be installed 4-6 away and allow sufficient back-spray to water
these areas.) If closer than 4 lawn edgers and string trimmers will tend to damage the sprinkler.
Fences and Walls: Keep sprinklers at least 12 away from fences or freestanding walls. If the sprinklers are within 36 (3 feet) of a fence you
most likely will see water stains from the sprinkler spray on the fence or wall. This can look pretty bad. In areas with strong winds a wall or
fence will be discolored with water stains even if it is as much as 5 feet away.
Building Foundations and Walls: Keep sprinklers at least 18 away from foundations and building walls. No water should spray onto a
building wall. For this reason any sprinkler that sprays water should be at least 36 away. Bubblers or flat spray sprinklers may be closer if
unavoidable and soils are suitable. The water must not spray onto the wall or foundation and the soil must not be expansive (see next
paragraph.)
Expansive Soils: If you have expansive soils (wet soil cracks when it dries) there are special rules and precautions regarding sprinkler
placement around buildings and structures. If you get expansive soil near your foundation wet it can break your foundation! Read the Sprinklers
and Expansive Soils Tutorial.
How can I water grass next to a wall or fence if the sprinklers are 36 away?!! You cant if you use sprinklers. This is one reason why
professional landscapers put a foundation planting of low shrubs around the perimeter of buildings and along fences. The shrubs are watered
using drip irrigation or bubblers that minimize the water volume and do not spray water in the air where the wind can blow it around. Another
option is to use subsurface drip irrigation for the lawn watering. Even then it is not a good idea to put the volume of water needed by a lawn
right up against a foundation. It is just asking for structural problems like moisture damage, rot, and termites. Plus it is not considered good
esthetic landscape design to put lawn directly against a building, unless the building has a significant architectural feature at ground level that
needs to be highly visible. Nothing says amateur design like lawn planted up against the wall of the typical home. OK, to be clear, if it is your
house, do as you wish. Maybe you think it looks great, thats fine, Im just letting you know that every pro who passes by is going to snicker!
But I WANT lawn against my house you landscape design snob!!! OK, I am being a bit of a design snob. Sorry. If you do want lawn
installed right up to a building foundation you should put a concrete apron (or other non-irrigated surface like rock or gravel) between the lawn
and the foundation. Typically an apron at least 18 wide is needed to keep water away (if the sprinkler heads are 6 out from the concrete edge
that is a 24 distance to help minimize water on the wall.) I like a concrete apron because it gives a clean sharp edge to the grass that is easy to
trim and goes well visually with the buildings hard edge. Make sure the concrete surface is sloped away from the building so rain and any
irrigation over-spray water flows away from the building.
OK, back to our discussion of risers.
Simple Pipe Risers (i.e.; Pipe Nipples):
One of the most common sprinkler risers used for residential systems is a simple short section of pipe called a nipple. Actually a nipple is the
standard plumbing term used for any short section of pipe, usually with male threads on the ends, regardless of where it is used. While a nipple
is the least expensive riser type, it also has some very distinct disadvantages. If the nipple is made of metal the nipple wont easily break. A rigid
PVC plastic nipple (like the gray SCH 80 PVC nipple) is not easy to break either (although I have seen it happen.) Now this may seem like a
good thing, as we dont generally want things to break. However, when the sprinkler mounted on a rigid nipple is hit hard by a mower or car tire,
something probably WILL break! So what do you want to break? The sprinkler head is expensive to replace if it breaks, but fortunately it
doesnt usually break. If you use a hard plastic or metal nipple for the riser it wont likely break either. Unfortunately, what usually does break
is the fitting on the lateral pipe that the nipple is screwed into. While not expensive, this fitting is going to be a real pain in the behind to replace
if it breaks. Youll have to dig up several feet of pipe, bail out several gallons of water that drain out of the broken pipe, cut the broken section
out of the pipe, repair it, put the sprinkler back in place, then backfill the muddy hole. Youre talking at least an hour of hard, dirty work. The
better solution is to use soft polyethylene (poly) nipples for your risers.
Poly Cut-Off Risers:
If you want to go the really cheap route and use a nipple for the riser I suggest that you use what is typically called a poly cut-off riser or some
other similar name depending on the brand. A poly cut-off riser is a short pipe section (typically 6 long) with multiple sets of threads molded
into it (see photo below.) You simply cut it off to the desired length with a knife or a pipe cutter. Because the poly material is very soft, the
nipple will bend under stress and will break before either the sprinkler or the lateral fitting break. While it is not fun to replace the broken poly
nipple, it is a lot easier and faster than replacing the lateral pipe fitting below it and much cheaper than replacing a broken sprinkler head!


Poly Cut-off Riser
The arrows show where to cut the riser to make it the correct length.
When cutting the poly cut-off riser always cut it at the top of one of the sections of thread, as shown by the arrows in the photo below. Cut-off
nipples generally cost less than a dollar a piece, which is pretty inexpensive to replace. Keep in mind that sooner or later you are going to have to
replace a few of them. After all, theyre designed to break! So buy a few extra when you install your system. You dont need to use thread
sealants like Teflon tape on poly risers, the soft plastic will seal itself. Amateurs should never use liquid or paste thread sealers on sprinkler
systems, if some of it squeezes through the threads to the inside of the pipe the water will take it straight to the sprinkler nozzle where it will clog
the nozzle.

Swing Joint Risers
A much better solution for risers than the simple nipple system described above is to use something designed to allow the sprinkler to absorb an
impact without anything breaking. The riser most professionals use for this is a swing joint or swing riser. In addition to deflecting to
prevent breakage, most swing risers also allow the sprinkler head location to be easily adjusted. With the swing riser types known as flexible
arm swing risers and quadruple swing risers the sprinkler head doesnt need to be directly over the lateral pipe fitting, so it is not nearly as
critical that the pipe be installed in the right place. Thus the trenching and pipe installation is going to be much easier and faster. I dont know
about you, but I like methods that are easier and faster especially when they also give better results!
Flexible Arm Swing Risers:
The flexible arm swing riser is cheap and easy to install but not as durable as a rigid arm swing riser (but it is still much more durable than the
cut-off riser mentioned above). This is the method I recommend for a residential or even a light commercial application, and it is what I use on
the majority of my fast-food restaurant irrigation systems. It provides a good balance between cost, ease, and durability. The flexible arm swing
riser consists of a length of flexible pipe (sometimes referred to as Funny Pipe a trademarked name of the Toro Company) with a insert ell
on both ends. One ell attaches to the sprinkler, the other to the lateral pipe fitting. You can buy these swing risers preassembled, or you can buy
the flexible pipe and insert ells separately and assemble them yourself.
Rotors: Dont use these flexible arm swing risers with rotors that have a 3/4 or larger inlet. That means dont use them with most rotors! See
the rigid riser below for 3/4 and larger inlet size rotors. The small flexible tubes used on these swing risers restrict the higher water flow that
most rotors need for proper performance.
The preassembled swing risers often have 3 or even 4 ells which makes them much easier to install. You can duplicate this feature by adding
street ells to the build-it yourself risers. A street ell is just an ell that has female threads on one end and male threads on the other (see photo
below.) I suggest adding a street ell to one or both ends of your swing riser to make it easier to install. The street ells you use should be high
density polyethylene, which is black in color and has a slightly oily feel. Marlex is a common brand name of high density poly that you may
encounter. Do not waste your money on white PVC street ells, they are worthless for swing risers! PVC threads seize up which defeats the
whole idea of a flexible joint.
Do not use more than a 18 length of flexible pipe for your riser! The flow through this pipe is very restricted. Longer lengths cause a high
amount of pressure loss and this can mess up the performance of the sprinkler head. If the head is more than 18 away you should run a branch
pipe over to it using the same size and type of pipe as the lateral.
When installing the flexible swing riser do not bend the flexible tube to help position the sprinkler. Position the sprinkler by turning/twisting the
ells to move it into position. Poly tube has what we call memory- it tries to return to its previous shape when bent. Chances are the tube was
coiled or curved slightly when you purchased it and that is the shape it will want to remain. When it does try to return to the previous shape it
will pull your sprinkler along with it and the end result will be a sprinkler that leans at a weird angle. If the pipe is curved when you buy it, work
with the curve of the pipe. Twist the ells around on the end of the pipe until the sprinkler is in the position you want without bending the pipe.
Cut the pipe length shorter if need be. (I recommend starting with a 12 to 18 length of flex pipe and then cutting it shorter as needed to position
the sprinkler.) One more time; do not bend the flexible pipe. Believe me when I tell you that it will save you a lot of headaches later!
Clamps: You do not need to use clamps on the special insert ells that are made for swing risers. These ells are made differently than the ones
used for standard poly pipe. They have a self-locking ridge on the ell that seals it and locks the flexible tube on. Most of these swing riser insert
ells also have spiral barbs, so you need to twist them into the pipe just like screwing a light bulb into a socket. You do know how to install a
light bulb, right? Finally, you should use Teflon tape on the male threads of the ells to seal them. You dont have to use a lot of Teflon on these,
a little leak here isnt a huge problem. While they shouldnt, my experience is they tend to leak if not sealed with Teflon tape. Again, unless
you are a professional pipe fitter, I would recommend that you not use a liquid or paste type thread sealer. See my rant on that topic above in the
Simple Pipe Riser section.
Inserting the ells into cold tubing: OK, I confess it is often not as easy to get the insert ell into the tube as it is to install a light bulb. So if its
cold, the flexible tube is stiff, and the insert ell just doesnt want to go in, heres a trick use original KY Jelly (not the warming variety) on the
insert ell barbs. Dont use any other type of oil or soap, they can damage the plastic. (Dont know what KY Jelly is? It is a water-based
lubricant. Dont head for the hardware store like I did when I was first given this tip. Now that was an embarrassing incident! Go to the
drugstore or supermarket. Its in the womens hygiene section nuff said guys? Try not to have a silly grin on your face when you check
out.) You can also soften the tube by dipping it into hot water. WARNING: Do not heat the tube with a heat gun, torch, etc. as the uneven
heating that results from directional heat will severely weaken the tube.

