An automatic sprinkler system takes a lot of the work out of watering the lawn, but the systems can be expensive.
For a small, open yard without a lot of obstacles to complicate the installation process, you probably will be able to have an irrigation system installed for somewhere in the $2,500 to $3,500 range. For a larger yard or yards with lots of shrubbery, landscaping, garden plots, etc., the cost can get up around $5,000 to $10,000.
Professional installations
Bill Fischer, owner of Suregreen Irrigation Co. in Kettering, Ohio, and William Burke, irrigation manager for Buckeye Lawn and Landscaping Co. in Centerville, Ohio, said sprinkler systems are becoming standard equipment in certain areas.
“When you build houses that are about $300,000 and up you might spend $4,000 to $5,000 just on sod for the lawn plus more on shrubs and plants,” Fischer said. “If you’ve got that much invested in the yard, it makes sense to have an irrigation system to protect it.”
Fischer and Burke said about half their residential business is in new construction and the other half is in installing systems in existing lawns. The installation process begins with measurement of sections of the yard and an assessment of the house’s available water pressure. The measurements are used to lay out a plan for placement of sprinkler heads that will be attached to buried water pipes.
The sprinkler heads are designed to be even with the surface of the soil when not in use. When the water is turned on, the heads pop up to spray. The heads come in a variety of configurations so some spray in a full circle while some spray in narrow strips. Some spray up to cover a lot of ground, some point down to soak the ground underneath.
Irrigation systems are typically divided into zones controlled by timers because it would be hard to generate enough water pressure to water an entire large yard all at the same time. A relatively small yard, for example, might be divided into two zones–one for the front yard and one for the back. A larger yard could have half a dozen.
The timer would activate the zones one at a time, typically around dawn, on a schedule set by the homeowner. Most systems are equipped with sensors that save water by cutting off the sprinklers when it rains.
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Both Suregreen and Buckeye use vibrating plows to install the underground plastic pipes that supply their sprinkler systems. A vibrating plow cuts a slit through the soil and drags a length of pipe into the slit.
Using a vibrating plow causes less disturbance to the existing lawn than the more traditional method of digging a trench a few inches wide and 6 to 12 inches deep. Fischer and Burke said that within about three days the slit left by a vibrating plow heals itself and becomes invisible.
An essential component of the system is called a vacuum breaker. This device is installed above where the water is pumped into the underground pipe. It keeps contaminated water from being pulled out of the irrigation pipes and into your household supply when the sprinklers are turned off.
If you’re going to the expense of having a lawn sprinkling system installed, you probably should invest a little extra in a non-sewer meter. In most communities, when water is used in your house, you pay two fees–one for the water itself and one for the sewer service to get rid of the water once it’s used.
Water used to irrigate the lawn or fill the swimming pool doesn’t go into the sewer system. If you have a separate meter for water used outdoors exclusively, most local water authorities don’t charge a sewer fee for water that passes through that meter. The meters usually pay for themselves within a few years, but you should check with your local water service for their rules. A permit to install a new meter will be required.
Do-it-yourself systems
If you’ve got the time and the skill, you might be able to save about half the cost of a lawn sprinkling system by doing the work yourself. But this definitely is not a job for the casual do-it-yourselfer. It will require surveying, designing, advanced plumbing, excavating and wiring. Each step is likely to be tricky, and the excavating part can be back-breaking.
Two firms that sell irrigation system components are Rain Bird and Ortho. Rain Bird offers advice and a $30 sprinkler planning service at www.rainbird.com. Ortho’s tips can be found at www.toro.com/sprinklers.
As it was with the pros, the first step is measuring the yard and determining the water pressure at your home so you can plan the layout of your sprinkler heads and divide your yard into zones. Municipal water pressures vary widely. In general, people living at the tops of hills will have lower pressure than people living in lowlands.
Once you’ve planned your layout, you will purchase the pipes, pipe joints, spray heads, valves, timers, sensors, wires and so on that you’ll need. If you use the Rain Bird planning service, the company will issue a parts list to complete the project.
Preparing the trench can be the toughest part of the project. A rented trenching machine will probably save some time here, but it’s still going to be a sweaty job.
Underground irrigation systems should be drained in late fall. If you leave water in the system through the winter, the water will freeze, expand and ruin the spray heads and other components.
Irrigation system specialists can use compressed air to clear water from your pipes and prepare the system for winter.