In an age of climate change and increased water scarcity, water and irrigation will become increasingly crucial to the future of society. Water is a resource that is crucial to agriculture, drinking, and industrial use. Ensuring supply and availability can only be accomplished with custom irrigation systems tailored to the needs of the plants in that area.
Protecting plants is becoming an increasingly important topic of interest to people. As such, gardeners must know how to build the perfect custom irrigation systems. Landscape irrigation design is essential for any landscape job. An irrigation system designer has many variables to consider when constructing a custom irrigation system.
Building The Perfect Custom Irrigation Systems
The first stage of designing an irrigation system is assessing the needs of the area that needs to be watered. For example, the primary concern in most yards is grass irrigation. It’s essential to consider all the conditions that might be encountered in the future. A lot of people focus on designing systems for ideal conditions. Water availability, drought periods, frost, and cold temperatures can affect plant growth and water use. The key to perfect custom irrigation systems is flexibility. If the project, for instance, let’s say it’s grass irrigation, requires a large amount of water, it might be better to build custom irrigation systems that can handle a large amount of water than one that can’t take care of most of the plants.
A second stage is planning the location and construction of the system. It is essential to consider where the water supply is coming from, especially in cases where there may be a considerable distance between the water supply and where it will be used. Taking this into consideration in advance can save a lot of time, money, and effort. Also, the soil conditions will affect the flow rate at which water moves through pipes and runs down sprinkler heads. In addition, site considerations are essential for design purposes so that no unnecessary work gets done. For example, if the area is not level, the length of pipe needed to reach the plant will be longer than necessary for an entire site.
The design process can be started with a simple drawing or diagram that shows all the dimensions of where pipes will run and where sprinkler heads will be placed. The engineer may also draw simple sketches to show how he plans on putting each sprinkler head and branch pipe as it travels down the line. The engineer might also draw where the sprinkler heads will go to show the location and amount of plants that will be irrigated.
The next step is to determine what materials are needed. The engineer will most likely have to look up technical specifications on irrigation system materials, as it can be challenging to find all the information he needs in one place. It is essential to ensure that high-quality pipes and sprinkler heads are used when designing an irrigation system, for instance, when planning a grass irrigation project.
After planning the design and materials, it is essential to properly survey the area where the irrigation system will get placed. The engineer can check to ensure no hazardous materials are on the site where he plans to put pipes. If no contractor is available, this may have to be done by hand. After checking for hazardous materials, he can be reassured that they won’t cause hiccups in the design and installation process.
Components Of Perfect Custom Irrigation Systems
The components of an irrigation system are the same for most plans, but some may vary depending on need. The features that make up an irrigation system are typically the water supply, a pipeline network, which is what connects all components of the irrigation system; an irrigation controller, which is necessary to manage water control; sprinkler heads and other equipment such as valves and flow regulators.
1. Water Supply and Source
Water can come from a natural source such as a lake, stream, or pond. It can also come from an artificial source like a well. Some municipalities distribute water to residents needed for their grass irrigation and gardens. The water supply can be expensive, so if it is possible, it is better to use rainwater that falls on your property. Rainwater is also cleaner than water from lakes, streams, or ponds.
The water supply can be as simple as a public well. A construction crew will dig a new well for the irrigation system located on your property.
2. Pipelines
The pipeline will connect all of the components. The channel may be made from PVC plastic pipe or steel. The type of pipe used depends on the size of the irrigation system. Only a few feet of line will be needed in a small irrigation system. Several feet of the pipeline will be required to complete the whole project in a more extensive irrigation system. The channel can get buried underground or above ground.
Pipelines are vital for an irrigation system to work efficiently. The water supply will come in a channel, and then the water will travel down a pipe to the sprinkler heads and sprinkler recirculation valves.
3. Irrigation Controller
The irrigation controller is a device that manages water from the water source. It signals the sprinkler recirculation valves and sprinkler heads to turn on and off when the homeowner wants. Typically, controllers will be set to run for a certain amount of time on certain days, but these days, they’re far more advanced than a simple timer. There are several different types of irrigation controllers:
- Rain sensor – This type of irrigation controller turns on and off based on its surrounding environment. For example, if there is a rainstorm, the controller will turn the sprinkler recirculation valves on to deliver the water to the grass irrigation sprinkler heads.
- Dial-a-flow – This type of irrigation control system has a dial that allows the farmer to set how much time he wants the irrigation system to run.