Flexible Swing Riser



Photo of flexible riser tube and insert ells


A pre-assembled flexible pipe/tube swing riser attached to a PVC fitting and a pop-up sprinkler.
(The riser in the photo above is made by Hunter and features 4 ells for ease of installation and added flexibility.)

High Density Polyethylene (Marlex) Street Ell


Rigid Arm Swing Risers:
The rigid arm swing riser is the standard riser type used for rotor heads, including the large ones found in parks and golf courses. For small
rotors with 1/2 inlets and spray heads I would recommend using the flexible swing joint described above, although there is no reason you cant
use a rigid arm swing joint if you want. But for most rotors a rigid arm swing joint is the way to go. The pipe and fittings used to make the rigid
arm swing joint should be the same size as the inlet on the rotor.
There are various types of rigid arm swing risers depending on how many ells the swing riser has. The double swing riser has two ells at the
bottom of the rigid arm and is pretty much worthless for most situations in my (not so humble) opinion. It allows the head angle to be adjusted,
but does not allow the head to be moved up or down. Double swing risers are used primarily for shrub style sprinklers mounted on a pipe above
ground.
The triple swing riser is much better and is the standard swing riser used by most professionals. The triple swing riser allows the head to move
up and down and allows it to be angled in any direction (i.e.; you can install the head at an angle so that it is perpendicular to a slope.) But you
still cant move the sprinkler head from side to side with a triple swing riser. Thats why I use quadruple swing risers when I use a rigid arm
swing riser.
The quadruple swing riser allows the sprinkler head to be moved in any direction. It can be adjusted up or down, angled in any direction, plus
it can swing from side to side. For example, lets say you install your lateral pipe parallel to a sidewalk and for whatever reason, the pipe winds
up being 10 away from the edge of the sidewalk. With a triple swing riser your sprinkler is also going to be 10 away from the sidewalk unless
you install a small branch pipe over to the sidewalk from the lateral. With a quadruple swing riser you simply swing the sprinkler over so it is as
close to the edge of the sidewalk as you want it to be. (Again, 4 to 6 inches is the normal distance a sprinkler should be from a sidewalk.) A
quadruple swing riser costs about a dollar more than a triple swing riser, but gives you total flexibility which is important if you want a really
efficient sprinkler system! A typical rigid swing riser is constructed using a 12 inch long SCH 80 PVC nipple for the rigid arm (generally SCH
80 is gray colored) and high density polyethylene street ells (see photo of a street ell above.) High density polyethylene is typically referred to as
Marlex. Marlex is black in color, softer than PVC, and works better for swing risers than PVC because it has a naturally oily surface. Do not
use standard threaded white or gray PVC ells on swing risers! The threads on standard PVC ells tend to stick to each other and keep the swing
riser arm from moving as it should. I recommend that you use a small amount of Teflon tape on the male threads, even when using Marlex street
ells. By the way, the black plastic used for the swing pipe risers mentioned earlier are not Marlex! If you cant scratch it with your fingernail, it
is not Marlex.
Several manufacturers make preassembled rigid swing risers for sprinklers. Most of these preassembled swing risers are very high quality and
use special PVC ells with o-ring sealed swivels built into them. Unlike standard threaded ell joints these swivels allow very free movement of
the swing riser and are superior to swing risers made with standard threaded ells. They are often used with the large, expensive sprinklers used
on golf course and park irrigation systems. The large, heavy tractor mowers used on parks and golf courses make it essential that the swing risers
be able to move freely.

Drawing of a Rigid Quadruple Swing Riser


Flexible Risers:
What if you really need to bend the riser tube? There is a very flexible pipe riser product that is now sold at most irrigation supply stores and
home improvement stores. It is durable and can be bent to pretty much any position you want. Tie it in a knot if you wish. I have been very
pleased with this product so I feel I can recommend it for situations where you need a really flexible riser pipe. It is especially useful for
sprinkler replacements. It looks like a flexible electrical conduit. (In fact thats exactly what it is, a flexible plastic electrical cable protector with
a length of vinyl tubing inside it!) Dont use it for anything other than small spray head risers. It cant withstand high pressures and will not work
with high flow sprinklers. I usually put a threaded street ell on one or both ends to make it easier to install. The vinyl tube used in these risers is
very small and creates high pressure loss. Do not string multiple riser tubes together to make a longer riser. The resulting high pressure loss will
make your sprinkler not work very well.

Flexible Riser. This one is a Cobra Connector brand riser.

Riser Pressure Loss
The amount of water pressure lost through the risers varies greatly. Some manufacturers provide pressure loss data for their risers, most do
not. If you are using my Sprinkler Design Tutorial to design your system you dont need to worry about pressure loss in the risers. As long as
you use one of the riser types as described above you are covered. I have included compensation for the riser pressure loss in the lateral pipe
sizing tables and spreadsheets.

