Water Conservation Tips For Irrigation Systems
A residental irrigation system can be a smart choice when it comes to watering in drought prone areas. It may seem counter intuitive, but if you are going to have a lawn, automatic sprinklers are the way to go. This is because they take much of the guess work out of watering, which means you won't be wasting any water. The following tips can help you get the most of the system.
Tip #1: Replace your sprinkler heads
The right sprinklers heads are key to saving water. High efficiency heads are available. These heads produce heavy droplets instead of a fine mist, and the water streams out closer to the ground. This means the heavier droplets can more easily drop straight to the soil to soak in, as opposed to simply sitting on top of the grass to evaporate. These are still standard pop-up heads, so you can use them in nearly any existing sprinkler system.
Tip #2: Use drip irrigation where possible
When it comes to flower beds and shrubs on the sprinkler system, get rid of the pop-up heads entirely. These waste a ton of water since very little of it actually reaches plant roots. Instead, switch out the old sprinkler lines for new drip irrigation lines. These lay across the soil at the base of the plants and deliver a dependable drip of water to the soil – right where it's needed most.
Tip #3: Install a rain gauge
A rain gauge is the single best tool for managing water usage. This gauge detects how much moisture is in the soil so that the sprinklers only come on when water is absolutely necessary. It also controls the duration of the watering session so that too much water isn't used. You can use a single rain gauge for the entire system, or you can place a gauge in each zone that is watered. The sprinklers don't pop on as soon as the gauge returns a low reading – they will still come on at the preset time.
Tip #4: Use your timer correctly
The best time to water is when the sun is down so that more water soaks into the soil instead of evaporating. In many dry, hot climates this is after sundown so that the moisture has as much time as possible to penetrate deeply. In cooler climates, though, mushrooms and moss can be a problem if the soil is too damp at night. In this case, an hour or so before sunrise works well. The bulk of the moisture can soak in, and then the rising sun will dry out any excess before fungus can grow.
For more help in saving water, talk to an irrigation specialist such as Ronco Irrigation Inc.