What Are Some Tips To Choose Lawn Sprinklers?

Lawn sprinklers fall into a few clear families, and the right system for your property is rarely just one of them. A good design uses each type where it is best suited and leaves the rest to other tools.

Know your property first

Measure your usable lawn (separately from flowerbeds and vegetable patches). Note shaded and full-sun areas. Identify slopes that will run off if watered too hard. Test your water pressure at an outdoor hose bib — most contractors will do this for you in the first walkthrough. These details, more than any product preference, determine the right sprinkler mix.

Rotors for open lawn

Pop-up rotors throw water in arcs adjustable from 20 to 45 feet. They are quiet, efficient, and ideal for any reasonably large stretch of grass. Hunter and Rain Bird both make excellent contractor-grade rotors that hold their adjustment for years.

Spray heads for tight or shaped areas

Where rotors would over-throw — narrow strips, oddly shaped corners, small front lawns between a driveway and a path — fixed spray heads with the right nozzle pattern apply water cleanly. These tend to run for shorter cycles and at higher precipitation rates than rotors, which is why they get their own zone.

Drip for everything else

Flowerbeds, hedges, container gardens, vegetable patches: drip irrigation puts water at the root, evaporates almost nothing, and keeps foliage dry (which reduces disease). For most properties, at least one drip zone is the right answer.

Controller and sensors

Buy contractor-grade. The difference between a $60 retail controller and a Hunter Pro-C or Rain Bird ESP-Me is reliability over a 15-year horizon. Add a rain sensor as standard. Consider a Wi-Fi controller if you travel or want to manage the system from your phone.

Ask your contractor

How long has the contractor been in business? Will they share local references? What warranty do they offer on workmanship? Will the same crew return for service? At Pro Green we welcome every one of these questions — we have answered them for thirty years.