Pressure Loss Adjustments

Now it is time to make sure the sprinklers will have enough pressure to operate properly.
Adjust Your Pressure Loss Data:
Pull out your Design Data Form. One of the top 3 sections should be completed (City Slicker, Country Bumpkins, or Backwoods Water) as well
as the Pressure Loss Table at the bottom of the form. (If you havent completed the Design Data Form you need to go back to the beginning of
this tutorial and work forward to this page.)
Look for the line called Design Pressure on your Design Data Form (it will be in the appropriate section for your water supply source, ie; City
Slicker, Country Bumpkins, or Backwoods Water.) Now look at the TOTAL PRESSURE LOSS on the last line of your Pressure Loss
Table. The TOTAL PRESSURE LOSS value must be less than or equal to the Design Pressure you entered on your form. If it is,
congratulations, you have enough water pressure to operate your system using the equipment you have or selected. If so, youre done with this
page, continue to the next page of the tutorial.
If the Total Pressure Loss from the table above is greater than your Design Pressure, then you must decrease the Total Pressure Loss or your
irrigation system will not work. Dont panic, it generally isnt hard to do. Here are a few methods you can use to lower the Total Pressure
Loss. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Ive ordered the list so that generally the easiest and/or less expensive ways are higher
on this list:
Increase the mainline size. This would lower the pressure loss in the mainline. Of course, for any existing mainlines already installed, this is
NOT an easy method! This is often the method I often use on my larger irrigation systems. It costs more to use a larger pipe, but often it works
out to be the least expensive method in the long run. Increasing the pipe size also has other advantages, by reducing turbulence and the velocity
of the water in the pipe it can decrease maintenance costs and increase the life of the sprinkler system. It also doesnt cause any negative ripple
impacts on the rest of the design. Unfortunately small sprinkler systems often have short mainlines with almost no pressure loss, so this method
is not very effective for them.
Lower the sprinkler head operating pressure. This is an easy and fast way to lower your Total Pressure Loss, however it comes at a price.
When you lower the operating pressure of the sprinkler head, you decrease the distance the sprinklers can be placed apart. Thus you will likely
need more sprinkler heads which will increase costs. But keep in mind that most people dont use as many heads as they should anyway, so if
you are typical, adding more sprinklers may save your behind in the end. Be sure you dont lower the pressure too far, remember Strykers Rule
for rotor heads and rotary nozzles, the spacing in feet cant exceed the pressure in PSI. (Ie; 30 PSI = 30 feet between heads maximum.) If you
lower the sprinkler head operating pressure there is also a ripple effect, you will probably also need to change the lateral pressure loss value to
keep it less than 20% of the sprinkler head operating pressure.
Reduce the pressure loss in the laterals. This means the lateral pipes will be larger and cost more, but often using larger pipe is the best way to
reduce the pressure loss. Theres no ripple effect and using larger lateral pipes will help your sprinkler system perform better and last longer
(due to less water turbulence and velocity in the pipes.)
Increase the size of the backflow preventer or valves. In most cases this will not be very helpful, but sometimes it makes a difference. Also,
sometimes different brands of backflow preventers and valves will have lower pressure losses for the same flow rate. Be sure to double check to
be sure the larger valve or backflow preventer is still within the manufacturers recommended flow range!
Lower the Initial Design Flow. As you remember we have been using a value called Initial Design Flow up until now, and I mentioned that
we might need to lower that number. This is where you may need to lower it! Lowering the Initial Design Flow will reduce the pressure loss
values for the water meter, backflow preventer, mainline, and valves. Start by lowering it by 10% and entering the new lower value on your
Design Data Form. There is a big ripple effect for this method! You need to go back to the Pressure Loss Table and recalculate all of the
pressure losses using the new Design Flow. Ughhh If that still didnt reduce the pressure loss enough, try a new Design Flow that is another
10% lower. For example, if your original design flow was 20 GPM, try lowering it to 18 GPM, or even 16 GPM.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a pump (you used the Country Bumpkin Method to measure your water) you should only lower the
Design Flow as a last resort! Try everything else above first. Lowering the Design Flow can cause your pump to cycle on and off. With pumps it
is important to keep the pump from cycling, which creates pump wear. Pump cycling also hurts the efficiency of your sprinkler system due to
the pressure fluctuations it causes in the sprinkler system.
Add a booster pump to increase the water pressure. This is obviously a very expensive option for a homeowner and should be avoided if
possible. Booster pumps are more commonly used on parks, schools, and golf courses. But in some situations this is the only option that will
work, especially if you have a Design Pressure under 40 PSI.
Examples:
Lets assume that you previously determined that your system has a Design Pressure of 45 PSI and a Initial Design Flow of 20 GPM. Using
that information you might start out with the following pressure losses:
2.2 PSI Water Meter
0 PSI Backflow Preventer (none, were using anti-siphon valves)
2 PSI Mainline (23 feet of 1 SCH 40 PVC mainline)
5 PSI Valves (using 1 anti-siphon type)
4 PSI Elevation change (about 9 feet)
30 PSI Sprinkler Heads or Drip Emitters (using spray heads)
6 PSI Laterals (20% of 30 PSI)
_________________________________
49.2 PSI Total Pressure Loss
More than 45 PSI so the sprinkler system wont work.
Warning: dont use the pressure losses shown here for your design. Get the actual losses for the equipment you plan to use. For example, many
brands of anti-siphon valves have much higher losses than the 5 PSI in this example!
As you can see, the Total Pressure Loss is greater than the design pressure of 45 PSI, so the irrigation system will not work. The pressure loss
must be lowered. We could increase the mainline size, but with only 2 PSI of loos already, lowering it to 1 PSI would not be much help. It
seems the easiest way in this case is to lower the sprinkler head pressure to 25 PSI. This means the sprinklers will need to be a little closer
together, but we have little other good choices. When we lower the sprinkler head PSI we also have to lower the PSI loss for the laterals (to keep
the loss in them below 20% of the sprinkler head pressure.) The total will now be 43.2 PSI which is less than 45 PSI:
2.2 PSI Water Meter
0 PSI Backflow Preventer (none, were using anti-siphon valves)
2 PSI Mainline (18 feet of 1 mainline)
5 PSI Valves (using 1 anti-siphon type)
4 PSI Elevation change (about 9 feet)
25 PSI Sprinkler Heads (using spray heads, lowered to 25 PSI)
5 PSI- Laterals (lowered to 20% of 25 PSI)
____________________________
43.2 PSI Total Pressure Loss
Less than 45 PSI so now the sprinkler system will work!
Another option we could have tried would be to leave the sprinklers at 30 PSI and lower the laterals to 1 PSI. The result would have been 44.2
PSI of Total Pressure Loss which would work. The downside is that we might have some pretty large lateral pipes (maybe even as large as 1 1/2
diameter!). Usually lateral losses under 2 PSI dont work out well, but again, sometimes this is the best choice. The only way to know for sure is
to try both ways!
Once your Total Pressure Loss is less than or equal to your Design Pressure you are ready to move on to the next page. Were finally ready to
start figuring out where sprinklers will be placed. Youve learned a lot to get to this point! You have reason to feel good about your
accomplishment.
Curious how long it would take a professional designer to get to this point in a design? Reading the previous 10 pages of the tutorial was all
about learning basic hydraulics and the parts of an irrigation system, which pros already know. The time it takes a pro to look up pressure loss
values, fill out the Pressure Loss Table, and adjust the pressures is about 10-20 minutes.

High Water Pressure
Sometimes your water pressure may be too high. If the Design Pressure is more than 15 PSI higher than the Total Pressure Loss in your
Pressure Loss Table then you should consider reducing the pressure. Too much pressure can make the sprinklers work inefficiently and/or
damage the sprinkler system. There are two ways you can do this.
The first way to reduce the water pressure for the sprinkler system is by installing a pressure regulator or reducer on the whole sprinkler
system. Typically this is installed near the point your irrigation system mainline taps into the water supply. On residential systems, typically if
there is too much pressure for the sprinkler system, then there is also too much for the typical household appliances like washing machines, so
the pressure regulator is put on then entire houses water supply.
The second way to reduce the water pressure for the sprinklers is to use special pressure reducing automatic zone control valves for the
sprinkler system. These are solenoid valves that have a pressure regulating module added to them. This allows you to set a reduced pressure
level individually in each different watering zone. The use of pressure regulating zone valves has the disadvantage of sometimes being more
expensive (the more zone valves there are, the more likely this option will be more expensive.) A second disadvantage is that it does not reduce
the pressure in the mainlines, so they may be more susceptible to water pressure damage. There is an advantage to using pressure regulating
zone valves if you have sprinklers that require different water pressure levels. Each zone can be set to a different pressure, so spray heads could
have lower pressure to prevent misting, while rotors valves are set to a higher pressure to achieve a greater radius.
Pressure regulators are discussed more in-depth at the bottom of the introductory page about Selecting Your Sprinkler Equipment.
Determining Landscape Sprinkler Locations

This is important, read it carefully!
Sprinkler Coverage:
The area watered by each sprinkler must overlap substantially the area watered by the adjacent sprinkler. This overlap may seem like a waste at
first, but it is a very important necessity. Without this overlap it would be impossible to design sprinkler systems that provided uniform water
coverage.
Have Doubts? See for yourself, it only takes a couple of minutes to prove! Grab a piece of paper and draw circles on it so that all areas of the
paper are inside a circle, but no circles overlap. You cant do it, can you?
Important!
Sprinklers are intentionally designed to require 100% overlap of watered areas. That means each sprinkler throws water ALL the way to the next
sprinkler in each direction. READ THAT AGAIN!
Thats right, 100% overlap of watered areas is REQUIRED or you will get dry spots! This is known in the industry as head-to-head
coverage or head-to-head spacing. A lot of those free design guides you find in stores and on the Internet get this wrong. They dont show
enough overlap! The writers of those brochures think you are going to look at the overlap and buy the brand of sprinkler that shows the least
sprinkler heads. So they try to make it look like you can use less sprinklers with their brand. After youve bought the sprinklers if you have dry
spots, well hey, its YOUR problem now! Youll probably just buy a few more of their sprinklers to get rid of the dry spots. In fact, it will
probably take more sprinklers to fix the dry spots than it would have to do it right the first time. $$$ Ching, ching!

