Lawn Sprinklers Adjustments

[penright]

Did some googling on this subject here and found a few threads on installing and one on replacing sprinkler systems. My questions are more about fine tuning to get the best coverage.

In the installation thread @mayday0017 listed some lessons learned. Here is his #5

5. Take some time one evening to read/watch YouTube and play with your sprinklers. Learn how to adjust your rotors and pop up heads before you install the system. I didn't do this and it made final adjustment take much longer then it would of had I known the adjustment method when I was installing. Pop-up's it really didn't make any difference, but the rotors I swear almost every one of them sprayed 100% fence and when it was about to start spraying grass would start going back the other direction and spraying fence again LOL

If anyone whose first time to try and adjust rotors heads can really catch his humor. While trying to adjust the length of the stream, I unscrewed enough that the nozzle shot out. Lucky I did find it and get it back in. I guess I went the wrong way. I learn, sometimes the hard way, that you just have to play to see how much something has to turn for what effect. I have watched the "YouTube" videos, but there is nothing like a dialog.
As I am typing this it hit me, a picture is worth a 1000 words. I will try and take some tonight when I get home.

I think some of their streams are more like a jet and not getting good coverage around the sprinkler. Again, I know pictures.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

What brand pf heads are you using?

Tommy

 

[CraigStu]

I have Rainbird. I printed there adjustment diagrams on a sheet of paper and slipped it into a plastic page protector. Taped the slot closed. I carry it with me when I start adjusting. My most difficult is to get the limits of the swing arc correct. that always seems to take many, many tries.

 

[penright]

What brand pf heads are you using?

Tommy

Rainbird 5000 rotors.

 

[ScottsGT]

Another tip from experience. Cover the nearby heads with buckets so you don't get soaked while adjusting. There is supposed to be overlap in your patterns.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

IIRC, you pull those up, gently turn to the left (or right) to find the fixed stop, adjust the arc, then adjust the radius. I don't recall any way to adjust spray density, like on the impact sprinklers.

Tommy

 

[Richard Cranium]

Don't have inground sprinklers yet, but they are in the plans. thanks for the info.

 

[Kaizen]

Don't have inground sprinklers yet, but they are in the plans. thanks for the info.

One of those things I always wanted. Installed my own four zone system. Ran it and loved it. Lawn was gorgeous. Sunflowers and garden had people pulling over to take pictures.
Got the water bill and shut it off. Only use now when it’s burning up or planting new seed. It was over 450 for one quarter.


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[penright]

Another tip from experience. Cover the nearby heads with buckets so you don't get soaked while adjusting. There is supposed to be overlap in your patterns.

duh ..... Great Tip!!!!!! from experience
Although Oklahoma in July, it may feel good not to cover them.

IIRC, you pull those up, gently turn to the left (or right) to find the fixed stop, adjust the arc, then adjust the radius. I don't recall any way to adjust spray density, like on the impact sprinklers.

Tommy

I read something like that. I can change the arc, how do you change the stop position to move the arc. I watch the guys install it, they would push it down and turn it. When I tried it, I could not spin the arc around.

Edit: Rereading @Tommy comments, I may not have understood arc verse radius.
If I am understanding right now, the arc is what I need help with, the radius is the screw.

 

[penright]

Got the water bill and shut it off. ..... It was over 450 for one quarter.

When you say quarter, so that is 3 months. How much is it normally? IOW, how much did watering cost "extra" per month.
Also, is sewer included?

My city avg the water usage over the winter months and uses that for sewer during the summer months. I water everyday, I want to say my delta is about $50 to $75 a month. I need to look at the bill and see if I can tell gallons.

(All is in square feet, and circling from front, left, back, right)
Front Yard: 5,400
Side House Left: 910
Left patio: 600
Right Patio: 600
Far Back: 2,800
Side House Right: 1,500
Total: 11,810

I used google and satellite to figure this. Also some shapes are not squares, but close enough. The right side I picked what I thought would give a good avg. I was going to post this picture when I got some of the yard and sprinklers. I did it now for the distances.

 

[gayler]

One of those things I always wanted. Installed my own four zone system. Ran it and loved it. Lawn was gorgeous. Sunflowers and garden had people pulling over to take pictures.
Got the water bill and shut it off. Only use now when it’s burning up or planting new seed. It was over 450 for one quarter.


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450 for one quarter what?

 

[gayler]

450 Have paid that for one month in summer! we have very high rates!

 

[Dave in Mass]

When you get irrigation and your lawn gets nice and thick, make sure you spray the heads with WD-40 once in a while or they will stick in the up position, you will hit them with your mower (thick grass, remember?), and you will quickly become adept at replacing and adjusting sprinkler heads.

 

[Kaizen]

When you say quarter, so that is 3 months. How much is it normally? IOW, how much did watering cost "extra" per month.

Also, is sewer included?



My city avg the water usage over the winter months and uses that for sewer during the summer months. I water everyday, I want to say my delta is about $50 to $75 a month. I need to look at the bill and see if I can tell gallons.



(All is in square feet, and circling from front, left, back, right)

Front Yard: 5,400

Side House Left: 910

Left patio: 600

Right Patio: 600

Far Back: 2,800

Side House Right: 1,500

Total: 11,810



I used google and satellite to figure this. Also some shapes are not squares, but close enough. The right side I picked what I thought would give a good avg. I was going to post this picture when I got some of the yard and sprinklers. I did it now for the distances.

