Watering with a typical sprinkler using a standard 5/8" garden hose for one hour uses about 1,020 gallons of water; if you water three times per week, that's about 12,240 gallons per month.
Hose-end sprinklers use more water than necessary and don't evenly distribute the water. Water often sprays where it isn't needed, shooting over onto pavement, driveways and sidewalks. It's easy to forget to turn the sprinkler off, so you're often using more water than your landscape needs.
Not Adjusted to Properly Cover the Right Areas
If one sprinkler head sprays over another one, this leads to overwatering and wasted water and money. Your grass and plants will absorb what they need to survive. Water they don't need will sit and pool on the surface of your grass.
Typical home sprinklers lose 25-50% of the water due to these factors. Not good. But you can significantly reduce the losses with a little knowledge of some basic facts and Northwest weather. The first issue is evaporation of the water droplets.
The average system uses approximately 15-16 gallons per minute, per station. Here is an easy formula to help you calculate the approximate amount of water you are using each month.
Sprinklers generally cover up wider ground and spread out water at a slow yet steady pace, which makes all the soil moisturized evenly and soaked underground. A watering hose takes time to cover space and can clutter the soil if there's too much water.
You should run your sprinkler system for as long as it takes to apply a half inch of water to your lawn. You will need to water for at least 10 minutes per week for most systems. Measure your sprinkler system's output to ensure you're not using too much water or underwatering.
To determine how long you need to water to get one inch, place a plastic container in your yard and set a timer. On average, it will take 30 minutes to get a half inch of water. So, 20 minutes, three times per week will give a lawn about an inch of water. This formula works best with healthy, well-cultivated soil.
The water industry estimates that an average person uses 3,000 gallons of water monthly, so a family of 4 would use 12,000 gallons for bathing, cooking, washing, recreation and watering.
People water too much, too often, at the wrong times, and the wrong way. Not only does this waste a valuable and increasingly scarce resource, it also makes your lawn look worse by increasing disease, insect, and thatch problems.
Start by accepting the fact that “lawns don't waste water, people do!” If you water your yard only when it needs it, for example, you could save between 750 and 1,500 gallons of water a month. Encourage the grass to grow deeper roots by watering it sparingly.
Is an Irrigation System Worth It? Although an irrigation system can have a high upfront cost,it also has the potential to save you money over time by decreasing your monthly water bill. Lawn irrigation systems ensure that your grass is adequately watered—and because it's automated, you can set it and forget it.
It's amazing the difference in what rainwater does for the lawn when compared to irrigation water. Rainwater lasts longer than irrigation water. You can get a 1-inch rainfall and, even with extreme heat, you probably don't need to water for at least a week, if not longer.
Installation of these systems is very simple. You're not only likely to save water and money with a smart sprinkler system — you'll also have a nicer-looking garden because it won't be getting over- or under-watered. So yeah, smart sprinklers are worth it.
Ensure heads are at ground level, not too high or low, straight and not leaning or being blocked by tall grasses or plants, which can deflect and waste water. Spray heads that mist or fog indicate the water pressure is too high and the system is wasting water.
If your sprinkler output is 1½ inches per week, your sprinklers should run for only ⅓ hour or 20 minutes that week (½ divided by 1½). On a twice-weekly watering schedule, run your sprinklers 10 minutes each time.
Water Wisely
Many of us water too often and too long. Most lawns need to be watered no more than three days a week in the spring as well as in the summer and two days a week in the fall. This watering schedule is recommended under normal water supply conditions.
Sprinklers should be set to run for about 30 to 35 minutes at a time twice a week. Your goal is at least 1″ of water a week for your lawn. When it's hot and dry, double the water times while still trying to water just 2 or 3 days a week.
The best time to water grass is in the early morning, ideally before 10am, or in the late afternoon. During these times, the temperature is cooler, and the wind and sun are less intense, which allows the grassroots to absorb the moisture before it evaporates from the soil.
Watering with a typical sprinkler using a standard 5/8" garden hose for one hour uses about 1,020 gallons of water; if you water three times per week, that's about 12,240 gallons per month.
1. Water Thoroughly: Rotor zones should run for about 30-40 minutes per zone and spray zones 10-15 minutes per zone. 2.
But life happens and sooner or later the running sprinkler is forgotten – even overnight! Not only does this waste water, it's also tough on the water bill – and can cause irreparable lawn and plant damage. In fact, over-watering can cause just as many problems as under-watering.
Avoid watering grass on a hot afternoon when it's 95 degrees or higher. The best time to water grass is at dawn or in the early evening. Water deeply three times a week instead of a little water daily. Test whether your sprinkler system is watering your lawn evenly.
Wait approximately 20 minutes for the water to absorb, and turn the sprinklers on again. Drought Tips: Cut grass on the high side to help shade the roots. Taller grass has a deeper root system that draws moisture from a larger volume of soil and doesn't require as much watering.