Irrigation systems installation

It is very important to obtain complete and accurate field information on the site to be watered.
This is a key step in designing your installation irrigation quality and precision will depend on the accuracy of your plot plan.

Installation in 5 steps

1. Draw your plot plan Use the following items to prepare your plot plan : • a flat surface • a sheet of graph paper • a tape measure • a pair of compasses • a pencil • a felttip pen • a ruler • an eraser

Download Automatic irrigation system design guide   (PDF:1,8 Mo) Automatic irrigation system installation guide  (PDF:1,6 Mo)

Start the sketch of your garden by locating the house and the property line.

Draw the sidewalks, patios, etc. using an angle of the house as a reference point.
Indicate those areas which are to be watered and those areas which will not be watered. Also indicate the location of the trees, shrubs, hedges and flower-beds on the site.






After you have accurately completed the plot plan, neatly draw it on a new sheet of graph paper.


2. Select the sprinkler

Sprinklers are chosen based on their radius and their flow...

For uniform coverage,  the sprinkler streams should overlap

The ideal distance between two sprinklers is the same as the radius of throw.

In this design, you have 3 zones to water :
• 2 zones (green and blue) measure more than 5m on each side: You should select rotating sprinklers.

• 1 zone (red) measures less than 5 m on each side. You should select spray heads.

Drip Irrigation

Spray Heads

Rotors

Indicate the location of the sprinklers on your plan

Use your compasses to draw the areas watered by the sprinklers.
Follow this procedure :
• Start by covering the corners with 90° sprinklers
• Then cover the edges with 180' sprinklers.




3. Measuring pressure and flow

Water sources Pressure is given in kilos per square centimeter (kg/cm2) or in bar. It is measured by mounting a pressure gauge on your water supply faucet. If you do not have a pressure gauge, obtain the pressure from your water company. Your installation requires at least 2 kg/cm2 (2 bar) to property operate. If your pressure exceeds 5 kg/cm2 (5 bar), you need a pressure reducer.   The flow in cubic meters per hour  (m^3/h) is indicated on a water company contract. However, it is advisable to check the flow yourself : Fill a 10-liter bucket with water. Use the faucet which is nearest to the water meter. Measure the time (in seconds) it takes to fill the bucket.

4. Circuit layout
The total flow required to water your garden may exceed the amount of water available at the water supply point.
It is therefore necessary to divide the watering system into several independent zones.
Each zone has a pipe circuit
The circuits are operated by electric valves in sequential order.

Why have several circuits ?

If simultaneous operation of the complete system requires 9m^3/h, And the water meter or irrigation pump supplies only 3m^3/h:


• The flow required for watering must be divided by 3 :
  

• Three circuits are required. Each is operated by an electric valve.
• The 3 electric valves will operate in sequence, once after another...

Watering run time.
Lawn water requirements in summer are, on the average, 6 liters per square meter per day.
For a state-of- the-art installation, a rotor sprinkler system applies approximately 12 liters per hour per square meter.
A spray head system applies approximately 40 liters per  hour per square meter

Calculation formula

Number of circuits = Total flow for each type of sprinkler/Available flow Don't mix spray heads and rotors on the same circuit. They have different application rates. • Spray heads : 7 to 8 mn / day • Rotors : 20 to 30 mn / day

5. The final plan

• Take your completed plot plan to your Rain Bird distributor. • Best of Irrigation Residential Design does all the hydraulic calculations concerning pressure and flow and automatically positions the sprinklers. • The software automatically prepares the bill of materials and the quotation • You are sure that nothing will be forgotten

Your final plan by Best of Irrigation Residential Design

SUMMARY : YOUR INSTALLATION IN FIVE STEPS

1 - Draw a plot plan of your garden and recopy it on a new sheet of graph paper.
2 - Select sprinklers based on the watered surface
3 - Measure pressure and flow
4 - Divide the watering system into several independent circuits based on the pressure and flow available.
5 - Take your completed plot plan to your Rain Bird distributor.