If your irrigation heads are spraying onto sidewalks or walls, or if your lawn is not being watered evenly, it is time to adjust the water pattern. You will first need to determine if the sprinkler has a stationary spray head or a rotor nozzle, since the adjustment procedure is not the same for both.
At the top of a stationary spray head nozzle you will find a small radius adjustment screw. Align the nozzle in such a way to keep the spray on your lawn. If the spray head is creating too much mist, try closing the adjustment screw slightly. A clockwise turn or two should reduce the misting by lowering the water pressure inside the nozzle. The screw can be closed considerably without reducing the spray distance.
If the irrigation head is of the rotor variety, you will need to properly set the spray arc and radius. This determines how far the irrigation head turns while on and how far it will spray. Rotor nozzles are held in place with a setscrew located on the side of the stem. Since the method of adjusting rotor nozzles varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, follow their instructions when making these adjustments.
Whether dealing with stationary spray heads or rotor nozzle sprinklers, make sure that each irrigation head sprays over to the next irrigation head, in every direction. Although this may seem to be a waste of water, it is the way sprinkler systems are designed. If head to head coverage cannot be made even after making adjustments, your heads may be spaced too far apart. At this point, an irrigation specialist may be your best bet to help determine a solution. In the meantime, some lawn relief may be found by increasing the sprinkler operation time. |
Turning the radius-reduction screw on the top of the nozzle lets you reduce the radius by up to 25 percent |