Lawn sprinklers spaced head-to-head
Rule: Sprinkler Radius = distance between sprinklers

One more time: The water from any single sprinkler should actually get the sprinklers on each side of it wet!
Now that Ive told you that you SHOULD use head to head spacing Im going to backtrack a bit and tell you that you can space a few of the
sprinklers slightly farther apart as needed to work around odd shaped areas. I still recommend that you keep at least 80% of the sprinklers at
head-to-head spacing! Take the sprinkler head watering DIAMETER and multiply it by 0.6 to get the absolute maximum distance that should
ever occur between any two adjacent sprinklers. (Remember most manufacturers give you the radius of the sprinkler, you need to multiply by 2
to get the diameter.) For example, 15 radius spray heads should never be more than 18 apart (30 diameter x 0.6 = 18). Note that we rounded to
the nearest foot. If the sprinkler system is in a windy area I suggest the majority of the sprinklers be spaced at 45% of the diameter (thats closer
than head to head!), as winds over 10 mph really mess up the sprinkler patterns.
(Optional reading for those who need explanations.) Back when I designed my first sprinkler system in High School I wondered why
they wanted so much overlap of the sprinklers. It seemed to me to be nothing more than a ploy to sell more sprinkler heads! I was smarter than
that, so I stretched them out to save my folks some money! The result was big dry spots, and my parents wound up replacing the sprinkler
system a few years later. (They never said anything about it to me, I just noticed the new sprinklers a few years later on a visit home from
college.) Ouch! Not a good start for a future irrigation expert! Now that Im a bit wiser and more knowledgeable I realize there is a good reason
behind the head-to-head coverage. Unfortunately, its rather hard to explain. The perfect sprinkler would put out a pattern of water that is
heaviest right next to the sprinkler, then uniformly declines out to the radius. So the farther you move away from the sprinkler, the less water
falls on any given patch of ground. When we test sprinklers for water coverage we set up a series of cups between the sprinklers to collect the
water that falls. That way we can see how much water falls at various distances from the sprinkler. In the diagram below you can see what
happens when there are various distances between the sprinklers.

Close to 100% sprinkler overlap is important for good water application uniformity
In example A the sprinklers are just barely overlapping and much more water is falling in the cups next to the sprinkler heads. But the middle
3 cups are only getting the water of the cups next to the sprinkler. If you watered long enough to keep the middle green, the areas around the
sprinklers would turn to mud! In example B we see that moving the sprinklers closer together has evened up the amount of water a bit more.
However the areas near the heads are still getting 25% more water than the other areas. Not enough to cause mud, but you would definitely see
rings of greener grass around the sprinklers! Example C shows almost head-to-head spacing. The cups are almost all uniformly full! So dont
stretch the distance between sprinklers.
What if you need a smaller radius than the sprinklers available?
Almost all sprinklers have a radius adjustment device on them so that you can reduce the radius of the water throw. This is one way you can
adjust for narrower areas. Keep in mind that for most sprinklers you cant reduce the radius by more than 50% without causing problems. The
other solution for smaller areas is to use nozzles made to spray less far, or that spray a special pattern. An example of a special pattern would be
the nozzles that spray a 4 x 30 rectangular pattern. These are commonly used in long, narrow areas.
Remember if you reduce the radius of the sprinkler you must reduce the distance between sprinklers by the same distance! Keep the
coverage head-to-head!
Calculating the GPM for sprinklers when you reduce the radius is easy:
For spray heads you just use the manufacturers chart. When you use the radius adjustment on a spray you are simply reducing the water
pressure by closing a small valve in the nozzle. As the pressure drops, so does the radius. Just look at the manufacturers chart for the radius
you plan to reduce the sprinkler down to. Then read the GPM for that radius! For example, your designing for 30 PSI. The radius at 30 PSI of
the sprinkler you selected is 15 feet with 1.85 GPM according to the manufacturers chart. But you want the radius to be 14 feet. Looking at the
manufacturers chart you see that the radius of the same sprinkler is 14 at 25 PSI with 1.65 GPM. So the GPM of that sprinkler if you reduce
the radius to 14 will be 1.65 GPM. Thats because when turn the radius adjustment screw to reduce the radius to 14 what you REALLY did
was reduce the pressure to 25 PSI!
For rotor heads the GPM stays the same no matter how much you reduce the radius! Thats because reducing the radius on a rotor doesnt
change the amount of water coming out of the nozzle. To change the radius a small screw extends into the stream of water coming out of the
nozzle. The tip of the screw deflects the water which screws it up (pun intended) so it doesnt go as far. This creates another problem,
however, which is that it really messes up the uniformity of the water. So when you use the radius adjustment on rotors, you tend to get dry
spots. This is one reason I strongly suggest that you use a smaller nozzle if possible rather than using the radius adjustment screw on the
sprinkler. The other reason is that when you reduce the radius you really should also reduce the GPM of the sprinkler. Otherwise there will be a
lot more water under the sprinkler with the reduced radius. Bottom line- use the radius adjustment screw on rotors only when nothing else
will work.
Warning for rotors only:
When designing systems with rotors do NOT rely on the manufacturers stated radius for design. They get those distances by testing the rotors
inside a building with no wind. The real world is harsher! If the gallonage of the rotor is less than 6 GPM the maximum spacing should never be
more than 35 between rotor type sprinklers.
Strykers Rule: the spacing in feet between rotors can never exceed the operating pressure in PSI at the sprinkler inlet (So a rotor with a
30 PSI operating pressure = 30 foot maximum spacing between rotors. Yes, I know the package says you can space them farther apart.)
Ignore the rule above and you will be very sorry!


Sprinkler Precipitation Rate and GPM
The precipitation rate is the amount of water the sprinkler throws onto the area it waters, measured in inches per hour. (Inches per hour is how
deep, in inches, the water would be after one hour if it didnt soak into the ground or run-off.) Precipitation rate must be considered when
selecting your sprinkler heads to eliminate water application uniformity problems (dry spots).
Spray Heads: Almost all sprinkler manufacturers make their spray heads so that you can mix and match nozzle patterns and the precipitation
rates will still match for all the heads. This is referred to as matched precipitation rates. Look for this feature when selecting your sprinklers.
Important: do not mix different brands of spray heads and nozzles together on the same valve circuit without checking to see that they have the
same performance specifications. Just because the nozzle will screw into the sprinkler body doesnt mean its designed to work with that
sprinkler!
Rotors: Rotor-type heads arent quite as easy. You must select the appropriate nozzle size for each rotor in order to match the precipitation rates.
A simple illustration will help explain. Rotor heads move back and forth across the area to be watered. The rotation speed is the same regardless
of whether the rotor is adjusted to water a 1/4 circle or a full circle. So the stream from a 1/4 circle head will pass over the same area 4 times in
the same amount of time that it takes for a full circle head to make one pass over the area it waters. With the same size nozzle in both, a 1/4
circle rotor will put down 4 times as much water on the area under the pattern as a full circle rotor will. (Remember that after every quarter turn
the 1/4 circle rotor reverses direction and covers the same area again!) To match the precipitation rates between these sprinklers, the quarter
circle rotor must have a nozzle that puts out 1/4 the amount of water that the full circle nozzle puts out! A half circle rotor must have a nozzle
that puts out 1/2 the water of a full circle. This is why when you buy a rotor-type sprinkler head they often include a handful of different size
nozzles with it. Wait, theres more (dont panic yet, there is a simple solution forthcoming)!
If you have rotors that are adjusted for different radii you will need to adjust the nozzle size to compensate for the radius change also! For
example if most of the rotors are set for a 30 foot radius, but one is adjusted down to 20 ft., the 20 ft. one will need a nozzle 1/2 the size.
(Remember: when you reduce the RADIUS by 1/3 you reduce the AREA by a little more than half.)
Avoid using rotors with nozzle flows that are less than 2.5 GPM, except in corners (quarter circle patterns). Flows under 2.5 GPM give
very poor coverage due to the tiny water stream. Even a slight breeze will distort the watering pattern and give you dry spots. I strongly suggest
that you stick to using nozzles as close as possible to the GPM of those in the cheat chart below.
O.K. Now that you understand the principles, lets simplify this a bit by using a cheat chart

Unless you really know what youre doing (in which case you wouldnt be reading this tutorial), you should stick with the nozzles on this
chart:
Jess Strykers
Quick & Dirty Guide for Rotor Nozzle Selection
1. Find the section of the chart with your desired spacing.
2. Find the pattern (1/2, full circle,etc.) of the sprinkler.
3. The chart tells you the GPM the nozzle must have.
4. Use a nozzle size that comes close to matching both the PSI GPM combination.
5. Ignore the radius given by the manufacturer.
6. Be sure to read the notes below the chart!

