Sprinkler Guide



             


Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Easily Improve The Look Of Your Home By Maintaining a Beautiful Lawn With a Lawn Sprinkler System

Everyone loves a luscious green lawn. Short of installing artificial grass, the only way to maintain a green healthy lawn is to have an efficient lawn sprinkler system. Maintaining a beautiful lawn improves the look of your home. Your neighbors will love you. Your beautiful lawn creates a more attractive space and adds to your enjoyment.

Watering your lawn by hand may reduce stress . Some die-hard lawn care experts suggest a special hand type sprinkler for certain areas of a lawn so all the areas are irrigated uniformly. With the innovative and creative technology available, there is a lawn sprinkler system that can accommodate everything from the tiniest side garden to a large estate.

You can get information about your region, the soil type that is located in your yard. You will know exactly what to do to keep your lawn healthy.

You not only need an efficient system, you have to choose the correct type of sprinkler to bring out the best in your lawn. When you put in a new lawn a sprinkler becomes more important because the water requirements increase. There are several style of lawn sprinklers to choose from.

The lawn sprinkler that will make lawn care a joy rather than a job will depend on the size of your yard, how your lawn is laid out and the type of soil you have. The rate of water flow is also important. The oscillating and the revolving sprinkler are the most common for home use.

The five major type of lawn sprinklers available in your national chain hardware store are:

1)Impulse

2)Oscillating

3)Rotary

4)Stationary

5)Traveling sprinklers

Impulse sprinklers have a single water outlet. You see these sprinklers usually on golf courses. These sprinkler types sit close to the ground. This lawn sprinkler will cover a large area in a circular pattern.

Oscillating sprinklers have many jets. These types of lawn sprinklers spray water from a long tube These sprinklers can accommodate a large areas quickly. These sprinklers spray in a rectangular or square For newly seeded lawns, this may be a good choice. This lawn sprinkler has a gentle spray.

Rotary sprinklers have a unit that spins. This sprinkler has at least two arms that have water jets on the ends. These sprinklers spray water very quickly. They cover a small radius. These sprinklers are suggested for smaller lawns.

Stationary sprinklers are the least expensive and come in ring or

“salt shaker” styles. They are low to the ground They spray water in an uneven circular pattern stationary sprinklers These are not recommended for larger yards.

Sprinkler hoses can be used in specific areas that are oddly shaped. The flow rate is low. The coverage for these hoses is uneven. The shelf life for these type of hoses is low.

Traveling sprinklers hoses have two arms that rotate. They spray water in a circular pattern.. Also called self-propelled sprinklers, they water large irregular patterns over of several hours and are ideal for long alleys. These sprinklers are ideal for easy and efficient watering of landscape areas with flowers, shrubs, bushes, or small trees

Lawn sprinklers systems help keep the neighborhood green. Watering the lawn can be a pleasant and fulfilling experience when you use the right tool for the job.

For more essential information about finding the best lawn sprinkler system, sprinkler heads, sprinkler timers, lawn sprinkler pumps, garden sprinklers and lawn sprinkler repairs please visit Best-Lawn-Sprinklers.info

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Saturday, February 14, 2009

Lawn Sprinkler Systems - Your Way To The Greenest Lawn In Town

Maintaining a luscious and green lawn is best and easiest done by getting one of those lawn sprinkler systems. Not only do they provide you with the convenience of watering your lawn automatically, they also ensure that your turf gets the optimal irrigation it needs. While lawn sprinkler systems might be rather costly, it is not true that they are a waste of money, or only for people who are too lazy to water their lawn. In reality, lawn sprinkler systems could save you money because they ensure that you only consume the right amount of water for your lawn, keeping your water bills in check.

Why Get a Lawn Sprinkler System?

Using a hose to water your lawn wastes your time, effort and money. Aside from that, it also does not provide you grass with enough water because you would be quite difficult to ensure that you are targeting the roots correctly. But with lawn sprinkler systems, you are sure that your plants get the right amount of water in the right places. This decreases the likelihood of your lawn from experiencing drought, and thus avoiding the expensive ordeal of replacing dead grass, saving you even more money. In addition to all these is the convenience of not needing to devote much attention to your lawn because of automation. Furthermore, a lawn sprinkler system also raises the value of your property.

