Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
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www.landscapeirrigation.com June 2014 Landscape and Irrigation 25 valves and valve diaphragms to warp if run for too much time. This same heat can also damage rotor gear drive mechanisms. When the system is turned back on, the valves will leak, and rotors won't rotate." Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes Although it may seem second nature to contractors, many homeowners don't consider the impact that adding new gar- den sheds, fences, hardscapes, trees or planting beds can have on an irrigation system's overall design. As a part of regular maintenance, contractors should keep their eyes open for any changes that homeowners may have made to the landscape since their last visit. "Often, after a system is installed, a homeowner may decide to put in a planter bed in an area that's irrigated with rotors," said Mansell. "The plants and shrubs in the bed end up get- ting too much water, and because the entire bed is getting sprayed, weeds spring up in the rock or mulch. Or, they may plant a tree, shrub or ornamental grass right in front of a rotor, blocking the spray from reaching the turf beyond it. Then the turf starts to turn brown. Most homeowners will then simply increase their sprinkler runtimes, which leads to even more wasted water because the rest of the turf doesn't need it." As ludicrous as it may seem, Mansell has even seen entire heads encased in concrete following a hardscape installation. "At this particular site, some hardscape people were hired to come in and pour a pad," he said. "They had been given specs and a location, and they didn't question them. They poured the concrete right over the heads. It happens more often than you think." Even if concrete or other hardscape materials aren't installed directly over heads, they can still make a difference in the system's overall design. Existing rotors or sprays will need to be adjusted so they're not spraying water unnecessarily onto the hardscape. Some heads may need to be moved in order to ensure greater system efficiency. Upgrade potential As time goes by and irrigation technology continues to improve, even the best-designed and maintained systems can benefit from some upgrades. Maintenance checks give con- tractors the ideal opportunity to review systems and suggest upgrades that can improve performance, use less water and provide their customers with greater convenience. "If there was any room in a customer's budget for a single upgrade, I'd suggest pressure-regulating sprays and rotors," said Mansell. "They offer the greatest bang for the buck when it comes to upgrade dollars. Water pressure variations have a huge impact on water flow rates, precipitation rates and distribution uniformity. Heads with in-stem pressure regulation cost rela- tively little, but they can make a big impact on performance and efficiency." Weather-based Smart controllers for the entire system and low-volume drip irrigation for planting beds can also be wise upgrades. Smart control- lers, such as Rain Bird's ESP-SMT, reevaluate and adjust their own schedules for a tremendous impact on water savings. Low- volume irrigation offers more targeted watering by delivering water at or near plant root zones. Both offer property own- ers greater convenience, with the controller han- dling scheduling on its own, and low-volume irrigation eliminating the need to hand- water beds. Other potential upgrades include replacing standard sprays or rotors at the bottom of slopes with sprays and rotors that feature integrated check valves. These check valves prevent low-head drainage and its associated water waste. Also on slopes or on clay soils, it can make sense to swap out rotors for rotary nozzles that apply water more slowly, allowing it to be absorbed instead of running off. In small or oddly-shaped areas, installing high-efficiency variable arc nozzles, such as Rain Bird's HE-VAN models, can also save water. "There are contractors who either use practically all variable-arc nozzles, or they stick solely with fixed-pattern nozzles," said Mansell. "That's because most variable-arc nozzles don't mix with fixed-pattern nozzles because they don't have the same precipitation rates. The HE-VAN does have the same precip rate as a fixed-pattern nozzle, so they can be mixed on the same zone when it makes sense." Routine maintenance Whether the property in question is a residence, com- mercial site or a sporting venue, irrigation systems installed at each will require the same maintenance. "The only differ- ences between those types of systems are pipe size and head coverage," said Mansell. "During our Rain Bird Academy Boot Camp, we cover irrigation systems with pipes up to 2.5 inches in diameter. With the exception of the gasketed pipe connections in 3-inch diameter and larger, maintenance for everything else is identical. At a commercial site, your rotors may be larger, but they still need the same maintenance." Mansell offers up the following irrigation maintenance checklist. 1) Check the soil. In the spring, it's important to check and see whether the soil has thawed to a depth of 12 inches before starting up the system. 2) Check for obstructions. Remove any dirt or debris from sprays and rotors. Also, check for overgrown turf or shrubs that may be interfering with the spray pattern. 3) Check for wear and tear. Replace broken or worn nozzles, valves, pipes and other components. "Water pressure variations have a huge impact on water flow rates, precipitation rates and distribution uniformity." – Jeremy Mansell