But we want to water .5” each time we water the lawn because that will wet the soil profile the full 8” deep. Trees may also need more drip irrigation adjustments as they mature. Your goal is at least 1″ of water a week for your lawn. If you have more clay, shade or land that is tolerant to drought, then reduce the time of the sprinkler. The cans will also show if the sprinklers are delivering uniformly. Step 3. There are a few givens we need to understand: I  want to note also that there are exceptions to all of these rules but these are good guidelines most of the time. Schedule each individual zone in your irrigation system to account for the type of sprinkler, sun or shade exposure, and the soil type for the specific area. Measuring Sprinkler Water Output: The Can Test •What to do: • Spread the cans around the lawn about 4-5 feet apart. With the sprinkler calibrated like we did in steps 1 and 2, we can set our schedule. There is no definite time a sprinkler system should run. how long should sprinklers run in each zone? Over watering can cause damage to your landscape and lawn and is wasteful when little to no water is required during cold weather. Smith’s next step is to figure out a gallon-per-minute flow rate by dividing the total daily flow by the available watering time for a day, which is usually eight hours. Now adjust your time until you can deliver that .25” inch. • Water for 15 minutes. how long should sprinklers run in each zone? Make it a date. Run sprinklers in the morning between 5 and 10 a.m. (Long straight lines have a much greater potential for surge than do shorter ones, and empty lines from low head drainage will increase the surge damage potential.) Visit our contact page to set up an appointment! After this time has elapsed, measure how much water is in each can. We can talk about flowers, pots, and drip irrigation at another time. Then set a second start time at 4:45 (so they don’t overlap). Generally, every zone will require a different amount of time. If one can is less full than the others, the sprinkler head in that zone should be set to run longer than the heads in the other zones. Spring Seeding vs. Fall Seeding: Does it make a difference? Set the sprinkler for 30 minutes. For example,  your first start time is at 3:00 and it takes 1.5 hours to run through all of your zones and deliver that .25” of water. When Should You Water? Inspect your irrigation system monthly. However, the listed recommendations are a great way to ensure proper watering. How Long Each Zone Should Run Each irrigation zone’s “run time” should be determined individually. In order to get the most out of your irrigation system, you need to have your controller programmed with the correct run times for each of your zones. Generally, spray heads use about 0.75 gpm for ¼-circle, 1.5 gpm for ½ circle, and 3.0 gpm for full-circle heads. We are often asked how long should I have my sprinkler running during the different seasons, so here a few things to consider. Now you will have watered deeply and as efficiently as possible. Run the sprinklers for 20 minutes and use a ruler to measure (in inches) the depth of water in each can. Insert a spade or probe into the soil to measure the depth to the dry area. Thank you! Tall fescue lawns need 1-2 inches of water per week through rain and/or irrigation. The higher end during the heat of summer if you elect to keep your lawn green. Check your drip line periodically for breaks and check emitters for clogs or heads that have broken off. Determine the output of your sprinklers. For a rotary sprinklers in the shade a minimum of 30 minutes run time three times per week. Do this for each zone, the small spray heads may be only 3-4 minutes and big full circle rotor zones may be 30-45 min. Repeat events until the system is run for 5.8 hours in a week to apply 1 inch of water. To test, you should: spread catch cups or containers of the same size randomly around the watering zone; make sure they are at least 1 metre from the closest sprinkler ; time how long it takes the sprinklers to fill the catch cups to the depth of 10mm – this … Do this for each zone, the small spray heads may be only 3-4 minutes and big full circle rotor zones may be 30-45 min. You also should take in mind that the sprinkler heads tend to use more GPM at higher pressure. The data for each sprinkler nozzle can be obtained from the manufacturer or supplier, or from the irrigation plan. The restrictions tell you what days and what times you can use your irrigation system. Do You Have The Best Lawn Care Company in Kansas City? For spray heads in full sun a run time 15 minutes three times per week. Many nozzles have the gpm figure stamped or molded right on them. and Fri.) and know that we delivered 1” of water for the week. Clay soils (like ours) have a percolation (ability to allow water to penetrate) rate of about .25” per hour, It is best to water deeply and infrequently, We define deeply as watering to a depth of 8”, To water 8” deep we need .5 inches of water, A Sprinkler System That Is Definitely Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, The Homeowner’s Complete Sprinkler System Checklist. Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems, or Ensure that each emitter is releasing the proper amount of water. © 2020, Texas Waterboys, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The best way to determine if your lawn is getting enough water is to do a “Catch Can Test”. Evaporation is less in early morning hours than in the heat of the day. Sprinkler heads capable of delivering wide coverage will spray water in 360-, 180-, and 90-degree patterns—circles, half-circles, and quarter-circles—so, regardless of … We also know that we want the lawn to dry down between waterings to help promote healthy rooting. Mp Rotator Zones-twice a week (15-20 minutes) Drip Zones-twice a week (20-30 minutes) based on 12 inch spacing at.9 GPH Ultimately, setting your controller sprinkler run times during the the different seasons will boil down to your own preferences. This is a good place to start in cooler weather. • Turn off the sprinklers. Example: The lawn watering information states that 0.6 inches of water needs to be applied to the lawn. We hope you find this article of irrigation system and sprinkler zones helpful and informative. You want the controller to run the system long enough to put 1/2 to 3/4 inches of water in each zone. Ultimately, setting your controller sprinkler run times during the the different seasons will boil down to your own preferences. When the lawn starts to stress from heat we will need more water and then we can go to Mon., Wed., Fri. and know that we are delivering 1.5” of water. NOTE: This is without any