Yup three months July through sept. Yes sewer was in that. I can pay to get another meter I thinks that does not get sewer charges but would get monthly charges just to be there. Normal bill is about 100. Never cared to calculate the gallons. I know it was not leaking and I adjusted for efficiency. Just too much imo for green grass.
So it sits for heat waves and new seed. Haven’t used it in a few years.


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[tapered-pin]

IIRC, you pull those up, gently turn to the left (or right) to find the fixed stop, adjust the arc, then adjust the radius. I don't recall any way to adjust spray density, like on the impact sprinklers.

Tommy

THIS...


and just about any "landscaping center" (not nursery or home depot) will GIVE you an adjustment key if you dont have one already.

 

[CN Spots]

If it's like mine, you unscrew the ring that surrounds the part that pops up and lift up and rotate (index) the spray head to change the direction of the arc.

As fas as the spray pattern, mine came with some interchangeable nozzles that altered it from a long throw to a shorter, misting spray. The screw right above the water discharge is what holds them in.

http://store.rainbird.com/5000rctre...MI7JOMhNPl2wIVAaxpCh2PSQe1EAQYASABEgIjQ_D_BwE

 

[ard]

All my plants use drip irrigation.

Converted 3 of 5 lawns to sub0surface drip (ie drip hoses in the dirt in the root zone)

Netafim products.

Saves amazing amounts of water.

Just FYI


if you are doing spray, rotors, pop ups, whatever- agree you REALLY need to understand the patterns, spacing and overlap. Pay attention to precipitation rates, GPM requirements and # per circuit. Once the lawn grows and you are fighting brown spots, you are F'd.

You look like elmer fudd, dragging a hose around every other day...

 

[LS6 Tommy]

duh ..... Great Tip!!!!!! from experience
Although Oklahoma in July, it may feel good not to cover them.



I read something like that. I can change the arc, how do you change the stop position to move the arc. I watch the guys install it, they would push it down and turn it. When I tried it, I could not spin the arc around.

Edit: Rereading @Tommy comments, I may not have understood arc verse radius.
If I am understanding right now, the arc is what I need help with, the radius is the screw.

Arc is left-right travel of the spray. Radius is the distance the spray reaches. They are both screw adjusted.

The left "edge" is the hard stop. Old 5000 heads had to be carefully installed so that the edge is set when you screwed the head onto the riser. The new ones have a "clutch" so you can adjust the edge after the head is installed. With them you pull the head up and turn left after you reach the edge until you hear the clutch clicking. Stop when you have it pointing to where you want it to set the left edge, then adjust the arc.

Tommy

 

[penright]

The left "edge" is the hard stop. Old 5000 heads had to be carefully installed so that the edge is set when you screwed the head onto the riser. The new ones have a "clutch" so you can adjust the edge after the head is installed.

Yes!!!!!!!!!
That is what I was looking for. I did some googling. I hope I have the "clutch" type. I tried to google "how to know which is which" or "do I have a clutch type rotor" and could not find anything.
Do you know how to tell?
I guess just pull up a head and see?

Next question is on nozzles. Here is my googling so far ....
They are by colors. The purpose is to match different arc patterns so all the zone gets the same amount of water. For example assuming all are on the same zone and have the same throw and nozzles. If I understand correctly, the 90 degree arc will put down 4 time as much as a 360. Because 1/4 of a circle would cycles 4 times over the same area in the time a 360 makes it's circle.

Right now all my rotors have blue nozzles. I still owe the "in action" photos, but the front yard has 90's, 180's and 360's. This is the second summer and there are brown spots.

The one in the middle is a 360. To explain why this is so bad let me set the stage. I have a oak sapling almost in the center. My father-in-law gave it to me from a volunteer he had from his oak tree. His oak tree seeds every spring, he just pulled it up seed, root and all. So it kind of sentimental, my father-in-law gave it to me and it was planted the first summer (last year) in the new house. To my surprise it came back this year. To protect it I have some plastic boarder and some stones, with mulch. I keep it water all year long. So now picture this round mulch/stones with a green circle, with a brown circle. My wife says it looks like a dart board.

Also, the grass is not as thick in some areas because when we moved in there was a lot of weeds. The old house was not sold and money was tight. I did not spray for weeds at the start. Once the old house sold, I put down more nitrogen then I should, but with lots of water, it really took off. So did the weeds. So this year after spraying, now the lawn needs to fill in more.
Right now though, brown is brown, I don't think the water is being even enough.

After pictures I will ask for opinions but I think I need to play with the center's 360 nozzle.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

You can tell if it's clutch head by pulling the nozzle up, then turning it to the left until it hits the "edge". If you can turn it past the edge without a lot of effort and it makes a ratcheting or clicking noise, it's a clutch type. If it's not, it will just stop when you reach the edge.

Tommy

 

[penright]

You can tell if it's clutch head by pulling the nozzle up, then turning it to the left until it hits the "edge".

Basically try it.
One other question that was asked a lot but never answered, if you go too far left how do you bring it back around?
Thanks again that was a big help. I spent hours and lots of water trying to figure it out. Main issue, have to do it with water off. Also, I hope mine are the "clutch" type.