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Irrigation Design - Landscape Sprinkler System Design Tutorial
Whether you're a professional landscaper or landscaping your own yard, this free landscape sprinkler design tutorial is designed to take you step-by-step through the process of designing a professional-quality sprinkler irrigation system. All the information you need to create a sprinkler system design for your lawn, shrubs or garden is in this landscape sprinkler design manual. Illustrations and charts will help explain and simplify the sprinkler irrigation design process. You will learn about lawn sprinklers, shrub sprinklers, and how to select a quality sprinkler head. Automatic and manual valves, controllers/timers, and the basic hydraulics that apply to watering systems are also covered. The tutorial was written by a professional landscape architect with over 20 years of irrigation design experience. Companion tutorials cover the installation of your sprinkler system, how to design drip/trickle watering systems, and how to schedule irrigation for either sprinkler systems or drip irrigation systems.
Landscape Sprinkler Irrigation Design Tutorial
Table of Contents
Here's the table of contents for this sprinkler irrigation design tutorial. It looks like a lot to cover, but much of it you will skim over because it applies only to very specific situations that don't matter for most sprinkler systems. (But if it turns out one of those specific situations applies to YOU won't you be glad that I included it?) You will find that the tutorial goes quickly once you get started. I suggest you skim through all the steps quickly, just so you understand the general process (don't bother taking notes!), then go back to the beginning and take it step-by-step through your actual design.
- Start Here! Introduction to Irrigation Design: How to use this tutorial, information on software programs to design your sprinkler system, and a few suggestions on those "free designs" at the home improvement stores. (Big surprise! I don't totally trash them!)
- Step #1 Collect Information:
- Measure Your Yard: How to measure your yard easily and accurately for your sprinkler irrigation system.
- City-Slicker Water: How to find the PSI and GPM if you get your water through a pipe from a water-company.
- Country-Bumpkin Water: How to find the PSI and GPM if you pump water from a well, creek, lake, etc..
- Backwoods Water: How to measure the GPM and PSI for other types of water supplies (Moses would use this section).
- Step #2 Select Your Equipment:
- Pressure Loss: Determine pressure losses for your sprinkler irrigation system.
- Water Meter: Water meters.
- Backflow Preventer: How to select a backflow preventer.
- Mainlines: What type of pipe to use and how to calculate pressure loss in an irrigation system mainline.
- Valves: Types of irrigation valves.
- Elevation Pressure Loss: How to calculate pressure loss in your irrigation system caused by elevation changes.
- Sprinkler Heads: How to select your sprinkler heads.
- Laterals: Type of pipe to use and pressure losses for the sprinkler system lateral pipes.
- Adjustments: Making pressure loss adjustments to balance the system (very important if you want the sprinklers to work).
- Step #3 Place Sprinkler Heads: How to determine the correct sprinkler spacings, and which nozzles to use. Draw in sprinkler heads.
- Step #4 Create Valve Zones and Draw in Pipes: Identify hydro-zones, create valve zones, draw the sprinkler piping.
- Step #5 Lateral Pipe Sizes: How to calculate the size for each lateral pipe in the irrigation system.
- Determining Sprinkler Pipe Size Using a Pipe Sizing Chart.
- Determining Sprinkler Pipe Size Using a Spreadsheet.
- Finished! Some Tips on Automation, Freeze Protection, Costs, Contractors.
The pages of the sprinkler system design tutorial follow in logical order. To work your way through the entire irrigation design tutorial, simply select "Next Page" when you finish each page. Please take a moment to review the terms and conditions of this website and tutorial- click here for Terms and Conditions.
This tutorial is only the tip of the iceberg! Use the links in the left column to find companion tutorials that go with this one, such as installation, water filters, pump systems, irrigation scheduling, winterizing, repairs, and many more. Plus there are product reviews of many of the most common sprinkler system components.
Go to 1st Page of the Tutorial!
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Text and Images by Jess Stryker unless noted. Copyright © Jess Stryker, 1997-2011. All rights reserved.
