Adding a New Zone To Your System
You may already have an existing sprinkler system, but are needing to upgrade it or add an extension to cover a new area that you'd like to landscape. Sometimes this can be as easy as tapping in a new sprinkler head or two, but other times this may require having to add an entire new zone.
Of course several different factors will determine if you need a whole new sprinkler zone or not. First of all is the actual size of the new landscape area where you are needing sprinkler coverage. Can this area be covered by just one spray head or one rotor head? If so, does the existing zone nearby have enough water volume and pressure to carry one or two more sprinkler heads?
If the new area of landscape is a large section, then you'll most likely need to add a new zone or maybe more to properly cover the area. Adding a new sprinkler zone is not too difficult, but how you exactly go about it will also depend on what kind of automatic sprinkler system you have.
If your existing lawn irrigation system uses an index valve, then this may require changing the index valve to a larger one which can carry one or two more zones. For example you may currently have a four zone index valve, but will need to upgrade to a six zone index valve (with a 5 or 6 zone cam depending on if you are adding one or two more zones). Or you may get lucky and only need to change out the cam. If your system has a four or six zone index valve, but your system actually only has one zone less (three or five zones respectively) then you are in luck and will just need to upgrade the cam to allow water to flow to your current blank zone.
If you have a digital timer and electric valve system then you will need to tap into the mainline, extend out some pipe, and add a new valve or two (one for each new zone of course). Also you will probably have to add a new multi-strand sprinkler wire from the new valves up into to the timer to power the valves from the timer/controller. The exception here is if your irrigation system's current multi-strand sprinkler wire has spare wires to use. You can usually tell this by looking inside the back panel of the timer where the valve wires are connected to the station terminals in the timer and looking to see if there are spare wires. You'll then need to locate the spare wires in one of the existing valves. You can then splice and tie into the spare wires from the point where you'll be tapping into the mainline to add your new valves.
As always, a good design will start with proper sprinkler head layout. Make sure to have the sprinkler heads placed where you will get overlapping or what's known as "head-to-head" coverage. This helps ensure even precipitation and prevents dry or "hot spots". Once you know how many sprinkler heads your new lawn or landscape area will need, you can then determine the water volume demand. You'll do this by choosing and counting gallons per minute according to the types of sprinkler heads and nozzles. Then you can determine how many new sprinkler zones you will need.
A helpful tip here or shortcut is to count the gallons per minute being used on one of your existing sprinkler zones. This will be a good indication of how much water you can use per zone.
My ebook on building a new sprinkler systems will help you better understand these concepts. Also, if you are just looking for an irrigation contractor to do this work for you, please feel free to call me if you live in my service area in Northwest Florida (Niceville, Valparaiso, Bluewater Bay, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Crestview). I will come out and determine what needs to be done and give you a free price quote.
Scott
Advanced Irrigation Florida
Design & Build Your Sprinkler System
Of course several different factors will determine if you need a whole new sprinkler zone or not. First of all is the actual size of the new landscape area where you are needing sprinkler coverage. Can this area be covered by just one spray head or one rotor head? If so, does the existing zone nearby have enough water volume and pressure to carry one or two more sprinkler heads?
If the new area of landscape is a large section, then you'll most likely need to add a new zone or maybe more to properly cover the area. Adding a new sprinkler zone is not too difficult, but how you exactly go about it will also depend on what kind of automatic sprinkler system you have.
If your existing lawn irrigation system uses an index valve, then this may require changing the index valve to a larger one which can carry one or two more zones. For example you may currently have a four zone index valve, but will need to upgrade to a six zone index valve (with a 5 or 6 zone cam depending on if you are adding one or two more zones). Or you may get lucky and only need to change out the cam. If your system has a four or six zone index valve, but your system actually only has one zone less (three or five zones respectively) then you are in luck and will just need to upgrade the cam to allow water to flow to your current blank zone.
If you have a digital timer and electric valve system then you will need to tap into the mainline, extend out some pipe, and add a new valve or two (one for each new zone of course). Also you will probably have to add a new multi-strand sprinkler wire from the new valves up into to the timer to power the valves from the timer/controller. The exception here is if your irrigation system's current multi-strand sprinkler wire has spare wires to use. You can usually tell this by looking inside the back panel of the timer where the valve wires are connected to the station terminals in the timer and looking to see if there are spare wires. You'll then need to locate the spare wires in one of the existing valves. You can then splice and tie into the spare wires from the point where you'll be tapping into the mainline to add your new valves.
As always, a good design will start with proper sprinkler head layout. Make sure to have the sprinkler heads placed where you will get overlapping or what's known as "head-to-head" coverage. This helps ensure even precipitation and prevents dry or "hot spots". Once you know how many sprinkler heads your new lawn or landscape area will need, you can then determine the water volume demand. You'll do this by choosing and counting gallons per minute according to the types of sprinkler heads and nozzles. Then you can determine how many new sprinkler zones you will need.
A helpful tip here or shortcut is to count the gallons per minute being used on one of your existing sprinkler zones. This will be a good indication of how much water you can use per zone.
My ebook on building a new sprinkler systems will help you better understand these concepts. Also, if you are just looking for an irrigation contractor to do this work for you, please feel free to call me if you live in my service area in Northwest Florida (Niceville, Valparaiso, Bluewater Bay, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Crestview). I will come out and determine what needs to be done and give you a free price quote.
Scott
Advanced Irrigation Florida
Design & Build Your Sprinkler System
posted by Irrigationman at
8:21 PM
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