There are many things that make a home look aesthetically inviting and appealing and a well-manicured lawn is one of them. There is a feeling you get when you walk or drive down a driveway lined with beautiful flower bushes and lush green grass; everyone wants to have that feeling in their home. Similarly, a business premises can also benefit from the addition of a well laid lawn and greenery.
We are sure you must have heard the term ‘the grass looks greener on the other side’ and the funny clap back that the water bill must also be higher. This is true to a large extent because nature requires water and other nutrients to thrive. One of the ways that a lawn is well maintained is through the use of a sprinkler system.
There are also other factors involved; you can check out this site for more information on lawn maintenance: https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/landscaping/how-to-maintain-a-healthy-weed-free-lawn
Although there are many tools needed to grow and maintain a healthy lawn, we want to focus mainly on a sprinkler system in this article.
What Is A Sprinkler System?
If we just use the blanket term ‘sprinkler system’ the first thing that any search engine would throw up is a home sprinkler. These are devices that are used to protect a building in the case of fire incidents. Since that is not our focus here, we wouldn’t go into so much detail.
What we are talking about in this case is more appropriately referred to as irrigation sprinkler or water sprinkler. These devices are used to irrigate places such as lawns, golf courses and landscapes. They can also be used to cool and control airborne dust.
This device applies water to desired areas just like rainfall. It distributes the water by means of a network of pumps, pipes, valves and sprinklers. It comes in handy most specifically in places where the ground is uneven and water is not adequately available.
This system is a very convenient and efficient way of keeping your lawn healthy without spending so much on water bill. There are different designs of these pieces of equipment but one thing that they must all do is to ensure that no part of a lawn is too wet or not wet enough.
DIY Tips For Installing A Sprinkler System
There are some homeowners who take pride in being what is referred to as weekend warriors. These are folks who like to carry out repairs and home improvements by themselves. If you are a member of this club, then these tips for the installation of your water sprinkler would come in handy.
Equipment And Tools Needed
You will need the following tools and pieces of equipment:-
Poly pipe cutter
Vibratory plow
Timer
PVC pipe
PVC valves
PVC connectors
Steps For Installation
Draw Up A Plan For The System
The following are the steps to use for this stage:-
- The first thing to do here is to get your utility company to come and pinpoint the places where they buried their cables.
- After that, you measure the yard to get the dimensions right. Then you measure the pressure of water from the sprinkler to know how far it can cover.
- With the dimensions you have calculated, draw a diagram to plot the location of the various heads of the device and the type you would use.
- Use flags or anything that works for you to mark where you would place the irrigation system.
Connect To Your Main Water Line
The easiest means of getting water for your sprinkler is connect it to a tap/spigot in the yard. However, it is more professional to tap into the main water line. Whatever method you choose to use involves that you install a valve that would prevent fertilizers, brackish water and lawn chemicals from getting into the main source of water for the house. This valve is known as an anti-siphon valve.
Dig The Long Hole (Trench)
Using a vibratory plow, dig a long hole (trench) that’s about 6 to 8 inches deep; ensure that the sides slop at an angle of 45 degrees. One tip to bear in mind in this stage is that you should place the sod on one side and the soil on another side. This would make filling the trench and patching it much easier.
Fix the Valve Manifold
There are 4 steps in this stage
- Dig a hole that is a little bit bigger than box of the valve manifold.
- Put the box in the hole.
- Affix one point of the assembly of the valve manifold to the line of the main water supply.
- Use the clamps to tightly secure the end that you connected to the main water line.
Lay The Pipe
- Connect three quarters of the PVC pipe to the other end of the valve manifold that’s open.
- Lay the pipe that you have connected along the main hole that you dug.
- Use the tee connectors to attach the pipes that run off the main water line.
- Attach risers at the points where you placed flags using the 90° connectors.
Tip for this step: Ensure that you apply adhesive very thinly making sure that it is smooth when you are gluing any sections together.
Fix The Heads Of The Sprinkler
- Flush the system with water so that any debris in it would be cleaned out.
- Affix the sprinkler heads to the risers that you have already placed in the ground.
- Level out the sprinkler heads so that they are flush with the level of the soil.
- Fill the holes and trenches that you dug out with sod and soil.
Tip for this stage: Ensure that the sprinkler heads that you selected are the types that would work best for your lawn.
Install the Controller For The System
This is the final stage of the installation and this is where you check to be sure that everything is working as they should. Most installation kits come with instructions so ensure that you follow these instructions and connect the wires. After that you carry out the final connection to the main source of water in the house.
Check all the sprinkler heads and be sure that they cover the lawn effectively before you clear your tools and call it a day.
Well, all the above tips seem fairly easy to implement. But on the other hand, it is best to get professionals to handle your sprinkler system installation if you know that you are not handy with tools.
Conclusion
Installing a sprinkler system is very important for the maintenance of a healthy lawn and garden. That being said however, you have to ensure that you do it right to get the benefits thereof.
