When it comes to lawn sprinkler systems in St Paul and various types of irrigation systems, sometimes the terms we use here at Advanced Irrigation can sound like Greek to someone who doesn’t know much about landscaping and irrigation. So we thought we would take the time to go over some of the most commonly used words and their definitions.
Backflow Preventer: This is a device that only lets water go through it in one direction and then prevents it from going backwards in the opposite direction. It keeps unclean and unsafe water from reversing its course and coming into the clean water supply area.
Controller/Timer: This is the part of lawn sprinkler systems that determines when watering should start and stop.
Sensor/Rain Sensor: This is a sensor that will automatically shut off your sprinkler system when it rains. That way, your grass and landscaping will not be over-watered if it rains.
Sprinkler Head: There are two main types of sprinkler heads – spray type and rotor type. Both have their advantages and are used depending on the type of lawn sprinkler systems that are needed. A spray type is sometimes referred to as a “fixed spray head” and they spray in a fan-shaped pattern much like a shower nozzle. A rotor type sprinkler head rotates streams of water back and forth or in circles over your grass or landscaping.
Valve: When we refer to a valve, there are a few different kinds we could be speaking of. The two valves we speak of the most are emergency shut-off valves and irrigation control valves. An emergency shut-off valve is installed at the closest point to lawn sprinkler systems’ water source. This functions exactly as the name suggests. It is a way to cut off the flow of water in an emergency situation or, if we come out to work on lawn sprinkler systems, this is how we will shut down the system’s water supply without having to shut off your entire house’s water supply. An irrigation control valve is the valve that turns lawn sprinkler systems’ sprinklers on and off.
Water Meter: This is a separate water meter from the one you may have in your home. This measures how much water your lawn sprinkler system used.
To learn more about lawn sprinkler systems in St Paul, call Advanced Irrigation at 612-599-8675 or contact us for a Free Estimate.
