Installing an irrigation system for your lawn saves on time, water, and healthy yards throughout the year. If the installation goes wrong, you face the treachery of wasting water, brown patches, high utility bills, or worse, the system may need to be ripped out and started all over again.
Understand the most common mistakes of installation in sprinkler irrigation systems so that whether you’re going to DIY or hire professional irrigation system installers, you can make better decisions.
In this blog, we will be taking you through the common errors that people make whileinstalling irrigation systems for lawns and avoiding such mistakes while doing it themselves.
The Importance of Perfect Irrigation Installation
Installing an irrigation system for your lawn is not just putting in pipes and sprinkler heads; it is putting just the right amount of water in the right place, at the right time, for the right type of lawn. A wrong system installed on wrong design principles may create the opposite effect-a few dry patches and book warm water and, years later, damage the lawn badly.
DIY or hire professional irrigation system installers; it should save you time and money. Knowing what mistakes to avoid during the installation of sprinkler irrigation systems can save you time, money, and a lot of stress down the road.
Here are common mistakes that must be avoided:
1. Poor Planning of Zones
Before installing an irrigation system, it is necessary to divide the yard into properly defined irrigation zones. Each zone should define plants according to the need for sunlight and watering.
Mistake: Having all the grass, flowers, and shrubs in a watering zone.
Why is this a mistake? Different plants have to be watered differently. On one particular part, if too much water is given and yet too little to another, it can cause damage and waste.
How to avoid it: Zone out depending on plant types and sun exposure. A professional installer of irrigation systems will have custom layout plans that will match your landscape.
2. Incorrect Sprinkler Head Placement
Provide your lawn the coverage with minimum overlap and dry spots with your sprinklers.
Mistake: Sprinkler heads placed too far apart or completely the wrong way.
Why that is a problem: Causes dry spots and pooling on your lawn, which ruins it and wastes water.
How to avoid it: Use the “head-to-head” spacing method. Sprinkler heads from each other must spray to the next one to get even coverage. Precision can be accomplished by hiring experts in irrigation system installation and maintenance.
3. Not Checking Water Pressure
Water pressure significantly influences the operation of your system.
Mistake: Not checking the water pressure before system installation.
Why this is a problem: High pressure could harm the pipes and sprinkler heads. Low pressure means insufficient watering and a lack of uniform coverage.
How to avoid: Check water pressure in your home well in advance and choose sprinklers accordingly. A majority of sprinkler irrigation systems are best installed at pressures between 30 and 50 psi for proper functioning.
4. Ignoring Backflow Prevention
Every irrigation system needs a backflow preventer.
Mistake: Not installing a backflow prevention device.
How It Affects: Backflow could open contamination of your drinking water supply through dirt, fertilizers, or chemicals.
How to Avoid: Make sure that the system has a certified backflow preventer. Most US cities require it by code. Ask your irrigation system installer to take care of permits and compliance.
5. Skipping a Controller or Smart Timer
One of the key benefits of an automatic lawn irrigation system is automation.
Mistakes: Not using a timer and instead turning it on and off manually.
Why it’s a problem: The problem with manual watering is inconsistency and being overwatered or underwatered.
This is avoided by installing a programmable timer or smart controller, which would automate the respective schedules based on certain weather conditions and soil moisture conditions, while saving water and maintaining a healthier lawn.
6. Using Low-Quality Parts
Of course, spare heads, pipes, valves, and what have you would be extremely enticingly low when it comes to prices—especially in DIY installations.
Mistake: Using the cheapest parts or parts that are incompatible.
Why it’s a problem: Cheap stuff wears out quicker and is more prone to breaking and leaking.
How to Avoid: Use good parts from reputable brands.
A reliable installer of irrigation systems recommends long-lasting components best suited to your property and water source.
7. Forgetting Maintenance After Installation
Even a well-fitted system would generally need regular upkeep.
Mistakes: Neglecting regular maintenance after the plant has been installed.
It may become unnoticed, thus wasting gallons of water due to clogs in the heads, broken valves, or leaks.
How to avoid it: Schedule seasonal maintenance checks. At Tierra Dura Construction, we offer irrigation system installation and maintenance to ensure long-term performance and efficiency.
8. DIY Without Proper Knowledge
While it can work within a small yard, more problems seem to arise when some homeowners are trying to install the irrigation systems themselves without the expertise of an irrigation installer.
Mistake: Trying to install a complex system without the requisite experience.
Several things can go wrong with irrigation installations. The result will be costly repairs and much hassle later on. Get professionals who know the irrigation system regulations for your area and are conversant with all local soil and climate conditions.
At Tierra Dura Construction, we bring experience, dependability, and quality to every irrigation system installation throughout Oregon. From design to installation to seasonal maintenance, you can count on our team to get the job done right the first time!
Conclusion
Avoiding these errors in lawn irrigation installation will sustainably save you money, time, and arguments. Every effort, from sound planning to proper equipment to picking the right people to work with, contributes to a dependable and effective system.
If you are remodeling an old setup or starting from scratch, the Tierra Dura Construction team is your go-to for expert installation of irrigation systems for lawns and maintenance. We’re here to make your yard greener—and life easier.