rainfall. Impact sprinklers vs Fixed Spray sprinklers. A zone allows you to maximize water distribution with accuracy on a weekly basis.Usually, there are differences in the amount of water for each zone. • Measure the depth of water in each can using a ruler. Related Read: The Homeowner’s Complete Sprinkler System Checklist. When using an automatic irrigation system we use the rule of thumb to allow 15 minutes for spray heads to run and 45 minutes for rotor heads to run. Given these factors we can set the sprinkler to run on Monday and Thursday (or Tue. Although there are many variables that can change how often you need to water (clay or sandy soil, full sun or This is generally less than 15 for residential properties. Each emitter should give you at least a 30-minute run time without runoff. If you find that puddling occurs whenever you water, try watering in shorter cycles until the required time to apply the needed amount of water is met (for example, 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off, 10 minutes on, etc.). Now determine the average depth in all of the cans. But without getting too nerdy about it I can tell you how to determine the length of time they should run pretty quickly. Oops! If the grass is new, you should water it more than in already established areas. I want to discuss turf zones. Let that zone or the sprinkler run for 10 minutes and measure how much water is in the can. Maintenance. This is the easy and quick process to determine the number of sprinklers per zone for irrigation system. Step 2. You should run your sprinklers for as long as it takes to achieve 1 inch of water per week. As a general rule, most types of grass require about 1 inch of water per week. Something went wrong while submitting the form, Mp Rotator Zones-twice a week (15-20 minutes), Drip Zones-twice a week (20-30 minutes) based on 12 inch spacing at .9 GPH. Times and Places. Evaporation is less in early morning hours than in the heat of the day. 5 tips to know for sure. Using the table below the drip system would be run 110 minutes for each irrigation event, typically in a 24 hour period, to avoid leaching and runoff. Fixed head sprinklers spray a constant spray out all spray openings. When Should You Water? So as you can see, there are several variables in setting your run times for your sprinklers but with a little effort you can set your system to run efficiently and effectively and not pay for water you that isn’t getting into the soil. Add the measurements from each can and then divide by 6 (or the number of cans you ended up with) to get an average depth. No doubt, lawn watering using a sprinkler system finishes the job faster and less complicated.To optimize this method, you must assign zones to your lawn. If one can is less full than the others, the sprinkler head in that zone should be set to run longer than the heads in the other zones. Turn on the sprinklers for 20 minutes and use a ruler to measure (in inches) the depth of water in each can.  Texas Waterboys are here to help and educate our consumers in order to achieve excellent customer satisfaction and aid in maintaining beautiful, lush Texas lawns and landscape! In that case, you may want to turn off your irrigation system to avoid unnecessary watering. Set your sprinkler to run for 30 minutes. “For commercial jobs, the flow rate should be at least 25 gpm, which isn’t difficult to get,” Smith noted. You are looking for .25” of water. You are looking for.25” of water. The other subtype is an oscillating head which moves back and forth over an area. Most often, the questions are how often and for how long should they run their sprinkler system with the rising temperature this summer. There are different types of sprinklers. The same watering schedule rarely applies to all zones in the system. This means that if your sprinkler has an output of one inch per hour, you should water your lawn for one hour each week.It is recommended to provide the necessary amount of water in a single watering session rather than insufficient water in more sessions. Ensure that each emitter is releasing the proper amount of water. To calibrate your sprinkler (hose or in ground system) you need to determine how much water it delivers over a given time. Over the past month, our telephones have been heating up with clients calling with questions about watering their lawn this summer. I would recommend that you water for one hour for rotary sprinklers in full sun a minimum of three times per week. Determining Your Sprinkler Output The most important thing to do is to determine how much water your sprinkler delivers per hour. Read more about it and call us to schedule a free, in-home demo. Multiply the average depth by 3 to determine how many inches of water your sprinkler system applies per hour. This is the available Gallons Per Minute that you are using for irrigation for this particular zone. Turn on the sprinklers for 20 minutes and use a ruler to measure (in inches) the depth of water in each can. Each zone should include plants with the same watering needs, or an area of the lawn. Using the table below the drip system would be run 110 minutes for each irrigation event, typically in a 24 hour period, to avoid leaching and runoff. Fixed spray sprinklers have 2 subtypes oscillating and fixed head. Turn on the sprinklers for 20 minutes and use a ruler to measure (in inches) the depth of water in each can. You should have a rain sensor and or a rain gauge to know how much water Mother Nature is helping with. Check for leaks, broken or clogged heads, and other problems, or Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week. Here is an easy way to do that: Take a tuna fish can or cat food can and set it in the middle of the water pattern. The sprinkler number is 0.3 inches. However, the listed recommendations are a great way to ensure proper watering. • Water for 15 minutes. There are numerous sprinkler parts used to efficiently water your property such as sprays, rotors, MP rotator and drip. Adjusting the sprinkler run times on your irrigation controller is essential during the changing seasons. This will get you through most summers. No doubt, lawn watering using a sprinkler system finishes the job faster and less complicated.To optimize this method, you must assign zones to your lawn. 4. Multiply the average depth by 3 to determine how many inches of water your sprinkler system applies per hour. The sprinklers should run for about 30 minutes every 3 days. Multiply the average depth by 3 to determine how many inches of water your sprinkler system applies per hour. “How long should I run my sprinklers?” This is a question that I get every year. 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