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

Thank you for your reply! It gave me some confidence to call the contractor instead of trying to fix all the problems myself! But... (there's always a "but" in life's turmoil's isn't there?) When I talked to him over the phone, he told me that he was aware that he set the heads to hit the house, because the alternative would be to have about 5 feet of lawn go without water. (the 5 feet he is talking about is between the house, which has about 3 foot deep beds around the foundation, and the sprinkler heads... he located the heads approx 8-9 feet from the house itself, instead of 3 feet at the edge of the beds, where the lawn starts... so the 5 feet behind the head ((between the heads and the bed)) is where the lawn would get no water unless the heads rotate 360 degrees and pound the house... the lawn extends 35 feet beyond that and he did the same thing on the other side... located the heads about 5 feet in from the edge of the lawn???? Luckily on that side there is no house for the sprinklers to hit, just the next door neighbors cow pasture... which I seem to be irrigating part of for free...) I asked him why he located the heads where he did if he knew this would happen, and he told me that it was because I told him to keep the cost down as low as possible so he had to improvise. The lawn had already been seeded the previous fall, so it wasn't like he didn't know where the lawn stopped and started... And yes, I did tell him I didn't have a million dollars for an overly elaborate sprinkler system, but I did want one that worked properly! It was already expensive due to the size of my yard... So another $500.00 to $1,000.00 either way wouldn't have changed my mind in putting in a system. I did all of the backfilling of the trenches myself to save money, and he gave me a whopping $100.00 off. (if it were just dirt, backfilling the trenches would be no big deal, but given that there was already a lawn in place made the job worth more than $100.00.) ANYWAY... he said that there aren't any nozzles that will fix my problems, and suggested that I just extend the beds out another 5 feet. Or, when I get plants in my beds and my drip system set up... that I incorporate spray nozzles at the edge of the beds to irrigate that 5 feet of lawn that is now dead. (it is a new house, I don't even have plants in my beds yet, but they are already tilled, mounded with good soil, landscape fabric installed, barked, and edged... I'll get plants in them next year when I have enough money!) I never told him his price was way too much or anything... I just asked him to please let me do whatever I could (labor-wise) to save money, and that I wanted a system that was dependable, not overly elaborate, but not cheapo either! I didn't want to drag hose over 3 acres of property to make up for the area's the system didn't cover like I have to now!!! I don't know what to do or say at this point. He also told me he threw away the nozzles, and to go buy another key because he had just recently given all of his extras away to the last job he did because the woman had alzheimer's and he figured she'd have a problem remembering where she put them, so she needed a bunch. (now if that isn't sarcastic... I don't know what is...) Doesn't look like he is going to fix the problems without paying him more... and I don't want to do that... I'm not wild about the idea of extending the beds another 5 feet, because that means more money in plants, dirt, bark, effort, time... etc. so what would you suggest? Would sprayers linked to my future drip system take care of the 5 foot "dead" gap? The area that we are talking about here is on both long sides of my house, which is a total of 180 feet... and 1 short side that is 35 wide. So that is approximately 1100 sq feet. (Minus the area for the front entrance which is 25 feet wide.) He only allowed 1 station (or rather, 1 valve) to operate the entire drip system around the house, as he said that 1 valve could operate up to 2000 emitters... but from what I have read, it isn't a great practice to combin

As far as his comments i agree he is rude. If they are only 5 feet awy, you can have another zone added (use a different contractor) and have them add a zone of sprays where the 5 foot gap would be, but do not combine the sprays and the drip on a zone. if you add a zone of sprays then you can change the "heads that pound your house" to halves and the zone of sprays at the edge of the garden will water what is missed. What did he charge you for the whole job? Call another contractor in your area, also he can go to his supplier and get cases of those keys for free, and if you really really need one, i can mail you one!

Let me know what happens!


