Your ideal irrigation system will reside mostly underground, but your sprinkler heads (the components that are visible above or flush with the ground) won’t, so your first step is figuring out which sprinkler heads are the best for your application.
Visit any irrigation manufacturer’s products page and you’ll find a list of sprinklers, rotors, rotators, pop-ups, etc. — the list goes on and on. Not to mention that each component offers a spec sheet that includes so much detail it will make your head spin.
So we’re going to address the three best residential sprinkler heads to include in your irrigation system.
Before researching the best sprinkler heads for your residential property, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with some common irrigation terms.
Now that you know these terms, let’s discuss the three best sprinkler heads for your property.
With arc patterns ranging from 40 to 360 degrees and a water pressure range of 25 to 50 psi, impact rotors provide single or multiple streams of water to distribute water to your landscape. They are designed to cover a larger area by offering a coverage distance of 20 to 150 feet and a precipitation rate between 0.1 to 1.5 inches per hour and the radius arc is easily adjusted.
However, the spring mechanism of impact rotors is usually too noisy for residential sites — especially when multiple heads are required. Since the majority of the rotor resides above ground, they make it very difficult to maintain grassy area with mowers and other equipment.
Impact Rotors are the Best Sprinkler Heads for:
Impact rotors can be more expensive than the newer plastic sprinkler heads because they are constructed out of bronze or brass, but they are durable and can last for years. They also require less maintenance than plastic rotors.
Gear-driven rotors do not spray water as far as impact rotors because they have a distance range of only 18 to 55 feet, but their arc rotation is identical at 40 to 360 degrees. They also offer a wider range of water pressure to operate — from 25 to 75 psi — and precipitation rates range from 0.2 to 0.8 inches per hour depending on water pressure, nozzle size, and zone layouts.
An added advantage of the pressure-regulated gear-driven sprinkler heads is that they eliminate the problem of flow-variance throughout your irrigation system. In other words, the flow and spray remain constant no matter how close the heads are to the pump.
Gear-driven Rotors are the Best Sprinkler Heads for:
Gear-driven rotors offer lower precipitation rates which guarantee better water absorption in more compact soil types.
Pop-up sprinkler heads range in height from 2 to 20 inches and are fitted with nozzles designed to cover relatively small areas from a 5’ to a 35’ radius to deliver a specific spray pattern to fit the contours of the landscape, such as a full arc, a half-circle, quarter circle, or strip. The precipitation rates depend on water pressure, spacing and nozzle size and pattern, and varies from 1 to 2.5 inches per hour. They also have an operating pressure between 15 and 30 psi and their distance range depends on the nozzle pattern and height of the pop-up.
Typically, two-inch pop-ups are common in areas where digging trenches for pipe and spray bodies is difficult, four-inch pop-ups are used in turf areas to provide a sufficient two to three-inch clearance and six to twelve-inch pop-ups are used to irrigate ornmental grasses, ground cover, garden beds, and borders containing shrubs and tall plants. If your application requires a height greater than 12 inches for clearance and plant growth, you can install extra risers to increase the efficiency of the spary head.
Pop-up Rotators are the Best Sprinkler Heads for:
Pop-up spray heads are inexpensive and simple to operate and they can reduce the precipitation rate, which improves water absorption and reduces run-off.
The cost difference between these three different types of sprinkler heads is negligible.
The real expense of your sprinkler system comes from the water pressure systems, underground components and other accessories, such as:
If you opt for the least expensive sprinkler head of the three options, you might end up saving a few hundred dollars in a system that can range from $3,500 to $6,500 depending on the size of your property.
Deciding whether you need an impact rotor, gear-driven rotor or a pop-up rotator may seem simple at first glance, but there are many factors — both above and below ground — to consider before you put your shovel in the dirt. These three different types of sprinkler heads are designed for different applications. And depending on the type of water, soil, slope and design of your property, you may need only one type or possibly all three.
The best way to determine which residential sprinklers are the best for your new irrigation system, or whether you need to repair or replace sprinklers in your existing system, is to have one of Outback's irrigation professionals come out and visit your property.
Located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, we complete irrigation audits for residential and commercial properties in Rexburg, Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Idaho, as well as Bonneville and Bannock counties. Call us at (208) 656-3220 to set up a no-obligation irrigation inspection with one of our talented team members. Or fill out the contact form and we'll be in touch.