Spray Sprinklers

These are usually what are most commonly envisioned when a homeowner thinks about a sprinkler system. These heads are dispersed around the lawn and in planting beds.

The spacing between sprinklers can vary depending upon the specific nozzle installed in the head, but they rarely are spaced further than 15 feet apart. Spray sprinklers installed in turf areas are designed to pop-up during watering and retract to below the turf line to allow mowing and normal use of the lawn after watering.

Spray sprinkler bodies are commonly available in various sizes, the difference being the height that the spray apparatus or nozzle is lifted above the body of the head. The high-pop-up models are used for flower and shrubbery bed areas where risers might be unsightly or subject to damage from passerby.

Rotary Sprinklers

These sprinklers are larger devices that are used in open, uninterrupted spaces that allow water to be dispersed 25 to 30 feet or more. These heads typically pop-up during use and retract after operation in lawns or other areas with foot traffic. They are also available in fixed (non-pop-up) versions for use on risers in large planting areas.

Hunter rotary sprinklers operate on a gear-drive technology. Water turns a small turbine in the base of the unit which drives a series of gears, causing the head to rotate. The gear drive mechanism is sealed from dirt and debris, and operates without the irritating clatter of traditional impact sprinklers.

Gear driven rotors are easy to adjust and factory sealed to keep contaminants out. Although the individual rotor unit is several times more costly than a spray head, its wider spacing capabilities means fewer heads are needed to cover a given area.

Sprinkler Nozzles

The nozzle is the device that water passes through as it leaves the head to be dispersed onto the landscape. Irrigators rely on different nozzles to vary the quantity of water dispersed during the watering cycle, as well as the distance that water is to be thrown by each head. The amount of water distributed over a given area per minute can be doubled or tripled by choosing the correct nozzle.