Thanks
Ray
Rays Above and Beyond Automatic Lawn Sprinklers

Hi!
Thanks for the offer! I'm sure it would cost more to send a key than they actually cost! The issue with the stupid little key was just one of those little details that, when added to the list of other problems, rubs salt in the wound... sending me cursing all the way to the sprinkler store... But anyway... your solution completely makes sense to me... I didn't feel like his suggestion of combining the drip with the sprayers was the right thing to do. Some of the heads are farther away from the bed edge than 5 feet... (why? I have no clue) I went out and measured, and the farthest one is 11 feet from the bed, with the shortest distance being a little over 5 feet. Do spray heads cover up to 11 feet? Oh well... I've bugged you with enough questions! To answer your question regarding the cost of the whole system: $10,300.00 - which didn't include the parts/tube/etc. for the drip system... (but the pipe is stubbed out for the drip station and a station dedicated to it) I had another contractor bid the job and his bid came relatively close to the guy I went with, but he used a different brand than Hunter, and from what I had read I was under the impression that Hunter was the brand to go with. But thinking back, I realize I was paying more attention to the type of trencher each guy had, (as far as how badly it was going to tear everything up) than how many heads were going to be installed, the head locations, etc. (it was still spring, and it was the 1st season the grass had grown, after having the entire property dirt and rocks for over a year...) After reading your last post, I dug out the other guy's bid and he proposed a 16 station controller, (my current one is a 12-station) 3 drip stations instead of 1, and more heads... (unfortunately I spilled coffee on that part, so it isn't legible... neither is the total bid amount, but I remember it being less, but not more than a thousand less) I also didn't realize that there could be a big design difference between contractors... I basically figured there was a right way to design the system... period. That it was a matter of doing the math to get the right # heads, location, etc... It is a lot of money to spend... I guess that is why when there are dead spots it tends to really annoy me... and makes that stupid $2.00 key seem like $200.00 just due to the principle of the whole issue! Funny, some people get a horrified look on their face when they hear how much the system cost, and others nod their head and say "that sounds about right... you have so much darn lawn..." I just think with what I spent I shouldn't have to drag hose, spend a ton more, or have a house that grows grass, or for that matter argue about it! Thanks for all of your help and advice! You've been great... thanks for not kicking me off the site for rambling and taking up server space with an over abundance of text in my posts!!
Well... if the grass is ever going to have a problem without water it is going to be today... the forecast calls for temperatures between 110 and 113 degrees! Ugh! Stay cool wherever you are! If your lucky it isn't the upper west of the US!
Jacque

How big is your yard? Wow, 10k for a rezzy sprinkler system seems a little too much for me. Have you ever thought of relocating the heads yourself with swing pipe?

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Rock Valley Lawn & Irrigation

10,300.00 OMG lol.....thats a realll high price.....How many zones??? Spray heads reach as far as 15 feet. Unless you want to move the heads yourself...with swing pipe, as RVLI suggested....What you do is buy the swing pipe, and dig a trench from the head to the edge of the garden,,,,,,,,,and attach a swing pipe elbow, run swing pipe from the connection, to the new head location....or like i suggested having a zone of sprays added, and then the heads that are beaming the house moved to Half ARcs...........get an estimate for that............and let me know......did you get the keys?? I can see how that would "rubb salt into a wound"if you need some let me know!!!!! (lol) Have the estimate for someone to add a zoneo f sprays for you covering what the rotors missed...........did this guys contract guarantee 100% coverage......if so then he has no way out of fixing these problems that are causing dry-spots.....dont worry about the questions or text...its why we are here!

Let me know~

Thanks
Ray
Rays Above and Beyond Automatic Lawn Sprinklers

Do not change the nozzel gpm then you may not have any water pressure. Your nozzels will add up to a certain gpm. Mine add up to 12gpm. So on some zones there are 4 3gpm heads. On another zone a have a 1.5, 3.0, 3.0, 1.5, 3.0Gpm. It must add to your gpm of your pump. If it is too low then your pump will turn on and off causing you to wear out the starter. I it is too high then the sprinklers wont get as much water pressure.