# Need help overhauling irrigation system



## dannyc (Apr 6, 2020)

Hello,
I moved in to my current house in December and I'm starting to notice my irrigation system can't keep up with the drought here in South Florida. After looking at my current system, I noticed a few issues like mixing sprays and rotors on the same zone, broken heads, etc.

Where I live we have permanent watering restrictions so I can only water before 10 am or after 4 pm Thursdays and Sundays. With that schedule, my front lawn has big dry spots because of the uneven coverage but the side yards are green. Eventually the side

My current system is broken up into 3 zones:
Zone 1: three shrub sprays on risers watering front landscape bed and two rotors watering half of 60 x 40 front lawn closer to house
Zone 2: sprays watering East side yard and next to the pool (same width), three rotors watering the front lawn closer to the sidewalk and the swale between the street and sidewalk
Zone 3: sprays watering West side yard and next to the pool (same width), and sprays watering part of the back hedge

I would like to get all the sprinklers for the front lawn on one zone, add more heads on the front lawn for better coverage, run a line under the sidewalk to water the swale without spraying over the sidewalk and make that one zone. I'm planning on replacing all the heads in the new zone with mp rotators. Do you think this would work?

Eventually I want to replace the sprays in the side yard with mp rotators as well but that will get done after I put in new landscaping by the pool.


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## daganh62 (May 4, 2018)

While your at it you should put one of these in. 
https://www.dripdepot.com/product/ez-flo-main-line-dispensing-system


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## TSGarp007 (May 22, 2018)

Maybe start with a layout drawing of your current setup.


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## Colinwjholding (Apr 6, 2020)

Also need some more info on what size your zones are pipe wise. Is running off hosebib or 3/4"or 1" line


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## ricwilli (Feb 18, 2019)

The first thing I did and would do is get the water pressure, do the 5 gallon test, find out your GPM than draw your current layout and try to incorporate it into your new layout. Your GPM will determine how many sprinklers per zone you can have.


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## dannyc (Apr 6, 2020)

Thanks for all the responses. This is the first house I have that has an in-ground irrigation system so I don't have a lot of experience with them. I used to water with a hose-end impact sprinkler in my previous house. I know that my system pulls water from a shallow well but I'm not sure about GMP. I was able to draw a layout of the current system. Let me know what you think.


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## jht3 (Jul 27, 2018)

Rotors and sprays on the same zone is a no-no

Sounds like you aren't afraid of hard work or tearing up your lawn because what you have described is going to require both

I just replaced/relocated four rotors in one zone. Replaced/relocated/raised seven sprays with rotators in another zone. And replaced the guts in three valves that weren't closing all the way. I swear my whole yard is clay, rocks, and tree roots....really kicked my butt.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

That head placement is pretty bad. The installer just place head to get the grass wet but not to get even distribution. I fear that you will need to start over if you want this done correctly.


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## TSGarp007 (May 22, 2018)

Where is the valve box? The design is definitely not ideal, but maybe, if he is OK with the side/back yard, then he could limit his reno to just adding a zone or two dedicated to the front yard.


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