PDA

View Full Version : Sprinklers v Drip Irrigation



Stripes
09-03-2011, 07:22 PM
Sprinklers v drip irrigation

A properly installed irrigation system whether it is drip or spray will give the same results. Sprinklers and drip systems both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Drip systems are generally much easier to hide as 13mm pipes are on soil surface below mulch. For this reason it is also harder to inspect driplines to check they are working properly. You can easily see if sprinklers are working or not and identify faults quickly. Pressure will drop when there is a leak in a sprinkler system. A drip system may have an undetected leak due to pipes being hidden.

In the event of damage to a dripline, emitters can block when dirt enters line. Filters can easily be cleaned on sprinkler systems in the event of dirt entering the pipes.

Sprinklers can be affected by wind. Spray patterns can be inaccurate during windy situations. This can normally be overcome when systems are running at night.

Drip irrigation has a slower absorption rate so runoff is unlikely in heavy clay soils. Sprinklers can runoff if water cannot be absorbed by soil quickly enough in clay soils. This can normally be avoided by reducing the run time on each station and having two start times per cycle- Eg. Instead of zones running for 1 hour, they are broken into two 30 minute cycles with a 4-6 hour gap allowing water to be absorbed deep into soil.

Sprinklers have been subject to water restrictions in the past. With the building of the desalination plant in Sydney, this is unlikely to happen again but nothing is certain. In the event of water restrictions, this can be overcome by installing large rainwater tanks.
Drip irrigation has been exempt from previous water restrictions (in Sydney.)

Sprinklers can soak widespread areas. Dripline will generally only soak areas within 200mm of pipes.
Pipes for sprinklers are generally only on the outside of lawns and garden beds with sprinklers spraying inward. Driplines must be installed in a grid pattern in lawns and garden beds. This can lead to damage during maintenance (such as hedge trimmer cutting lines) and re-planting of garden beds. Re-turfing may be required after dripline installation due to trenches being 400mm apart.

Dripline is labour intensive during installation. Pipes can ‘float’ above mulch over time and become unsightly.

Dripline uses very low pressure. Pipes and fittings can blowout during pressure fluctuations. Pressure reducing valves are required to ensure water pressure is low enough to avoid blowouts, causing dirt to enter lines.

Sprinklers will cover foliage of plants, keeping them clean and fresh. During extended dry and windy periods, dust can build up on foliage of plants becoming unsightly and block pores when dripline is used. Dripline is suited better to some plants where wetting of foliage can result in spreading of disease such as blackspot on Roses and petal blight on Azaleas.

Fred's mowing
09-03-2011, 08:18 PM
Thanx stripes, very informative.
We have installed heaps of both & at our home we have both.
B4 water restrictions in Melb, it was hard to sell drips, ppl prefered to see something 4 their $$$$$.
With sprays, u;d go over to the contoller, push a few buttons & let the show begin!
With drips u'd do the same but no show, so u'd have to take the customer round, showing them each zone was working correctly:rolleyes:.
I believe that drips are a more efficient system in most cases, but just. A properly set up spray system can run very efficiently also.
Overall I prefer sprays. When u have ppl over, u can create a real air of freshness by soaking down everything a couple of hours b4 they arrive.
Cheers Fred.

Back to Basics
09-03-2011, 10:14 PM
So in a professional manner which would you choose Stripes??????

Stripes
10-03-2011, 06:30 AM
So in a professional manner which would you choose Stripes??????

It depends on the job! I prefer sprinklers in lawns, especially if it is a large open area, and with gardens it depends on what is in them. Hedges are best off with drip as you can just slip it beneath the hedge and it can't be seen and you won't have risers sticking up that need to be raised as the hedge grows. Other garden beds like perennial beds where there are lots of changes like dividing clumps/ lifting bulbs or things with tropicals or ferns I will use sprinklers. Small odd shape areas with curves are hard to install with sprinklers without over spraying onto paths/driveways, so in those situations I will use drip.

Most of my installs will be sprinklers in the lawns and drip in the garden.

administrator
10-03-2011, 09:06 AM
Hi Stripes.When you install springlers in the lawn do you put something around the sprinkler to protect it from the mower .
Is there such a thing available besides the contractor having 90 mm stormwater pipe pieces which we put around them when we cut the lawn so we know not to bust em lol .

ian
10-03-2011, 09:21 AM
Hi Stripes.When you install springlers in the lawn do you put something around the sprinkler to protect it from the mower .
Is there such a thing available besides the contractor having 90 mm stormwater pipe pieces which we put around them when we cut the lawn so we know not to bust em lol .

i'm sure stripes doesn't have to put anything around his lawn sprinklers because he's a professional who installs them correctly so the mower glides over the top and doesn't effect the sprinkler at all :)

administrator
10-03-2011, 09:48 AM
Good job Stripes is back in the game then lol .
Alot of shoddy installers around

ian
10-03-2011, 10:14 AM
i just wish they would make sprinklers in different heights so if 1 is a bit to high you could just replace it with one 10/20mm shorter i would be so much easier

MowerRob
10-03-2011, 04:17 PM
i just wish they would make sprinklers in different heights so if 1 is a bit to high you could just replace it with one 10/20mm shorter i would be so much easier

There are plenty of different sized pop ups for that very reason and also over times sometimes u have to go taller due to grass getting thicker

cadase
10-03-2011, 08:13 PM
i find the mower usually shears them off to the right height
and the cork from a wine bottle repairs them

Stripes
10-03-2011, 08:19 PM
Hi Stripes.When you install springlers in the lawn do you put something around the sprinkler to protect it from the mower .
Is there such a thing available besides the contractor having 90 mm stormwater pipe pieces which we put around them when we cut the lawn so we know not to bust em lol .


i'm sure stripes doesn't have to put anything around his lawn sprinklers because he's a professional who installs them correctly so the mower glides over the top and doesn't effect the sprinkler at all :)

What Ian said! If they are installed correctly they won't be damaged by machines unless they get a bit of grit stuck in them and don't pop back down. Also in new landscapes the sprinklers may be set at the correct height, but as the turf underlay settles the sprinklers become above ground and are susceptible to mower blades.


i just wish they would make sprinklers in different heights so if 1 is a bit to high you could just replace it with one 10/20mm shorter i would be so much easier

As MowerRob said you can get 50mm, 75mm, 100mm and up to 400mm with various sizes in between. The sprinklers should have swing arms on them so you can adjust the height by digging up a square around the sprinkler and removing a little soil from below the sprinkler to drop it down. If sprinklers are slightly low such as lawns that have been topdressed and are barely spraying above the leaf, you can actually get some small extension pieces that go between the shaft of the sprinkler and the nozzle. They are about 20mm or so and just give that little bit more height without digging everything up. I had to hunt far and wide for them but I have a heap if anyone needs some. They are supposed to fit male and female nozzles (one end is male, the other female), but I couldn't seem to get them to fit the male nozzles (Toro) as the thread is the tiniest bit different.