An Exhaustive Comparison of A Beautiful Car and Your Lawn

Life is good. You just bought your first Corvette with all the features: 6.2 liter 430-hp LS3 V8, Bose® audio system, head-up display and, to top it off, Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC radial tires for off-road mudding! Racetrack, here we come! Life gets better! You just moved into your dream home: ocean view, indoor pool, master chef kitchens (two, so you don’t have to walk too far), a personal theater furnished by Home Theater Gear, a private elevator and, out back, your own personal outhouse…because you didn’t have enough money left over for plumbing. In any system, all parts must work equally to achieve the desired results. Let’s trade the Baja Claw tires for Goodyear Eagle F1 Run-Flats and see if we can’t get some pipes into your new mansion. Nozzles are the final and one of the most critical parts of your irrigation system. It does not matter how good the system is; putting in the wrong nozzle will make it ineffective and a money waster. Understanding nozzles is simple. For one, the notes you need are written right on top. It’s like having the answers to your history test on the same line as the question. Look at the top of a standard nozzle. You’ll see three things: a number, a letter, and some lines. On this sample the “10” means 10-foot radius, the “H” means Half Circle or 180-degree coverage, and the line indicates the spray area. This notation is standard throughout the industry. A full circle nozzle has the distance and pattern, but no line marks. Specialty Nozzles There are nozzles designed just for gardens and small areas. These are strip nozzles. Their patterns are as shown below. Variable Nozzles Variable nozzles are just that: variable. They can adjust spray patterns from 0 to 360. Markings on these are usually the radius and either “A” for adjustable or “VAN” or simply arrows pointing in both directions. These are excellent for small or unusual angles. To adjust you just turn the top ring or the side ring, depending on the manufacturer. Extremely versatile. Other Every manufacturer has specialty nozzles. Some are low angle, some are low flow, and some have different nozzle design. Each has its benefits. All, however, fall back to the same basic descriptions: they all have a radius/distance marking, they all have a pattern description. Precipitation There can be a great deal of difference in the amount of water two nozzles from different companies put out. For example, a Hunter 15’ full pattern standard nozzle at 30 PSI puts out 3.72 gallons per minute (GPM). A Toro Precision series, same radius, pattern, and pressure, puts out 2.31 GPM. That is a difference of 1.41 gallons per minute. Both fit a need and have a specific purpose. However, you do not want to mix the Hunter and the Toro on the same zone. You will either over or under water one area. It is essential to stay with the same manufacturer on nozzles to keep the same precipitation rates. One Final Note: Most nozzles are female thread and will swap brand to brand without a problem. Some nozzles are male thread and are for certain brands only. Female thread tends to dominate the industry but make sure of what you have before you purchase replacements. Everything is good. You have the right tires, an actual indoor…uh… throne room, and perfect coverage for your yard.