Sprinkler System Fundamentals

There are three main components that are involved with all automatic sprinkler systems that are made today. They are the controller, control valves, and the sprinklers.

The controller is what makes the whole system operate efficiently. It is technically the brain of the entire system, instructing the valves when to supply water to the sprinklers and for how long to do so. The sprinklers, in turn, will direct the water towards the surrounding plants and lawn.

The valve controls a group of sprinklers called a watering station. These stations are laid out in a fashion according to the type of plant life that exists there, the locations of the plants, and the maximum amount of water that can be pumped to the location. Each valve is connected via wire to the terminal strip area inside of the controller. Here the wire is connected to a number that corresponds to the valve’s station number.

The controller will operate the valves in order, only one at a time. When a valve has completed its watering; it will switch to the next station that has been programmed. This process is called the watering cycle. The information pertaining to the watering times of the individual stations and the duration of them is called a program.