For 20-29 spacing between sprinklers-
1/4 circle . . . 30 PSI 0.8 GPM
1/2 circle . . . 30 PSI 1.6 GPM
3/4 circle . . . 30 PSI 2.4 GPM
full circle . . 30 PSI at 3.2 GPM
Important: see notes below!
For 30-39 spacing between sprinklers-
1/4 circle . . . 40 PSI 1.5 GPM
1/2 circle . . . 40 PSI 3.0 GPM
3/4 circle . . . 40 PSI 4.5 GPM
full circle . . 40 PSI 6.0 GPM
For 40-55 spacing between sprinklers-
1/4 circle . . .55 PSI 3.0 GPM
1/2 circle . . . 55 PSI 5.5 GPM
3/4 circle . . . 55 PSI 8.0 GPM
full circle . . 55 PSI 11.0 GPM
Important Notes:
It is critical that the water pressure (PSI) at the sprinkler be as high, or higher, than the distance between the sprinklers in feet (per Strykers
Rule). For example, if you space the sprinklers 45 apart, you must have at least 45 PSI of pressure at the sprinkler inlet. Thats the pressure at
the sprinkler inlet, not the total pressure available. Remember, you will lose pressure in the pipes and valves, so the pressure at the sprinkler inlet
will be lower than your available pressure! Go back to the tutorial pressure loss pages to figure out how much pressure will be lost in your
sprinkler system.
Select the nozzle size closest to these GPMs without regard to the radius the manufacturer gives. For example, if you are looking at a 25 radius,
the chart above says to use a 1.6 GPM nozzle for a half-circle rotor. But you happen to notice that the rotor manufacturers literature says that at
25 PSI, a 1.6 GPM nozzle has a radius of 32 feet. So why am I telling you to space it at 25? When the manufacturer tested the rotor on their test
range (inside a large building with no wind) they measured a few drops of water 32 from the rotor. When you install it out in your yard it will
not perform as well. You may still get a few drops of water 30 or even 32 from the head, but not enough to grow anything. You need to trust me
on this one! Remember, if the sprinkler sprays too far, most rotors have a radius reduction screw that will allow you to very easily reduce the
radius. But, if the rotor does not spray far enough there is nothing you can do about it without a major expense! Best to play it safe.
You may want to make additional adjustments to nozzle sizes after installation to compensate for your specific conditions. Most rotors now
come with a nozzle tree that contains most of the different nozzles for the rotor, so you can change the nozzle sizes if you need to. Some
manufacturers dont offer nozzles sizes larger than 3.0 GPM for their economy-priced heads (providing those extra nozzles would probably cost
them at least another nickel in costs!). You may need to upgrade to the next better model line if you have a large yard! The larger size nozzles
for 40 spacing are not available with most of the mini-rotor models sold for residential use. You will need to upgrade to the next model. Also,
sometimes other nozzle sizes are available separately from the manufacturer, for example low angle nozzles. You will probably need to get these
from a store that specializes in irrigation sales, rather than a hardware or home store. Look in the yellow pages under Irrigation or
Sprinklers, or try one of the online stores listed in the tutorial links pages.
There is a conflict between the nozzles recommended for the 20-29 spacing range of the chart and my previous advice to avoid using rotors
with nozzle flows that are less than 2.5 GPM. This is because the Nozzle Selection Guide assumes you will be mixing 20-29 radius rotors
together on the same valve with 30 plus radius rotors. To keep from having enormous nozzles on the larger radius rotors I am recommending
that you use smaller nozzles than I would otherwise consider for the smaller radius rotors. This is essentially a compromise. Sometimes it is not
practical to obtain perfection! If all or a majority of your rotors will be spaced at 20-29 apart, then you should probably use larger nozzles than I
recommend in the chart. In other words, use those listed in the chart for 30-39 spacing for the 20-29 spacing. This will help avoid problems
caused by the wind blowing the spray out of the irrigated area. However, if your sprinkler system will be located in an area with little or no wind
you can go ahead and use the smaller nozzles in the chart. What is little or no wind? Go outside in the evening or early morning when you will
likely be irrigating. If you can feel the wind blowing even gently against your face, I would consider that enough wind to need the larger nozzles.
If you calculate the precipitation rates you will notice that the shorter spacings result in a higher precipitation rate than the larger spacings. This
is because the smaller heads with lower GPM rates are more susceptible to wind and evaporation, and thus it is assumed less of the water is
actually reaching the ground. The higher precipitation rate compensates for this.


Windy Locations
If you are designing a sprinkler system for an area where the wind blows a lot you should look at the Irrigation and Wind FAQ.

Select Your Sprinklers
If you havent started shopping for sprinklers yet, nows the time to start checking out whats available. Check out which sprinklers are
available and look them over. Write down a list of the heads you think will work well for your irrigation system on your Design Data Form. Be
sure to list the PSI and GPM for each head as given in the manufacturers literature, along with the maximum spacing between heads.

One last warning!!!
Do not blow-off my advice on sprinkler spacing in order to save a few bucks on sprinkler heads! Right now you may be feeling pretty smug
about how much money you saved by stretching the sprinkler spacing. But next summer youre going to look pretty stupid to the neighbors,
standing out there with a hose watering the yellow spots your new sprinklers dont cover! I have a collection of wish Id listened to you letters
from people who didnt take this advice. I get a few more of these every year, and these are just the brave folks willing to confess they messed
up. They all say you should listen to me on this!
Later on you will need to know the flow rate for each sprinkler you use, so it might be helpful to make some notes on the back of your
Design Data Form showing the nozzle size and GPM you will need for each different sprinkler you plan to use. Otherwise youll wind up having
to look the information up over, and over, and over



Draw the Sprinkler Heads on Your Plan
Youre now ready to pencil in the sprinkler head locations on your drawing. Hallelujah! I know it seems like it took a long time to get here, but
to do a good job we needed to cover a lot of background information! Use a pencil to draw in the sprinkler heads so you can easily make
adjustments to the locations later. Many people find it helpful to use a compass to draw a light pencil line showing the radius of water throw for
each head.
Remember these tips:
Keep the distance as uniform as possible between heads. To the extent possible a sprinkler should be equal distance from the adjacent sprinkler in
each direction (forming a triangle if possible). Changes in spacing between adjacent sprinklers should be made as a gradual transition when
possible.
Try to position heads so that if you were to draw a straight line between adjacent heads they would form an equilateral triangle (each side of
triangle is same length). This is called triangular spacing and creates more even water coverage than square spacing (ie; lines between 4 heads
form a square). That said, you will often be unable to form a triangle so dont panic if you cant.
Dont stretch the spacings, use head to head spacing. Using too many sprinkler heads is seldom a problem, using too few sprinklers heads is
ALWAYS a disaster!
Start by drawing a sprinkler in each corner. Next, draw sprinklers around the perimeter of the irrigated area, watching that they are not too far
apart (one more time, better too many than too few!). Adjust the locations to make the spacing between sprinklers as even as possible. After the
perimeters are done, then draw the sprinklers in the interior area.
If the sprinklers need to overlap so that the spray from one head goes over and beyond the next thats OK. While you dont want to over-water, it is
always easier to correct an over watered area than a under watered one. For example, you can use the radius adjustments on the sprinklers to cut
down the water in the over-irrigated areas. If need be you can even remove or relocate a sprinkler later. Its much easier to remove one than to add
one!
Sprinklers that are placed closer than 6 feet apart need some special consideration. Standard spray-type sprinklers dont work well if the radius is
adjusted below 6 feet. (The opening the water goes through is so tiny that the normal expansion of the plastic or metal on a warm evening can
close off the water flow!) If the area is long and narrow (4 wide or less), use the strip pattern nozzles. I prefer the so called side-strip type that
you place along the edge of the area, they have better patterns than the center strip nozzles. End-strip nozzles have notoriously bad patterns, they
shouldnt be more than 10 from the next head! When using standard spray sprinklers (like quarter, half, and full circles) in areas where the radius
must be adjusted to less than 6 feet use a pressure compensating device to reduce the radius. The pressure compensating device is normally
installed under the nozzle where it reduces the flow and pressure through the nozzle. The good news is that by using a under sized pressure
compensating device you can also reduce the nozzle radius! Unlike the adjustment screw on the nozzle these devices work well regardless of the
temperature. However, you will need to select the proper size pressure compensating device for each nozzle. It is possible that every nozzle will
need a different size! To select the right device you use a special chart provided by the pressure compensating devices manufacturer. The chart will
tell you exactly which device you must use with each different nozzle in order to get the radius you want. Most major sprinkler manufacturers
make pressure compensating devices for their spray sprinklers, and the charts you need can be found in their catalogs. You may need to go to a
commercial sprinkler supplier to find them.
Study the example drawing below.

