Had enough of dragging hoses around your yard to keep your lawn looking lush? Installing a professional home sprinkler system can save you time, water, and money in the long run. This guide will teach you everything you need to know to DIY your professional-grade sprinkler system.
Why Choose to DIY Your Home Sprinkler System?
Taking on the installation yourself has several benefits:
Cost Savings
The demand for tradespeople has never been so high, and hourly rates reflect this demand. While we always recommend engaging a Professional Irrigation Installer, the cost can prevent some people from doing so.
Time-Saving
It sounds bizarre, doesn't it? But if you've tried to get a tradie, you'll know lead times can be as much as 3 weeks to even get a quote. Tackling it yourself can speed up the process.
Customisation
Putting your personal touch on the installation, knowing you're the one that has to maintain it going forward. Things such as a little extra room to service a valve or sprinkler heights set to avoid screening from your planned planting are often missed when engaging others.
Satisfaction
There's a strangely satisfying feeling when you finish the install and fire the system up for the first time. A sense of achievement watching your pro-grade sprinklers evenly spraying water across your future garden oasis.
What's the Difference Between a Professional and Non-Professional System?
Understanding the key differences helps you aim for a higher-quality install. We've broken this down into a few categories as follows:
Design
- Professional: Involves a detailed plan factoring water pressure, coverage areas, and zoning.
- Non-Professional: No plan, leading to inefficiencies and coverage gaps. More often than not, rework!
Materials
- Professional: Uses durable, high-quality components from industry-leading manufacturers that last longer and perform better.
- Non-Professional: They may utilise cheap, low-quality materials prone to failure and have subpar performance.
Tip: Use the brands the golf course and local government authorities use rather than the ones in the hardware store. e.g. Hunter Industries, Rainbird and Toro.
Best Practices
- Professional: Meets industry standards for installation depth, spacing, and connections.
- Non-Professional: Might overlook critical installation practices, resulting in subpar performance.
Maintenance
- Professional: Designed for easy future maintenance and long-term reliability.
- Non-Professional: Difficult to maintain and may require frequent repairs.
Why Is It Important to Consult an Expert for a Design?
Consulting with an irrigation expert ensures:
Detailed Plan
You've heard of the adage, "A failure to plan is a plan to fail"? Nothing could be more accurate in this instance. Irrigation systems require mathematical evaluation, expert knowledge about sprinkler performance, regulatory compliance, and installation best practices. Starting a reticulation installation project without a detailed plan is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without the instructions—you'll likely end up with extra pieces, a look of confusion, and something that doesn't quite water your lawn (or hold your books) the way it's supposed to.
Optimal Performance
Sprinklers are designed to perform based on a strict set of parameters. This isn't limited to water flow and pressure but also something the experts refer to as 'DU" or Distribution Uniformity. A professional design will ensure your zoning and layout all result in each sprinkler performing as designed by the manufacturer.
Water Efficiency
Following on from the above, water efficiency can only be achieved by having a system designed to apply water as evenly as possible. Your Sprinkler System will only be as efficient as the worst-performing section. What does this mean? well if you have a small patch of your lawn that dries out before the rest due to poor uniformity, then you will increase the run time of the station until it's fixed. This results in the other 90% of the zone receiving too much water all from one poorly designed section.
Regulation Compliance
This is location-specific, as regulations vary, but one thing is for sure: everywhere has rules regarding how and when you can water your lawns and gardens. A common example of regulatory compliance is in relation to connecting to your mains water supply. This generally requires a certified connection from a licensed plumber and may require items such as a backflow prevention device with an isolating valve.
Tip: At Nutrien Water Store, we offer expert design services to help you get started.
Water Source
Choosing the right water source is critical. If you are lucky enough to have an existing bore, it's recommended that you use it unless it has quality issues, such as high iron or sediment. Mains water connections are the most common but also have higher consumption costs so designing a system that's highly efficient is important.
Mains Water
- Pros: Reliable pressure and flow.
- Cons: Subject to water restrictions and higher costs.
Bore/Tank Water
- Pros: Cost-effective and can be excluded from water restrictions
- Cons: Additional filtration and pump systems may be required.
Note: Ensure your water source is compatible with your sprinkler system components. Some bores produce small amounts of sand so choosing sprinkler heads with small apertures can be problematic, even with filters.
