Lawn Sprinkler Design For The Amateur

Lawn sprinkler design doesn't have to be intimidating. Everyday, enthusiastic do-it-yourself home landscapers are setting up their own sprinkler designs for their lawns. While there is a bit of technical work involved, it's not what you think. Besides, it can be both fun and an adventure as you work on creating your own lawn sprinkler design.

In any case, it's probably a good idea to rent a trencher if you're going to be installing your own irrigation system. A word of caution though -- these machines are heavy and require a bit of muscle to operate them. This means you're probably going to need another person to help you transport the machine. Also, if you get stuck in loose soil, you will need another set of hands to help you get it out. For that reason, it's best to rent a four wheel drive trencher, to avoid getting stuck.

There are a lot of products out there you can use to aid you in your sprinkler system, but not all of them are necessary. Some of them are also over-hyped and do not work very efficiently. Some of the products are just plain unclear.

For example, consider this. A big issue with lawn sprinklers is water conservation. I see a lot of products on the market which claim they "save water". But how much water do they save? And in what situations do they save water? Be sure to read the find print. Often times you will find that a product that ambiguously claims to save water will only do so under very limited circumstances.

The issue of adaptability is also a concern, especially when updating your sprinkler design. For example, how will your current design work if you upgraded to a new type of sprinkler. You wouldn't want to put a sprinkler with 10 feet radius on a system designed to use sprinklers with a radius of 8 feet or less.

Finally, as related to water conservation claims, most products that quote a savings of 50-80% water does not tell the whole story. What they often do is base their improvements on tests they have performed on terribly designed sprinkler systems. Also, they base their figures on the full year. But most people live in climates where you would never be running your sprinklers all year round. These are just a few things to keep in mind with any lawn sprinkler design.