Benefits Of Custom Irrigation Systems
Custom irrigation systems have many benefits. Here are just a few:
1. Saves Money
With a custom irrigation system, you don’t have to pay much money for water. Because of those smart controllers we talked about earlier, there won’t be any overwatering involved. We’ll go into the water, time, and energy savings in subsequent sections, but for now, just know that all those add up to some serious money saving over time.
2. Saves Time
Custom irrigation systems save you a lot of time. Instead of watering by hand, moving traditional sprinklers around every hour or so until the whole lawn has gotten enough of a soaking, you’ll just set it and forget it. This is especially true if you have a professional come and install your custom irrigation systems — then, you won’t even have the initial setup time on your hands.
3. Makes the Best Use of Space
Custom irrigation systems designed with your yard in mind are going to fully maximize the space and make sure that all areas are well taken care of. If grass irrigation isn’t your only concern, there will be areas for the other plants as well with customized solutions.
4. Saves Energy
An irrigation system correctly set up can save energy. Customized systems only use the exact amount of energy you need to keep your yard in tip-top shape. In that way, it will take out any human error factors that might be driving up the energy use of your existing system. It’s a much more efficient way to make sure the plants get exactly what they need, nothing more and nothing less.
5. Saves water
Custom irrigation systems can save a lot of water, as we’ve already alluded to. They won’t switch on if there’s already been a bunch of rain in the area recently. This substantially reduces water waste compared to older ways to accomplish grass irrigation.
Some people even choose to collect rainwater and use that as the water source for their custom irrigation systems. That’s another way to make the process more sustainable — collecting excess rain during heavy downpours and saving it for another, drier time is a great sustainable practice.
Custom irrigation systems also save water by using less water and not wasting it on grass irrigation and crops. None of the water will go where it’s not designed to go. It is suitable for both the environment and for your wallet.
Disadvantages of Custom Irrigation Systems
Here are some disadvantages that you need to be aware of when using a custom irrigation system:
1. Design Issues
A proper design for custom irrigation systems is essential for them to function correctly and to ensure a seamless installation. You’re setting yourself up for failure if you don’t have the designs completely in order before setting off on a big project like this. For example, if you have a grass irrigation project that is designed too small, then it won’t be able to rinse as much area as needed.
2. Maintenance Issues
You don’t maintain your irrigation system, it will eventually fail. For example, suppose the recirculation valves stop working. In that case, the sprinkler heads and sprinkler recirculation valves will not be able to deliver water for the grass irrigation or to the crops. Also, the sprinkler heads may not be able to spray water accurately in the right amounts on smaller areas of the field. Maintenance is also essential because it will ensure all the valves and sprinkler heads can be used in all types of weather. You’ll also need to winterize your system every year, or you could have a professional come out and do it for you. Either way, you need to stay on top of regular maintenance for your system in order to keep it in tip-top shape.
3. Cost
Another disadvantage to custom irrigation systems is their initial cost, which scares many people away. The cost of a custom irrigation system can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on how extensive and advanced the system will be. Like we said, though, well-designed custom irrigation systems can save you a lot of money in the long run. So as long as you can stomach the cost of the initial installation and materials, then you should see a return on your investment over the course of several years.
What You Can Do Yourself and When to Call in Professionals
As a homeowner, you can create your grass irrigation system to save you a lot of money. Before you go and do this, though, you should check out how much it will cost first.
Some contractors charge a fee just to come out and look at your yard. Also, they will charge an hourly fee for the time they spend on the project. It can add up quickly if the grass irrigation system design is large and complicated. To save some money, plan out a strategy before calling in professionals.
If you’re handy and have some skills when it comes to DIY projects, you might be able to accomplish some small tasks on your own when it comes to creating a custom grass irrigation system. With simple solutions like drip irrigation, there are plenty of walk throughs out there. You could save some money by doing the work yourself.
For larger projects, check with professionals before making any design changes that they say will be best for your landscape or yard. Many companies specialize in custom irrigation systems and can help you with anything you need. They can even help you decide what irrigation system would work best for your yard.
Conclusion
Overall, custom irrigation systems are ideal for watering your lawn and grass irrigation or crops without wasting water. They can save you money and work well for landscaping and grass irrigation. You do have to be careful about making the design right, though, because if you make a mistake, it will cost you a lot of money and time to correct it. More and more local companies specialize in custom irrigation systems to keep up with the growing need for irrigation systems.
Contact our experts here at Hydro Dynamics to start a conversation about our custom irrigation design for your needs.
