SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

After reading various messages in the forum I have learned that each head with a different radius should have a different nozzle installed to control the amount of water being deposited on the lawn; i.e. 90 degree radius, 180 degree radius, 360 degree radius, etc... I also realize the key to choosing the correct nozzle is knowing my water PSI and GPM... Unfortunately I do not know these things because I have a pump drawing water from a well and the pump does not have a PSI gage attached. Is there a simple solution here to selecting the correct nozzles? How do I figure out which nozzle to use based on the radius of the rotars?

I have an older system with hunter heads (they need to be replaced) and I thought maybe I could take note of the nozzles installed and cross reference them to the rainbird nozzles that I intend on using. Unfortunately whoever installed the system used the same nozzle (number 7) for all heads regardless of radius so that idea was shot down. At any rate, I am really hoping to get some input on this because I want to be able to set everything up properly.

You'll have to excuse my ignorance, but I am not sure what a hose bib is. I guess I better find out, huh? I didn't think about this before but the only place that I know of where I can easily connect a gage is in the middle of my discharge pipe where I have a water valve with a connection for a hose (Is that a hose bib?). Would that give me an accurate reading? The water would basically be flowing through the pipe past the gage so I would not get the same reading as if it was a closed system.