Choosing The Right Lawn Sprinkler
Milton Felton
A well-chosen lawn sprinkler can make the difference between
having a beautiful and lush landscape or just any old lawn on
the block. Sprinklers typically come in 4 basic designs and
branch off from there. Each type has aspects where it excels
and there are others where it falls short. Your lawn type will
determine which of the 4 types is best suited for you. The size
of your lawn and the type of soil you have are major factors in
choosing a sprinkler. A sandier soil needs to be watered more
frequently then a clay soil.
For irregularly shaped lawns or landscapes that require spot
watering, a fixed sprinkler is going to be the best choice. Due
to their limited design, fixed sprinklers don't off much in the
way of flow rates and may require constant monitoring if over
watering is a concern.
An oscillating sprinkler uses a piece of metal attached to a
stationary base. The curved metal tube portion then oscillated
back and forth and covers a rectangular pattern. A good
oscillating sprinkler will pause just enough when watering
furthest away so that each area is covered equally. In some
cases you will also be able to choose flow rates and width
patterns.
Revolving sprinklers use three or more arms that extend from a
stationary base and basically fling the water out and cover a
hemispherical area, water pressure and the setting on the
sprinkler will determine just how much coverage you can get
with one of these sprinklers. Unfortunately saturations aren't
really consistent.
Impact sprinklers are probably the most popular type of
sprinkler and can cover a very large area compared to the other
3 types. A jet of water is directed in a circular pattern by an
external hammer. Impact sprinklers tend to have the best
options for controlling flow rate. You can choose a fine mist
for delicate plants, or a heavy flow to thoroughly soak a large
lawn. Because it covers a circular area and the distance can be
adjusted, these sprinklers tend to be the best all around
choice.
Of course these options all pale in comparison to an in ground
sprinkler system. An in ground sprinkler system can be designed
to fit your specific lawn needs, but can be costly to install.
Choosing the right lawn sprinklers is an important task for
anyone serious about their landscape.
About The Author:
http://www.sprinklerpavillion.com is packed
with information on motion activated sprinkler and underground
sprinkler systems
See Also:
Index of Lawn Care
Index of Gardens & Gardening
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