Sprinkler spacing for optimal head-to-head water coverage
Again, notice that the radius of each sprinklers spray goes all the way to the next sprinkler! This is critical.
Note that in the example above only the lawn area outlined with a green curving edge is being watered. The area between the lawn (green line)
and the edge of the property (brown line) would most likely be planted with shrubs and irrigated separately from the lawn. In most cases a drip
system would be considered for watering the shrubs as it is less expensive and more efficient. See the separate guidelines for designing drip
irrigation systems.
Bonus landscape design tip: Creating a border of shrubs around the perimeter of your yard is, in most cases, a good landscape design practice. A
shrub border helps to reduce the visual impact of the fence (assuming that like most residential properties you have a fence.) Shrubs also
typically use less than half the water of lawn areas of the same size, saving money spent for water. Once a month you need to weed and trim
shrub areas, as opposed to the lawn that needs to be mowed every other week at the least in summer. A border using shrubs of various sizes,
textures and colors can add greatly to the attractiveness of your yard. Place smaller shrubs near the lawn, with larger growing varieties behind
them next to the fence.



Sprinkler Layout for Narrow Planters:

Sample sprinkler head layout for narrow planters using strip nozzles
This example shows the typical placement for sprinkler heads in a narrow planter. In this example, special spray sprinkler nozzles called end-
strips and side-strips are used. These nozzles spray a long, but narrow, pattern. A typical pattern is 4 x 30 (4 out and 15 in either direction
from the head). There are also spray nozzles called center-strips which dont work as well. Be careful when using end-strips. They tend to
have a weak coverage area on either side of the nozzle (the yellow area in the drawing above). Avoid using 2 end-strips facing each other in a
lawn area. If possible always install a side-strip in the middle between 2 end-strips. The sprinkler layout above is for lawn. In a shrub area you
can eliminate the sprinklers on one side as long as the width of the planter is 4 feet or less- so you can install the sprinklers on one side only.
Shrubs dont need as even a watering pattern. Lawns require heads on both sides. Note the triangular arrangement of the sprinklers, which gives
more even coverage. Yes, it takes an extra head to create the triangle pattern, and you need to space the heads a little closer together than the
normal maximum on one side to create the triangle pattern, but its worth the cost.
For narrow strips wider than 5 you would use regular half circle heads on both sides. The distance between the sprinkler heads should not be
more than 1 foot greater than the width of the planter. In other words, if the planter is 8 feet wide you would install half circle heads on both
sides of the planter, not more than 9 feet apart from each other. As with the example above, it is best if you arrange the sprinklers in a triangular
pattern.


Sprinkler GPM
As we saw previously, the flow rate in gallons per minute (GPM) of each sprinkler head is determined by the nozzle installed in the head. It is
necessary to know the GPM for each head in order to determine which heads will be connected to each valve and in order to determine the size
of each pipe in the sprinkler system.
You will probably need to dig up the sprinkler manufacturers literature again. In the literature the manufacturer shows different GPM and radius
information for each sprinkler nozzle based on the operating pressure (PSI). Now we can use that information to find the GPM for each sprinkler
head. First, determine what the SPACING is between each head and the others around it. Next, look for the radius closest to that spacing and use
the corresponding GPM as the flow for the head.
Write down on your plan the GPM for each sprinkler next to the sprinkler symbol.
Hint: You will find the GPM and radius data for many of the popular sprinklers in the product reviews .
Example: You note that a spray type head on your plan is a 1/2 circle pattern and the distance to the 3 closest adjacent heads are 13 feet, 12 ft.,
and 14 ft.. So the spacing for this head is 14 ft. (the highest of the 3). Looking at the manufacturers literature you note that a radius of 14 ft. for
the 1/2 circle nozzle in this sprinkler requires a pressure of 25 PSI and a flow of 1.65 GPM. Write down the flow of 1.65 GPM next to the
sprinkler head on your drawing. You then repeat this procedure for each sprinkler head on your drawing.
Add sprinkler GPMs on your plan.

Write the GPM of each sprinkler on the plan next to the sprinkler


Hydro-Zones, Valve Zones, & Sprinkler Pipe Layout

Sprinkler System Hydro-Zones:
The next step in designing your irrigation system is to identify the individual hydro-zones that exist in the area to be irrigated. Different areas of
your yard have different water needs. Each of these areas is called a hydro-zone. You need to irrigate them separately from one another to
keep from drowning some plants while others are dying of thirst. For example, a grass lawn will almost always need more water than a shrub
bed. Plants in the shade of a house need less water than those in direct sun. Tropical plants need more water than desert plants. Remember that
over-watering plants can be as harmful to them as underwatering. Many plant diseases are the direct result of over-watering, particularly fungus
and molds.
Using a pencil lightly outline the different hydro-zones in your yard on your plan. Some hints:
Lawns and shrubs should NEVER be in the same hydro-zone, so start by creating two hydro-zones, lawns and shrubs.
Shady and sunny areas should not be in the same hydro-zone. The shadiest areas are typically in the shadow of buildings where little
or no direct sunlight reaches all day long. Go out and walk around your yard. Look for places where the soil stays moist when compared
with the rest of the yard. Separate the sunny and shady areas of the lawn area into different hydro-zones. Do the same for the shrubs
areas.
Plants with different water requirements should not be in the same hydrozone. Show a separate hydro-zone for any grouping of
plants that need more or less water than the others. If youre not familiar with the water needs of various shrubs look them up in a good
garden encyclopedia. You can also tell a lot just by observation. Do some plants in your yard seem to wilt easier than others? On large
projects you may also have different soil types in various parts of the irrigated area. These may also need separate hydro-zones. This is
very common for golf courses and parks.
Never combine spray heads, rotors, or drip irrigation in the same hydro-zone. The water application rates are different for each of
these, which will cause either dry or wet spots. For example, rotors often apply water at half the rate as spray heads. So if you were to
combine spray heads and rotors on the same valve, and then turned on the water long enough to apply just the right amount of water in
the spray head area, the area with rotors will only get half the water it needs.


The irrigation for each of these hydro-zones will need to be controlled by its own valve. This way the watering times can be individually
adjusted for the specific needs of each hydro-zone. Nothing gets over or under watered. Over and under-watering is a major factor in promoting
plant disease, and it wastes water. In some small yards it may not be practical to create separate hydro-zones for all the different water needs.
This is an individual decision that you will need to make. Another option is to relocate or replace plants that dont fit in well with others in the
area. I often adjust the outlines of lawn areas to avoid small areas I know will have a different hydro-zone than the rest of the lawn, such as in the
shade of a building, or under a large tree.

Drip Irrigation Systems:
If you use drip irrigation for your shrubs you can much more easily mix plants with varying water uses together. The best way to do this is to
install two separate drip systems in the same area, one irrigating just the high water users and one just the low water users. Another cheaper, but
less effective, way is to install more emitters at the plants which need more water. The disadvantage of this second method is that most water
loving plants dont just want more water, they want it more frequently, which is not possible when everything is on the same system. Irrigating
too frequently is a major cause of plant disease so be warned!


Valve Zones:
Previously you wrote down your design flow on your Design Data Form. As you remember that was the maximum amount of water available
for the irrigation system measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Hopefully you also noted on your plan the flow (GPM) for each sprinkler head.
Now you need to divide the irrigation system into valve zones that do not exceed that amount of water. Remember that the valve zones cant
cross over the boundaries of the hydro-zones you drew previously. (Hydro-zones cant overlap valve zones.) Heres an easy way to do this:
1. Add together the GPM for all the sprinklers in a hydro-zone.
2. If the total GPM of all the sprinklers in the hydro-zone exceeds the design flow GPM, you will need to divide the hydro-zone into more
than one valve zone.
3. The total GPM for each valve zone should never exceed the design flow GPM.
4. Drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation may NOT be mixed together in a single valve zone. Fixed spray type sprinklers may NOT be
mixed with rotor type sprinklers in the same valve zone. You need to create separate valve zones for each of these.
Repeat this procedure for each hydro-zone.
Lightly circle on your plan the heads that are in each valve zone as shown below.


Now identify the location where your valves will be installed. If the valves will be above ground pick somewhere they will be hidden, like
behind shrubs. Usually they are placed near the water source but there is no reason they need to be. Remember that if you plan to use anti-siphon
type valves they must be installed at an elevation 6 HIGHER than the highest sprinkler head, so they will probably need to be on the uphill side
of the irrigated area. The valves do not need to be grouped together in the same location, you can place them where most convenient. Placing the
valves in small groups of 2 or more, close to the areas they will water, can often save money by reducing the amount of pipe needed.

