Pressure Regulating Sprinkler Heads
Nobody likes having too much pressure. Sprinkler systems don’t like it either!
Landscape irrigation sprinklers are often installed at sites where the system pressure is higher than what is recommended for the sprinkler nozzle. Fixed-spray-head nozzles are the most common types of sprinkler heads out there, but they may throw large amounts of water up in the air as a mist. In addition to misting, these types of spray heads that have excessive pressure can lead to water losses, fogging and contribute to uneven watering.
Pressure-regulating spray heads are high efficiency and designed to regulate pressure for optimal sprinkler system performance.
Pressure-regulating spray heads include built-in regulators that maintain a more constant pressure. Typically for spray heads, 30 psi provides the best performance. For rotary heads the preferred operating pressure is 40-45 psi.
Correct nozzle pressure helps the nozzles distribute the water more evenly and reduces water waste caused by excessive high-water pressure. Changing to pressure regulating spray heads could save 10’s of gallons of water in one sprinkler run.
Outdoor water use accounts for about 30 percent of average household water use nationwide. This number rises dramatically in hotter and drier parts of the country. Current estimates are that residential outdoor water use accounts for nearly 9 billion gallons of water each day, mainly for landscape irrigation.
Upgrading your sprinkler heads to water conserving, high efficiency pressure regulating spray heads will reduce your water bill and water waste and keep your landscape healthy. These built-in pressure regulators are available as an option on many higher quality spray-type sprinklers. The cost to upgrade will be offset by the amount of water saved.
In order to determine your irrigation system’s pressure requirements, have your irrigation system audited. In addition, a seasonal or monthly check of your irrigation system will give you a chance to adjust watering to seasonal weather conditions and identify needed repairs.