Impact Drive vs Gear Driven Heads (Rotors)
If your system is still using the impact driven heads, here are some things to consider.If you add up all of the sprinkler heads on the properties of all our customers, the total comes to over 100,000 sprinkler heads. That being said, we obviously touch a lot of heads in a year. The head type that needs to be touched the most for one reason or another are the impact driven heads.
When the impact drive head is watering, the case is open. Water is being dropped all around the head and as it runs back into the open case it carries with it whatever is on the ground nearby and it falls into the case. This happens watering after watering and the debris builds up until the head stops retracting. The head may still work but you have to manually push it down to mow the lawn.
Some of the stuff that washes into the head floats and when the head is done watering and retracts it gets caught in the swing arm or the swing arm spring and then the head stops rotating. This is one of the most common service calls we get.
The new gear driven heads have a closed case so no debris can enter, causing the head to stop operating. These heads distribute water more evenly than impact drive heads. As a result they use 10-20% less water. That’s money back in your pocket and if being GREEN is important to you, this is a step in the right direction.