Building a proper irrigation system can help keep your lawn looking fresh and green. Here are the basics of what a sprinkler system looks like to help you understand what you’re looking for.
There are five basic components to an irrigation system. There is the controller (or timer), the pipe, the valves, sprinkler heads, and the backflow preventer.
The water source provides water to your mainline and sprinkler system. PVC pipe carries this water to the backflow preventer which prevents contaminated water from entering your drinking water. The water then flows through more pipes to the valves.
The entire system is controlled by the controller, or timer. This tells the valve when to open and close. The valves control a zone/station of sprinkler heads. When the timer hits the start time, it tells the valves to open which sends water to the sprinkler heads.
The controller sends a command to stop watering when it hits the end time. The water pressure decreases and the sprinkler heads shut off.
There are multiple types of sprinkler heads that are installed depending on the part of your lawn or garden they’re watering. Take a look at the video above to get a better idea of how a sprinkler system works and what your options are.
