Getting Started –
Irrigation System Basics
The three major components of every automatic sprinkler system are the controller, the control valves and the sprinklers/emitters.
The controller is the brain of the system, signaling each control valve when and how long to open. The valves are connected to expansion modules within the controller, and identified as Station 1, Station 2, etc. Each station controls a group of sprinklers in a specific portion of the landscape called a watering “Zone.” The zones are generally laid out according to the type of plant material being watered and the type and flow rate of the sprinklers used to distribute the water.
Automatic controller “Programs” are used to establish and organize different watering schedules. The
Controller
Valve 1 |
Valve 2
Valve 3
House
Valve 4
Valve 5
Each station can be assigned to each program and have a different amount of run time in each program.
When an automatic program starts, each station with an assigned run time in the program will operate one by one in numeric sequence, from lowest to highest station number.
14
Valve 1 - Station 1 - Parkway Lawn - Fixed Spray
Valve 2 - Station 2 - Front Lawn - Fixed Spray
Valve 3 - Station 3 - Front Shrubs - Flood Bubbler
Valve 4 - Station 4 - Back Lawn - Geared Rotor
Valve 5 - Station 5 - Garden - Drip