Kinds of Lawn Sprinkler Systems

There are many types of lawn watering systems available for different needs and budgets. Typical watering systems for residential use employ in-ground irrigation methods. This entails burying the sprinkler system underground. This allows you to avoid having eyesores on your lawns such as tangled pipes, irrigation valves, and sprinklers as they are all hidden from view.

Here are some variations of lawn watering systems: 1. Spray irrigation - this is the most common type of lawn sprinkler systems. As the name suggest, water is sprayed directly over the lawn with this type. Long tubes are imbedded in the lawn, and are attached to a water source. Water is then shoot out of the tubes using sprayers. Usually a center pivot is used where there are fixed points that form a large irrigation circle. Sprinklers are installed on top of the tubes and rotated throughout the landscape. Such types of sprinkler systems are good for light soil types. They can also be controlled by an electric device, making operation easier and more flexible.

2. Drip Irrigation - this type of irrigation is less common because it appears to be more complicated. Tubes with holes are buried under the turf. Holes are situated at set distances that are set specifically for the area where they will provide irrigation. The concentration of the holes can also be varied. Unlike the spray system, water is not sprayed into the air, but are sprinkled, or dripped near the plant roots, providing direct contact. Not only does this prevent people from getting went in the event that they pass through the lawn while water, drip sprinkler systems allow more precision when watering. Another great thing about drip sprinkler systems is that they use less water, saving you even more money while helping the environment. According to certain studies, drip systems use only about half the amount of water that spray systems use. Thus they are quite economical and practical.

Things to Consider When Choosing Lawn Sprinkler Systems

When choosing a sprinkler system to use for your lawn you should first check the capacity of the system to meet your landscaping needs. You might not need a complicated system for a small lawn area, but you might need something more complex for a large yard. You should also consider the water supply available as certain systems might need more water than others. Certain sprinkler systems may also be labor-intensive to install, if you plan to install them alone, you should consider the skills needed to use a particular system. The type of soil in your lawn should also be studied as some systems may be ideal to certain soil types. Lastly, you should check your budget and see if you can afford a particular type of sprinkler system.

A healthy lawn needs a good irrigation method. Using a lawn sprinkler system is the most efficient and effective way of filling this requirement for having a good lawn.

If you want a lawn you can be proud of, follow Lee Dobbins to http://lawncare.garden-corner.com where you can get more great tips on lawn care.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Choosing The Right Portable Lawn Sprinkler For Your Lawn

You know that watering your lawn is an important part of lawn care but you have limited time to do it. Other than hiring someone to do it for you, you can set up a portable sprinkler to do the job for you.

A portable sprinkler is particularly useful if you have a small lawn since it can be chore to move it around by hand for a large lawn. If you live in an area with reasonable amount of rainfall, the portable sprinkler can be use to supplement rainfall when the occasional drought period arise.

You can shop for a portable sprinkler easily in any well-stocked nursery or hardware store. Review the information on the sprinkler box. It should indicate the size and shape of the area it can cover.

There are many designs for portable sprinkler and you should evaluate carefully which one will meet your needs. Some models allow you to cover odd-shaped lawn while other may have a tractor system that can move along the water hose.

After you purchase your portable sprinkler, you will want to do a test to see how it performs. In particular you want to know how much water it is using to cover your lawn. First, place the portable sprinkler at the center of your lawn and turn it on for about ten seconds. You want to know exactly how much area it can cover. After ten seconds, turn the portable sprinkler off and place about seven or eight empty cups in the area covered by the portable sprinkler. Turn on the portable sprinkler again and leave it running for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, turn off the portable sprinkler and check the amount of water for each cup. The amount in each cup will vary, as portable sprinklers tend to have uneven water distribution. However, the variation should not be more than 0.25 inch. You will use the cup that has the least amount of water for your estimation. Lets assume that there is 0.2 inch of water in the cup with the least amount of water. If you want to apply 0.5 inch of water, you will have to leave the portable sprinkler running for 25 minutes.

