# How many zones



## gatormac2112

I have 2 quotes for putting irrigation in the back and side yard which is about 9900 sq. feet, one guy uses Hunter PGP heads and wants to do 6 zones with 24 total heads. The other guy uses Rainbird 5000 heads and would do it in 3 zones, I forget the number of heads.

Is there any benefit to the added zones? My front yard which is 8000 sq. feet has 2 zones.


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## J_nick

I cover around the same sq footage with 4 zones. It really doesn't matter as long as the zone area has the same conditions. It's all dependent on your GPM capacity and nozzles in the heads.


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## Ware

More zones = longer total run times, so as long as you have the flow I like fewer zones.

Exceptions would be if some areas get significantly more sun or shade, or if the heads being used have different precipitation rates.


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## wardconnor

I have the 5000 heads. I have a large yard. I will never get rotors again. I will pay extra to get more heads next time.


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## J_nick

@wardconnor what do you not like about the 5000's? I plan to expand my irrigation in the future to cover around an acre and planed to use either them or I-20's. What would be your sprinkler of choice?


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## wardconnor

@J_nick they are oooooookkkkk for a large area like what I have. I see it as a poor man's way to cover a large area.

Not versatile at all. I have several dry spots. They blow in the wind. Any sprinklers blow in the wind but these are worse than most. Too much water here while not enough there. Seems like most of water dumps at the very edge of the arc of the stream and not even between the end of arc and head. Very little water between head and end of the arc. You have to leave them running for what it seems like forever to get some water down so my system is running all day (what it seems like) and so my wife thinks "the sprinklers are ALWAYS on."

I had a company install my system. Last year I personally installed another zone or 2 with traditional style (mp rotators) heads and my coverage is much better and I'm not CONSTANTLY adjusting them like I have to with the 5000s. 
I personally like the old style pop ups that are not water wise that spray around 8 to 12 feet. I like that you turn them on and like 8 minutes later or less there is a lot of water down.

It seems like the further the distance gets between heads the harder it is to get even coverage. The 5000s are all about distance.


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## Mightyquinn

I have Hunter PGP rotors and I seem to think they are fairly good heads as you can adjust them with different nozzles and with the screw in the front you can adjust the spray pattern so they don't "throw" as far and you seem to get better water distribution too. I do see what Connor is talking about with the wind and if you have them set apart far enough to where you are almost maxing out the heads for distance, it could be an issue but I also think it just comes down to personal preference.

I have mine set up to put down about 1" an hour and I have 4 zones for the lawn.


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## g-man

wardconnor said:


> I will pay extra to get more heads next time.


Are you moving?


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## GrassDaddy

Mine has 5 zones and I think it was 35 heads. It really depends on the shape of your lawn though, if you have the perfect square lawn it's easy to do with 4 heads, but different shapes you need more to ensure even coverage.

I also love that the front yard has two zones - one zone close to the house, one zone close to the road. So I can run just the road side a little bit longer to compensate for the heat from the road. I've seen some lawns with too many though, doing 4 at a time and doing square by square of the yard, very inefficient that way as more zones = longer time so it's a balance between the two.


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## wardconnor

g-man said:


> wardconnor said:
> 
> 
> 
> I will pay extra to get more heads next time.
> 
> 
> 
> Are you moving?
Click to expand...

Yes eventually. Not now but I'm heavily thinking I might list my house this summer. The market is hot right now and I could make a bunch of money if I sell.

I work for a general contractor and I built this home and will build another one. Build sell build sell. I really want to be debt free within like 10 or so more years. Hopefully less.

Next time I do a sprinkler system I will do it myself.


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## Mightyquinn

wardconnor said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> wardconnor said:
> 
> 
> 
> I will pay extra to get more heads next time.
> 
> 
> 
> Are you moving?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes eventually. Not now but I'm heavily thinking I might list my house this summer. The market is hot right now and I could make a bunch of money if I sell.
> 
> I work for a general contractor and I built this home and will build another one. Build sell build sell. I really want to be debt free within like 10 or so more years. Hopefully less.
> 
> Next time I do a sprinkler system I will do it myself.
Click to expand...

Would you go with a smaller lot(lawn) than you have now? 20K of lawn seems like a lot of work


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## g-man

If you sell the house in the summer, and the second house is not ready, what will you mow in the fall?


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## wardconnor

Mightyquinn said:


> wardconnor said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> g-man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Are you moving?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes eventually. Not now but I'm heavily thinking I might list my house this summer. The market is hot right now and I could make a bunch of money if I sell.
> 
> I work for a general contractor and I built this home and will build another one. Build sell build sell. I really want to be debt free within like 10 or so more years. Hopefully less.
> 
> Next time I do a sprinkler system I will do it myself.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Would you go with a smaller lot(lawn) than you have now? 20K of lawn seems like a lot of work
Click to expand...

Way bigger lot. Smaller lawn area. Neighbors are no Bueno.

@g-man yes mowing in the fall definitely could be a problem. I'm not sure how I'm going to negotiate that. Maybe I will come down to @Ware bed and breakfast mowing hotel. Oh wait. The nursery put a stop to that.

Do you have any suggestions.?


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## J_nick

wardconnor said:


> Way bigger lot. Smaller lawn area. Neighbors are no Bueno.
> 
> @g-man yes mowing in the fall definitely could be a problem. I'm not sure how I'm going to negotiate that. Maybe I will come down to @Ware bed and breakfast mowing hotel. Oh wait. The nursery put a stop to that.
> 
> Do you have any suggestions.?


Way bigger lot. Way bigger lawn area. Hello Triplex

There I fixed it for you


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## gatormac2112

wardconnor said:


> I have the 5000 heads. I have a large yard. I will never get rotors again. I will pay extra to get more heads next time.


Well crap, I was leaning toward the Rainbird guy, not sure what to think now :?


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## Colonel K0rn

g-man said:


> If you sell the house in the summer, and the second house is not ready, what will you mow in the fall?


With the sale of the house, @wardconnor will offer a free season of lawn maintenance for the new owner... for a fee.


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## Movingshrub

Colonel K0rn said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you sell the house in the summer, and the second house is not ready, what will you mow in the fall?
> 
> 
> 
> With the sale of the house, @wardconnor will offer a free season of lawn maintenance for the new owner *for free*.
Click to expand...

Fixed that for you.


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## wardconnor

Movingshrub said:


> Colonel K0rn said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> g-man said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you sell the house in the summer, and the second house is not ready, what will you mow in the fall?
> 
> 
> 
> With the sale of the house, @wardconnor will offer a free season of lawn maintenance for the new owner *for free*.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Fixed that for you.
Click to expand...

Holy crap. These suggestions are good. Keep them coming.


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## Colonel K0rn

wardconnor said:


> Movingshrub said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Colonel K0rn said:
> 
> 
> 
> With the sale of the house, @wardconnor will offer a free season of lawn maintenance for the new owner *for free*.
> 
> 
> 
> Fixed that for you.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Holy crap. These suggestions are good. Keep them coming.
Click to expand...

So you're not saying no... :lol:


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