If you're looking for an efficient and precise way to water irregular, narrow or small areas that uses 30% less water than spray heads, you've found the right provider. At Irrigation Tech, we specialize in providing high-quality rotating stream solutions that fit the unique configuration of your garden or lawn.
Stream Rotors
Sprinkler head technology has advanced significantly over the last several years. Newer heads offer more uniform water distribution, improved precipitation rates, fewer repairs, and significant water savings. That’s money in your pocket - and if being GREEN is important to you, a step in the right direction.
More Efficient Water Use - Most existing irrigation systems have pop-up spray head zones located somewhere in the yard. These are small heads that discharge a mist when the zone is turned on. Spray heads have been replaced by more efficient pop-up rotating stream heads that move in a full or partial circular pattern and use 30% less water to more effectively cover landscape areas that are too irregular, narrow, or small to be served by larger, gear-driven heads.
Less Runoff - One of the biggest problems with spray heads is their extremely high precipitation rate. They put the water down faster than most soils can absorb it.
If water is put down faster than the ground can absorb it, then the excess water moves on the surface to places where it doesn’t belong (i.e., the driveway or street gutters).
Healthier Lawns - Another big problem with spray heads is uniformity of water distribution. Spray heads have the worst distribution uniformity of all sprinkler types due to limitations in the design and manufacture of the nozzles which no supplier has overcome. Poor water distribution compounds the wastefulness of systems with spray heads – while also creating areas that are too wet or too dry. Newer pop-up stream sprinkler heads distribute water more efficiently than spray heads. Rotating stream sprinkler heads can have a coverage radius as short as 8’, with precipitation rates and distribution uniformities equal to or better than larger, gear-driven heads. Rotating stream sprinkler heads also eliminate the problem of watering faster than the ground can absorb it, which means all of the water gets into the soil. And with improved distribution uniformities, too wet and too dry areas are eliminated as well.
More Reliable - Spray heads have other problems as well. If a zone of spray heads isn’t popping up all the way or the heads aren’t spraying as far as they used to - or as far as they are supposed to, switching to rotating stream sprinkler heads can solve the problem. This is because rotating stream nozzles require less water for the same coverage area, reducing pressure losses for the zone, leaving more pressure to pop the heads all the way up and throw water as far as it’s supposed to go.
Works Better Large Sprinkler Heads in the Same Zone - Additionally, some of our customers (whose systems were not installed by us) have large rotors and spray heads mixed in the same zone. This wastes water and is unhealthy for turf watered by spray heads. This is because spray heads have a precipitation rate four times greater than large rotor heads - so the turf watered by spray heads gets four times more water than the turf covered by the larger heads. Rotating stream sprinkler heads can resolve this problem because they have the same precipitation rate as the large gear-driven heads, ensuring that smaller areas once covered by spray heads receive no more water than they need.
Easy to Install the First Time or Anytime - New systems installed by Irrigation Tech use pop-up rotating stream sprinkler heads. And existing systems with spray heads can be easily converted to rotating stream sprinkler heads for 30% water savings during a quick service call by simply changing the nozzle.
There are many problems that stream rotors eliminate in new systems and can solve in existing systems. If your existing system has one or more of these problems, contact us for help.
A large percentage of irrigation systems have spray head zones somewhere in the yard. These are little heads that spray what looks like a mist when the zone is cycles on. Spray heads were used in small or narrow spaces where large rotors were too big.
Problems with Spray Heads
The biggest problem with traditional spray heads is their extremely high precipitation rate. They distribute water faster rate than the rate at which most soils can absorb water. If water is distributed by spray heads faster than it can be absorbed by the soil then the excess water runs across the surface of the ground and is wasted on patios, sidewalks, driveways, and street gutters.
A second big problem with spray heads is the uniformity of water distribution. Spray heads have the poorest distribution uniformity of all modern sprinkler heads because there are limitations to spray head nozzles which no manufacturer has overcome. Poor water distribution resulting in overwatering adds to the wastefulness of these zones in your yard.
Stream rotor heads overcome the two biggest problems common to spray heads. Stream rotor heads have distribution radius as short as eight feet, precipitation rates equal to large rotor heads and distribution uniformities equal to or better than large turf rotors. With stream rotors, water can be distributed evenly and at rates that can be absorbed by the soil, eliminating too wet and too dry areas.
Problems Solved by Stream Rotor Heads
Stream rotor heads can also solve other problems common to spray heads. Here’s how: if you have a zone of spray heads that aren’t popping up all the way or if the heads aren’t spraying as far as they used to - or as far as they are supposed to, switching to stream rotors can eliminate these problems. Because stream rotor nozzles require less water for the area covered by a spray head zone, the pressure loss for the zone is reduced. This means there is more pressure remaining to push the stream rotor heads all the way up and to throw water as far as intended by the system design.
Studies have shown that when the nozzles of a spray zone are changed to stream rotors, the zone uses 30% less water and the landscape is healthier. Some cities such as Sonoma California are so impressed with these heads that they have a rebate program for people who make the switch. By the way, if you want to change from spay heads to stream rotor heads we don’t have to change the entire head, just the nozzle, which is a quick service call.
Some of our customers (whose systems were not installed by us) have large rotors and spray heads are mixed in the same zone. This is a big waste of water and is unhealthy for the turf being irrigated. This is because spray heads have a precipitation rate four times greater than the rotors. As a result, the turf watered by the spray heads gets four times more water than it needs. Installing stream rotors in these systems can eliminate this problem because they have the same precipitation as large rotors.
Bottom line, there are many problems created by spray heads that the stream rotor can solve. If you think that you might have one of these problems, give us a call and we’ll see if we can help.