Draw in a valve symbol on your drawing for each valve zone. This will represent the valve that turns on and off the sprinklers in that
valve zone. See the illustration on the next page of the tutorial for a typical valve symbol.



Sprinkler Pipe Layout
Now that you have the valve zones shown on your drawing its easy to add the pipes going to the sprinklers. Start with one of the valves and
draw a line to the closest sprinkler in the corresponding valve zone. Then draw a line to the next sprinkler in the valve zone, and the next, etc.
Some helpful tips:
For small residential sprinkler systems try using a different color pencil for the pipes in each valve zone. This will make your plan easier
to understand.
Where possible you can minimize the amount of trenching by placing pipes together in the same trench. Show these pipes side-by-side on
your plan.
Run the pipes as efficiently as possible. In most cases this will be the shortest possible route between each sprinkler, but this is where you
need to just look at your plan and think about it a bit. You may find it easier to run one pipe down the center of an area and spur off of it
to each sprinkler. Or it may be easier to split the piping with one pipe going to half the sprinklers and the other going to the other half.
Some may want to minimize the number of trenches, even if it means using a less direct route for the pipe so two pipes can share a
trench. There is no set routing pattern that you must use for the pipe. If for some odd reason you need to route the pipe all the way around
the yard to get to a sprinkler only a few feet away from where you started thats O.K. Try several different layouts until you find one that
YOU like, that fits YOUR needs.

Show no more than 2 pipes connecting to a sprinkler head one coming into the sprinkler, and one going out. If you need to branch off
from the sprinkler with a 3rd pipe, show the 3rd pipe branching off of the 1st pipe just before it goes into the sprinkler. There is no part
made that will allow 3 pipes to connect together at a sprinkler head location. Study the sample drawing below for examples.
Try to avoid running pipes within 5 or 6 feet of existing trees. The roots will make it hard to dig trenches for the pipe. With really big
trees I try to keep the trenches out from under the canopy of the tree. If I need a sprinkler in that area I run the pipe around the perimeter
then go straight in toward the trunk to the sprinkler head. Of course, this may not always be possible. Sometimes you will just have to go
through an area with tree roots.
Splitting flows or splitting hairs? You may have heard that the flow from each valve should always be split just after the valve, with one pipe
going to half the sprinklers and the other pipe going to the other half. The reasoning is that this balances the system. Good designers can
balance the flows without resorting to this old method. You are well on your way to becoming a good irrigation designer, so you can forget
about such amateurish methods! Route the pipe however you want to route it!

Draw the lateral pipes between the sprinklers and the valves. If you havent drawn the mainline pipe from the valves to the water
source, draw it now also.

Determine Flows in Pipes:
In order to determine the pipe size we need to know the flow rate (GPM) of the water in the pipe. Calculating the water flow in each section of
pipe is extremely easy, but many people have problems with it. They try to make it too complicated. Just observe the layout of the sprinklers and
ask yourself which sprinklers are DOWNSTREAM of this pipe section. Its simple logic, the water must flow through this pipe to reach the
sprinklers downstream. Add the total GPM of those sprinklers together and you have the GPM that will be flowing through the pipe.
1. Start at the valve. The first section of pipe goes from the valve to the first sprinkler head. All the water for every sprinkler
operated by this valve must flow through this section of pipe to get from the valve to the sprinklers, right? So the flow in GPM for
this section of pipe is the total of the GPM of all the sprinklers operated by the valve added together.
2. The remaining sections are just as easy. The total flow through each section of pipe is the same as the total GPM of all the
sprinklers downstream from that pipe section. Add together the individual GPMs for each of those sprinklers to get the flow
through the pipe section. Dont make it harder than it is! If you have a short spur pipe leading off to a single head, then only the
water going to that head will pass through the spur pipe! So the flow for the spur pipe is the same as the GPM of that single head.
Carefully study the sample design below.
Using a pencil, write the flow for each pipe section down on your drawing next to the pipe.


This article is part of the Sprinkler Irrigation Design Tutorial

How to Select Sprinkler System Pipe Size

Friction Loss:
As water moves through a pipe it loses pressure due to a phenomenon commonly called friction loss. Much of this loss is caused by
turbulence, but we call it friction loss for simplicity. The amount of friction loss is determined by the type of pipe, the diameter of the pipe, the
amount of water flowing through the pipe, and the length of the pipe. A complex formula (called the Williams/Hazen Formula) predicts the
amount of pressure that will be lost due to friction loss. The water also loses pressure each time it passes through a valve, a backflow preventer,
or anything else it encounters on its way to the sprinkler head. Even a bend in the pipe causes pressure loss! Dont panic over the formula, well
use a pipe sizing chart or a friction loss calculator!
You need lots of pressure at those sprinkler heads!
The sprinkler head needs a minimum amount of water pressure to work properly. The manufacturers performance charts tell you how much
pressure is required to achieve a specific radius for the water. As the pressure increases so does the flow (GPM) and the radius of the throw. So
in order to assure that there is enough pressure to make the sprinklers operate as they should, we need to calculate the pressure losses between
the water source and the sprinkler head. If the pressure loss is found to be too great, then we must reduce. The easiest way to do that is to use a
larger size pipe.

DETERMINING THE SPRINKLER PIPE SIZE
There are several methods used to determine pipe sizes of sprinkler system lateral pipes. Im going to explain two methods. One method is
faster but less accurate, the other is very accurate but takes more time.
Chart Method:
Pros: The fastest and easiest method. Requires a single, simple calculation and uses a chart to determine the sizes.
Cons: The learning curve to use it is a bit more difficult to understand. It uses an averaging system to arrive at pipe sizes.
See step-by-step tutorial for the Chart Method
Trial & Error:
Pros: Very accurate, calculates the pressure loss in each pipe section using a spreadsheet. Easier to understand.
Cons: Time consuming, need to enter data into the spreadsheet, uses trial and error to establish pipe sizes.
See step-by-step tutorial for the Trial & Error method
Which method should you use? For a beginner with a small irrigation system probably the Trial & Error system will be easier. Below are
overviews of each method for experienced designers to use. Unless you are experienced you should probably read the full tutorial for the
method you select.

Overview: CHART METHOD FOR LATERAL IRRIGATION PIPE SIZING
See Determining Sprinkler Pipe Size Using a Pipe Sizing Chart for detailed step-by-step instructions.
Calculate the PSI/100 value:
( ____ PSI x 100) / ____ Feet Total Length = PSI/100
____ PSI. Insert the maximum PSI loss for the valve circuit laterals into the formula where it says ____PSI.
____ Feet. Insert the distance from the valve to the farthest sprinkler on the valve circuit in the space labeled ____ Feet Total Length in the
formula.
Remember that the maximum total pressure loss between the valve and the last sprinkler may NOT exceed 20% of the sprinkler head
operating pressure.
The Pipe Size Table or Chart:
Sprinkler Pipe Sizing Chart for Laterals
PSI/100 = Desired PSI Loss in Lateral x 100 / Total length of Lateral
PSI/100
0.2 0.5 0.8 1.0 1.5 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 SIZE
2.2 3.3 4.4 5.0 6.2 7.1 8.5 10 11 13
3.8 6.3 8.1 9.2 11 13 17 20 22 24 1
7.1 12 15 18 22 25 31 36 37 37 1
11 16 22 24 31 35 44 48 49 49 1
18 30 40 44 57 65 76 76 76 76 2
28 46 60 67 83 96 114 114 114 114 2
46 75 100 112 140 162 165 170 170 170 3
87 140 185 208 250 280 280 280 280 280 4
255 410 540 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 6
Flows shown red are over 5 feet/second. Use caution!
Instructions:
1. Find your PSI/100 value in the top blue row.
2. Read down the column to the value equal to, or higher than, the GPM in the pipe section.
3. Read across to the pipe size for that section in the right column.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for next pipe section.
This table uses an averaging formula based on the assumption that all flows for any given size of pipe will not be at the maximum GPM for that
size of pipe. In rare cases the PSI loss for the entire lateral may exceed the desired loss by up to 10%. This table assumes the use of Cl 200 PVC
pipe, adjustments to the pipe sizes are required for other pipe types, such as poly or SCH 40 PVC.
Pipe Sizing Chart, Copyright 1979, Jess Stryker, All rights reserved.
Notes about the Pipe Sizing Chart:
Warning: The sprinkler pipe sizing chart is based on using Cl 200 PVC pipe. It also works for Class 125 (not recommended) and Class 160 (hard to
find).
Schedule 40 PVC: If you plan to use Schedule 40 PVC pipe (SCH 40) for the laterals you need to make an adjustment before using the chart.
Reduce the PSI/100 value you just calculated for the valve circuits to 1/2 the original values.
Polyethylene, Polybutylene: After you obtain your pipe size from the chart you need to increase it by one size to get the proper size for poly pipe.
In other words, if the chart says PVC pipe, then you should use 1 poly pipe. 1 would become 1, 1 becomes 1, 1 becomes 2, etc.
Wheres the 1/2 pipe? See why not 1/2?
CONFUSING? DONT PANIC: For detailed instructions see the page Irrigation Pipe Sizing Chart for Laterals.



