Updating Your Irrigation Can Save You Money

So often when people start thinking about a landscaping project, it's common to get swept up in the "ooh la la" aka the features and the plants and how everything is going to look gorgeous together. It's rare when someone thinks about irrigation first unless of course, you do this for a living.

There are many options to consider when planning your irrigation, and if planned well, you can save money for years to come. Here are some tips to help your planning.

1. Where are your underground utilities?
   Before you start digging or get your heart set on the placement of any special landscape features, it is wise to contact your local utility companies and find out where all your underground services are located. Doing this ahead of time will help save you money by avoiding costly re-routes and or line ruptures.
   
   
2. How much water flows through your pipes and at what pressure?
   So, this might sound like an odd thing to consider, but it's important to know how much water flows through your pipes, as well as how much pressure you have. Weak or slow flows will affect your ability to irrigate your landscape properly. As a rule of thumb, to run an irrigation system, your house needs water pressure of 40 to 50 pounds per square inch (psi). The easiest way to measure water pressure is to call your water company and ask whether they have that information for you. If not, use a water-pressure gauge and measure psi by turning off all the faucets inside your house. Then, hook up the gauge to an outside spigot, turn the spigot wide open, and read the pressure. Water pressure can vary, so measure your psi several different times during the day and average the readings.
   
   You also need to know how much water flows through your pipes, measured in gallons per minute (gpm). To figure this out, place a one-gallon container under an outdoor spigot and time how long it takes to fill up with the water running at full blast. Divide this time into 60 to determine your gpm. For example, if it takes 20 seconds to draw 1 gallon of water, 60 divided by 20 equals 3. In other words, your system flow rate is 3 gallons per minute.
   
   
3. How many zones or valves will you need?
   First, think about how many different types of areas you will have that need watering. For instance, your lawn will have different watering needs than your plant beds or your trees. And, you will want to think about front yard vs. back yard, lawn areas, planter beds, vegetable gardens, etc. Your gpm and psi figures will indicate how many sprinkler heads you can have per valve. Every irrigation system is different but with these figures, you should be able to calculate the number of valves needed to meet all your watering needs.
   
   
4. What type of controller is right for you?
   Next, think about how hands-on you want to be with running your irrigation system. There are several options available for manual systems and programmable digital systems. Are you the set it and forget it type? Programmable would definitely be your speed.
   
   
5. What type of sprinklers will work best for your plantings?
   Once you have the planning part figured out, consider alternate types of sprinklers or watering systems. If water conservation is top of your list, drip systems can be highly customized and are excellent at efficiency. But, if you have a lot of activity planned for your landscape, an underground system is probably best so that heads are not easily damaged and lines don't get pulled up.
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If this all seems like too much to figure out, we can help. At Graham Landscape & Design, we have an exceptionally talented irrigation crew. Our team can meet with you to discuss your specific needs, explore ideas, and help you install an irrigation system perfect for your space. Give us a call today at 541-729-8029.