Here I will teach you what a Sprinkler Zone is, how it works, and how to layout and design your own.
What is a sprinkler zone?
A zone is nothing more than a section or a group of sprinkler heads. There are 3 main factors for designing a sprinkler zone is the flow, location, and plant type.
All About that Flow
Flow meaning how much water is available. You will not have enough water supplied to your home to run the entire yard at the same time. Instead, we break the system up into chunks depending on the amount of water available.
On average that amount of water is 8-12 GPM (Gallons Per Minute) at 40 PSI. Notice there are 2 different measurements here Pressure measured in PSI and Flow these are both ESSENTIAL.
Yes, you can have one without another. For example, a pressure washer puts out an extremely high pressure but has very little flow. Meaning it would take forever to fill a 5-gallon bucket using a pressure washer.
Next, you could have 12 GPM, but really low pressure. Think of pressure as the force pushing the water out of a pipe. If there is not enough force, it will not push the sprinkler heads up out of the ground.
Location Location Location
This is another crucial element in sprinkler zone layout and design that is often overlooked when laying out zones.
Ideally, you want each section of your yard to be a different zone. This will allow you to customize the runtimes for each zone and give you greater control over the system.
If your front yard is in full sun all day and your side yard is shaded all day, but both are on the same zone what will happen?
The front yard will be dry and the side yard will be perfect or the front yard will be perfect and the side yard will be a swamp.
Plant Type
The last and easiest determining fact is plant type. You do not want to mix turf zones and flower bed zones. They have different watering requirements, much as shade and sun.
However, what most sprinkler systems tend to do is overspray flowerbeds and garden areas whenever possible. Since most plants and flowers do not require constant watering after they are established, most of them do not require dedicated sprinkler zones for them.
However, depending on where you live you may need to water them manually with a water hose occasionally.
Putting it all together
Sprinkler zone layout and design is rather easy. First, consider the amount of water you have then how your yard is laid out with sun and shade considerations, and lastly, avoid mixing plant types.
For more information on how to apply this knowledge in designing your own budget-friendly system check out these articles, Low-Cost Drip, and Budget Sprinkler System.
The next article will cover valve placement and how to choose the best area to install them.
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