A good hose is also vital for your portable sprinkler to work efficiently. A good hose will roll up easily in any weather and does not kink or crack. A cheap hose will give you more maintenance headaches down the road as it tend to kink and crack after using it for some times. You will also waste precious water due to leakage from the cheap hose.

It is also advisable to hook up a timer between your faucet and your hose. You simply set up the timer and it will shut off the sprinkler automatically after the set amount of time has elapsed. This will prevent any wastage of water.

Once you have everything set up properly, you will want to monitor the response of your lawn and adjust the water application accordingly. The portable sprinkler may not cover a few spots in your lawn and you will have to do the watering manually for these spots. Nevertheless, with the introduction of a portable sprinkler, the time you spent watering your lawn will be dramatically reduced and you can have more time to relax and do the things you want to do.

Jack Greenwood is the webmaster of GreenLawnCareTips.com which provide information on lawn care and simple lawn watering tips tips. Sign up for your free 7-part Green Lawn Care mini course at http://greenlawncaretips.com today.

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Saturday, February 7, 2009

BEST-LAID PLANS: Five Common Mistakes that Could Get Your Sprinkler Plan Rejected

The proper design and review of fire sprinkler systems takes months or years to learn. "These are very involved systems installed for the safety of buildings and people," said Vince Konwent, an instructor with the Building and Fire Code Academy, in Hoffman Estates, IL.

Konwent has more than 18 years of experience in the fire protection industry, specifically focusing on municipal consulting for the last 13 years. As a professional who performs sprinkler reviews and inspections on a daily basis, he has noticed that there are five common problems he sees most often:

1. Improper Design Classification or Labeling

Occupancy and commodity classification definitions are found in Chapter Two of NFPA-13, but some designers depend too heavily on the examples provided in the appendix.

"For instance, a designer may classify a retail facility with storage as an ordinary hazard facility," said Konwent, "but when the storage exceeds 12 feet in height it would be considered more of a storage facility. So Lowes, Home Depot, your Sam's Club - any store in which items are stacked more than 12 feet high - have to meet a different set of requirements."

Konwent added that properly labeling the plans is also paramount. "It would be impossible to determine the design criteria for a facility if the plans simply state the building is a warehouse facility," he said, "but we frequently see plans that say just that."

2. Missing or Inaccurate Water Flow Test Data

The drawings and hydraulic calculations must include the site of the flow test, and the date and time the test was conducted. The calculations must be taken to the point of the water flow test, not some fictitious or convenient point.

"You can't use some fictitious footage," said Konwent. "You can't put 100 feet in your calculations when the flow test was actually taken 500 feet from the building."

3. Installing the Wrong Sprinklers

It is important that the exact sprinkler indicated on the plans and hydraulic calculations is the sprinkler installed on the job site. There are numerous sprinklers available, each with a unique set of design criteria, flow pressure requirements, spacing requirements and specific obstruction rules. Installing the wrong sprinkler invalidates all the calculations and could put the building and its people at risk.

4. Inaccurate Hydraulic Calculations

"There are several areas in which mistakes can be made while performing a hydraulic calculation," said Konwent. "You have all the pipe lengths, pipe sizes, elevation changes, fittings, and set pressure losses (such as backflow prevention devices) that must be included in the calculations. There are many inputs - any of which could adversely affect a system."

5. Missing Design Documents

Chapter 8 of NFPA 13 lists approximately 44 items that must be indicated on your plans. If one of these items is neglected or missing, it may cause a number of issues that would have to be corrected later in the field. It is far more economical to find and correct these issues early in the design process.

The Building & Fire Code Academy, a subsidiary of B & F Technical Code Services, Inc., provides comprehensive and practical education in the administration, application, and enforcement of building and fire codes. For information on BFCA’s Understanding Fire Sprinklers© Class or any of our other course, visit http://www.BFCacademy.com

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