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Q. What is a Water Meter?
A water meter is a device used to measure the volume of water usage. Water meters are used at each residential and commercial building in a public water supply system. Some areas allow a separate meter to be installed for irrigation use. This allows the customer to pay for the water only, as opposed to water and sewer. |
Q. What is a Point of Connection?
The point of connection is where the irrigation system is connected to the water supply. This can be done directly at the meter, in the crawl space of your home, or anywhere along the home’s existing water main. |
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Q. What is a Main Isolation Valve?
The main isolation valve allows the irrigation system to be cutoff from the point of connection. The main isolation valve is usually a ball valve. Ball valves are in the open position when the handle is inline with the piping, and closed when the handle is perpendicular. |
Q. What is a Main Line?
The main line of an irrigation system consists of all piping between the main isolation valve and the electric valves. Main line is always under pressure. 1” PVC is the most common size pipe used for main line on residential systems. |
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Q. What is a Hookup for Winterization?
Hookup for winterization: Each system in the Richmond area must have a ‘port’ which allows the system to be winterized. Winterization is completed by hooking an air compressor to this port and purging the majority of the water from the piping and components. |
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Q. What is a Backflow Prevention Device?
A backflow prevention device is used to protect water supplies from contamination or pollution. Many types exist, however only the RPZ and the PVB are permitted for use in this area. Richmond Irrigation installs unions on all backflow prevention devices, which allows the device to be removed without any cutting or gluing of pipe. This gives homeowners the added protection of storing this device in a warmer environment during the winter. |
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Q. What is an Ellectric Valve?
Each zone of an irrigation system has an electric valve. Wires are installed from the valve to the controller. The electric valve opens and closes based on the programming scheduled in the controller. When the valve receives a 24 volt signal from the controller, the valve opens and allows water from the mainline to flow throughout the piping and to the sprinklers of that particular zone. |
Q. What is Zone Piping?
Zone piping, sometimes called laterals, starts at the backside of an electric valve and runs to each sprinkler within that zone. Laterals are usually piped with ¾” or 1” PVC. |
Q. What is a Zone?
A zone is the area of your property that is irrigated when your controller sends a signal to the electric valve. Zones provide water to your landscape by using rotors, sprays, or landscape dripline. Because the precipitation rate of rotors, sprays, and dripline is much different, it is critical not to mix these within a particular zone. |
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Q. What is a Rotor?
Rotors are used to irrigate areas open areas, such as a larger front lawn. Rotors have a gear drive mechanism that allows the top to rotate as the sprinkler operates. Rotors typically use around 2 gallons/minute and have a precipitation rate of ¼” per hour. Most rotors used in a residential setting throw 30-40’. The spacing between this type of sprinkler should equal its throwing distance. This is referred to as ‘head to head’ spacing. Depending on the water pressure and the length of piping that must be installed, up to 5 rotors can be installed on a zone. |
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Q. What is a Spray?
Sprays, sometimes called ‘misters’ or ‘pop ups’, are used to irrigate smaller, more irregular shaped areas. Sprays heads have an assortment of nozzles, with each having its own flow rate and precipitation rate. The nozzles range anywhere from an 18’ full circle to a 4’ quarter circle. Nozzles are also available to irrigate strips, such as those often located between sidewalks and the street. Sprays work best at 30 psi, which is usually much less than the supply – thereby allowing more heads to be installed per zone. Depending on the water pressure, length of piping, and the nozzles, up to 10 sprays can be installed on a single zone. |
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Q. What is a Landscape Dripline?
Landscape dripline is used to provide water directly to the root zone of shrubs and ornamental plantings. This brown tubing is installed directly on the surface of the bedding, and can be lightly covered with mulch to further hide its presence. Landscape dripline has small holes, usually spaced 12-18” apart, and irrigates at a rate of 0.5 gallons/hour. This is a great option for plants that don’t like wet foliage, such as roses. |
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Q. What is a Pressure Regulating Filter?
When installing landscape dripline, it is necessary to install a pressure regulating filter, prior to converting the PVC piping to the brown tubing. This filter regulates the incoming pressure to an optimum range for drip tubing, and also removes debris from the supply that could clog the tubing’s emitters. |
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Q. What is a Controller?
The controller is the brains of an irrigation system. The irrigation will come on and off as you wish, simply by inputting which days to water, how long to water, and what time to start. Controllers can be installed indoors or outdoors. An important feature to have on a controller is the ability to bypass the rain sensor. |
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Q. What is a Rain Sensor?
A rain sensor is a device that prevents an irrigation system from running after sufficient rainfall has met the adjustable threshold of the device. Rain sensors for irrigation systems are available in both wireless and hard-wired versions, most employing hygroscopic disks that swell in the presence of rain and shrink back down again as they dry out - an electrical switch is in turn depressed or released by the hygroscopic disk stack. |