Controller Selection
The controller does exactly what the name entails. It controls the system and determines what zones come on when. This is what makes the system automatic and with technology advancing every day, there's now some really helpful tools that enable you to save water and factor things such as weather conditions into your schedule.
The different types of controllers are:
Tap Timers
- Best For: Small gardens or temporary setups. Rear yards where direct access to the water meter is restricted.
- Features: Basic scheduling with limited zones. Bluetooth option are available
Conventional Controllers
- Best For: Most applications. Large to small residential over 4 zones.
- Features: Multiple zones, customisable schedules.
Smart Controllers
- Best For: Tech-savvy users wanting maximum efficiency.
- Features: Weather-based adjustments, remote access via smartphone apps.
Explore our range of controllers here.
Sprinkler Selection
Choosing the right sprinklers ensures your lawn and garden receive the water evenly and exactly where it's needed. We always recommend you design your garden before you design your sprinkler system.
The different sprinkler types are as follows:
Pop-Up Sprinklers
- Use: Ideal for lawns as they retract below the turf surface and will be invisible when not in use. They are also good for gardens as they are available in 150mm to 300mm heights to get over shrubs of various sizes. They have multiple different nozzle options ranging from spray to rotor stream style so they are very flexible
- Coverage: Fixed spray patterns, great for small to medium areas. Rotary nozzles for medium turf areas (up to 6-metre radius)
Rotor/Gear Drive Sprinklers
- Use: Suitable for larger lawns. These sprinklers emit a single stream from a nozzle that's selected based on the required radius and angle and the body of the sprinkler rotates back and forth. The arc of the sprinkler can be adjusted to suit by using an included tool and turning the screw on the top.
- Coverage: These sprinklers are generally chosen when a radius of 10m or greater is required. Great for large open lawn areas.
Dripline
- Use: Garden beds. We do not recommend using in turf areas. Drip line is fantastic for gardens as it applies water directly to the root zone of the plants and there is practically no water wastage from misting or overspray.
- Coverage: Delivers water directly to the root zone, reducing evaporation. Individual runs of pipe are installed at specified spacing to ensure even distribution across the surface.
Microspray Sprinklers
- Use: Perfect for delicate plants and flower beds. Microspray irrigation is exactly as the name describes. They are small emitter installed on 4mm tube or rigid rises that spray a fine mist of water that is gentle on plant foliage.
- Coverage: Gentle spray & minimises soil disruption.
Check out our sprinkler options here.
Pipework Selection
Quality pipework is essential for system longevity and system performance. Selecting the correct pipe type and size is fundamental to a reliable and long-lasting home irrigation system.
The types of pipe are as follows:
PVC
- Use: Mainlines and laterals.
- Pros: Durable and suitable for mainlines and lateral pipes.
- Cons: Rigid, requires careful installation to prevent cracking. Requires glue joints, which, if done incorrectly, can result in early degradation.
Poly Pipe - HD (High Density) & LD (Low Density)
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HD Poly Pipe
- Use: Mainlines and high-pressure applications. Anytime you need to run a pipe under a hard surface such as paving.
- Pros: Strong and durable. Heaps of fitting options and no glue required.
- Cons: Comes in coils which can make it fiddly to install. Requires expensive fittings.
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LD Poly Pipe
- Use: Lateral lines and lower-pressure zones.
- Pros: Flexible and easy to install. Fittings are cheap and do not require any glue (solvent)
- Cons: Not as durable as PVC for laterals and always finds its way to the surface, annoying!
Find the right pipes for your project here.
End Outcome
By carefully planning and selecting professional-grade materials, you'll end up with a sprinkler system that delivers:
- Efficient Water Use: Even coverage and minimal wastage
- Healthy Landscape: Regular watering = healthy lawns and gardens
- Increased Property Value: Kerb appeal to make your neighbours envious
- Long-Term Savings: Quality materials, installed correctly, reduces long-term maintenance costs
Ready to Get Started?
Installing a professional home sprinkler system is a rewarding project that pays off in the presentation and health of your lawn. With the right guidance and high-quality products from Nutrien Water Store, you can achieve professional results on a DIY budget.
Need Help?
- Expert Consultation: Contact our team for personalised advice.
- Design Services: Let us help you create a custom irrigation plan.
- Quality Products: Shop our extensive range of professional-grade irrigation supplies.
Transform your lawn with a professional sprinkler system—because your home deserves the best.
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Disclaimer: Always check local regulations and codes before installing an irrigation system. Consider hiring a licensed professional for complex installations.
