Thank you for visiting the Hessenauer Sprinkler Repair and Irrigation blog and website. We like to inform our website visitors on sprinkler irrigation and drainage related issues here in Central Florida and Orlando. Today we would like to explain some ways to control the water pressure in your sprinkler system.
Sprinkler system adjustments are an often overlooked part of the installation process, and you should be alert to keep the system adjusted over the years to maximize its efficiency, conserve water and save you money. One way to adjust the sprinkler irrigation system is to regulate the water pressure. There are several ways to control the pressure delivered to the sprinkler nozzle.
Some ways to control pressure delivered to the sprinkler nozzles include:
-adjusting the master valve flow control
-adjusting the flow control on the station valves
-adjusting the radius screw on the top of the nozzle
-installation of a pressure reducing valve on the water supply
-as a last resort only, you can adjust the shut-off valve to close part way, creating a friction loss which will reduce operating pressure. If you’re this desperate, you should have a pressure regulator installed.
If you have a mixture of spray stations and rotor stations, you should adjust the pressure at the rotor stations first. Turn on the largest station and adjust the master valve flow control until the flow control is either closed as far as it will go or the spray stream begins to fall. Then open the flow control back up, slightly until the pattern reaches its full throw radius, then a little more for margin in case your supply pressure drops a few psi in the future.
If you have both rotor and spray stations, and you adjusted the rotor stations in the preceding steps, adjust the remaining spray stations now. Since rotors require higher pressure to operate well, adjustments made up to this point will deliver too much pressure to the spray stations. Adjust each of the spray station valve flow controls by watching the spray pattern droop slightly while closing the flow control, then open it slightly to reach full radius.
If you have adjusted the flow controls as much as you feel comfortable and you still have misting, consider adjusting the radius screw on the top of each sprinkler by turning it clockwise to reduce the flow. This will introduce a friction loss in the nozzle itself, reducing the flow of water. If the pressure was too high to start with, this will reduce misting. If the pressure was OK to start with, this adjustment can reduce the radius.
Bookmark us for tips and advice concerning sprinkler irrigation here in the Central Florida and Orlando areas. Contact us today at 407-302-2227 to schedule an appointment for an estimate.