Overview: TRIAL & ERROR METHOD TO DETERMINE LATERAL PIPE SIZE
See Calculating Sprinkler System Pipe Size Using a Spreadsheet for detailed step-by-step instructions.
This method involves trying various pipe sizes until a good combination is found. A spreadsheet does the calculations.
You will need a spreadsheet friction loss calculator: Friction Loss Calculator Spreadsheets
Remember that the maximum total pressure loss between the valve and the last sprinkler may NOT exceed 20% of the sprinkler head
operating pressure.
Use the spreadsheet friction loss calculator to determine the pressure loss:
1. Download and open the Friction Loss Calculator.
2. There is a line on the spreadsheet for each section of pipe.
3. Start with the pipe section after the control valve and work out to the farthest sprinkler.
4. Select 3/4 pipe for the pipe or tube size. (See why not 1/2?)
5. Enter the GPM for the section of pipe.
6. Enter the length of the section of pipe.
7. Use an error factor of 1.1
8. Go to the next line down and repeat steps 4-7 for the next pipe section.
9. The spreadsheet calculator will tell you the velocity and PSI Loss for each pipe section.
10. At the bottom of the calculator it will tell you the pressure loss total of all sections combined.
11. Change the pipe size if the velocity or total pressure loss is too high.
You must calculate the pressure loss for each of the possible water paths in the valve circuit.
Here is an example of the possible water paths for a valve circuit, shown in red, blue, and magenta.

Start with the water route that is the longest. In this case that would be the red route. There are 9 pipe sections in this route labeled 1-9. Enter
the data from this route into the calculator. Use a larger pipe size if the velocity is not safe. Check that the friction loss Total of All Sections
does not exceed your maximum allowable amount.

Write the pipe size for each section on your plan.
Now repeat the process for the blue water route and then the magenta color route.
Confused? For detailed instructions on using the spreadsheets see What Size Pipe for Sprinkler System Laterals?
Finishing Your Sprinkler System Design

Almost Finished!


Well, if you are working through the Sprinkler Design Tutorial, youre now pretty much finished with your irrigation design. Heres a few
reminders and additional items to consider.
Automatic controllers: For automatic systems you will need a controller (often called a timer) with one station for each valve. If you have
both lawn and shrub areas you should make sure the controller has 2 or more programs. Multiple programs are somewhat like having several
timers in the same controller. This allows you the flexibility to run the lawn and shrub irrigation on different days. Study the different models
and features available on various controllers. They range from simple timers to extremely complex computerized units that can monitor all the
functions of your entire home! I suggest you take a look at the article on Smart Controllers if you are interested in the latest innovation for
saving you time and water.
Isolation valves: Its a good idea to install a manual shut-off valve at the point where your irrigation system connects to the water supply. I
know I already covered this, but not doing it is a big regret that I hear often. An isolation valve allows you to shut down the irrigation for control
valve repairs without shutting off the water to your house. You will have to repair a control valve at some time. I recommend using a ball
valve for the isolation valve, as ball valves are the most reliable and reasonably priced shut off valves. Most inexpensive Gate valves will
leak.
Wires for valves: For wires going to the automatic valves use wire made specially to be buried. Most people use a special direct burial cable
made for irrigation systems. The cable contains 3, or more, separate, 18 gauge wires. On commercial systems the standard wire used is #14-1
AWG-UF which is a single strand, direct burial type wire. One white color common wire goes from the controller to every valve, and one
individual lead wire of a color other than white goes to each valve from the controller. Be sure to read the Irrigation Installation Tutorial. Also
there is a sketch of typical irrigation system wiring that should help you understand the wiring.
Details: To further help you there is a collection of installation details. These simple sketches will help you figure out how to assemble your
irrigation system. These installation detail drawings are normally included as a part of the design drawings for an irrigation system.
Filters: I recommend you install a screen-type water filter upstream of the valves. Drip systems should always have a filter! This helps reduce
maintenance problems caused by small bits of sand which are found in almost all water systems. These small sand grains can make the automatic
valves malfunction and also clog sprinkler heads over time. A $50.00 filter may seem expensive, but it is a lot cheaper than a $100 valve repair
job or replacing a dead lawn. I recommend a 150 mesh screen in the filter. The filter can be installed underground in a box if you dont want it
visually cluttering up your landscape. On the other hand, it is nice to have it in a more convenient above-ground location for maintenance.
Remember, you need to clean the filter screens at least once a year if not more often! For tons more information on filtration see the Irrigation
Water Filtration Tutorial.
Cold Winter Precautions: Unless your irrigation system is in an area where it never freezes you should insulate the backflow preventer and
any other above ground equipment. Backflow preventers are very expensive, you dont want an unexpected freeze to catch you off-guard. A few
years back that happened here in California and thousands of backflow preventers had to be replaced because the water froze in them and they
split open! I usually use foam insulation tape to wrap the backflow preventers and above ground valves, then wrap the insulation with a layer or
two of 10mil black plastic tape to protect it. There are also some pretty neat backflow preventer blankets (essentially a big insulated bag), that
are made to fit over the backflow preventer like a big coat. They work good, I use them. (I have a small one in my truck that I use to keep cans of
soda cool when Im on the road. It also makes a great pillow!) If the backflow preventer has air vents or a water blow-off outlet it is extremely
important that they not be blocked by insulation! There should be instructions that come with your backflow preventer.
Winterization: In areas where freezing weather occurs you need to take precautions to protect your irrigation system from freezing. There is a
whole tutorial on winterizing your sprinkler system in areas where it really freezes hard. It covers the various methods used, advantages and
disadvantages of each, and what you will need to install as part of your new sprinkler system for each method.
Pumps: Thinking you might need an alternative water source for your sprinklers such as from a pond or lake? Check out the Irrigation Pumping
Systems Tutorial.
How much will it cost?
Thats hard to say. I priced out the materials for the little sample irrigation system at the top of this page at $375.00. That included reasonably
good quality sprinkler heads, funny pipe type risers, Cl 200 PVC pipe, anti-siphon valves, and a very inexpensive $50.00 controller. That
comes to about $0.25 per square foot of irrigated area. You may need to add extra for a better backflow preventer and better controller. I
would suggest in most cases that you estimate at $0.25 per square foot plus the controller and backflow preventer cost.
Professional Installers:
Installation generally costs about 1.5 times the cost of the materials. Installation costs can vary wildly, be sure to get 3 bids. If any bid is
significantly lower than the others I would be extremely suspicious and use extreme caution before hiring that cheap contractor. Never pay a
deposit up front unless you are willing to risk losing that money. If the contractor needs up front money insist that he deliver materials equal to
the deposit value to your house prior to payment. Remember if the contractor needs money up front to buy supplies that means the suppliers
wont sell to him on credit. Suppliers sell to almost everyone on 30-day interest free credit, so if they dont trust him/her to pay them that should
be a huge warning to you! The irrigation installation business is very easy and cheap to get started in, and as a result it has a huge number of
contractors are under-financed, then under-bid to get work, cant complete the work, and fail. Understand that property laws in the USA allow
the supplier to place a lien on your home for the value of any materials the contractor buys for your sprinkler system, but does not pay for. It
does not matter if you paid the contractor already for those materials. The supplier can still make you pay for them again. That is the law. Be
smart, protect yourself!!!
Installation
Now youll probably want to move on to the tutorial on to the Sprinkler System Installation Tutorial. It covers in more detail the various
irrigation parts you will use, like sprinkler risers. It also teaches you to talk sprinklers (so you can sound like you know more than you do!),
helps you make a list of the materials you will need to buy, provides some helpful forms you can print out, explains which tools can make your
day or break your back, and a few other tips and tricks! Be sure you read it before you buy anything or start digging!!! (Just when you thought
you were finished!)
End of Tutorial