If you use a sprinkler system to water your lawn or garden, it’s critical that it provides water effectively. If your sprinkler isn’t working correctly, adjusting it might be a solution to your problem. In this guide, we take a closer look at how to adjust sprinklers.
Whether you’re looking for how to adjust a sprinkler head radius or how to set sprinkler heads, this guide is for you!
The Benefits of Adjusting Your Sprinklers
There are many reasons to adjust your sprinkler system. Firstly, if the seasons are changing, you may need different water concentrations for your grass, plants, and trees.
Secondly, if some parts of your garden or lawn have more shade than others, you can adjust your sprinklers to provide more water to areas that experience more sun.
If you’re ready to get more from your sprinkler system, read ahead – we’re going to deep dive into how to adjust rotating sprinkler heads!
Find Out Which Sprinkler You Own
Before you can figure out how to adjust sprinkler heads, you need to understand which type of sprinker you have at your home. Let’s explore the three primary types of sprinklers:
· Pop-Up Sprinklers
· Gear Driven Rotor Sprinklers
· Impact or Multi-Trajectory Sprinklers
Adjust a Pop-Up Sprinkler
Not all pop-up sprinklers can be adjusted. If it’s a fixed spray nozzle, you won’t be able to change it. However, if your pop-up sprinkler is adjustable, explore the steps you can take below:
· Step 1: If you want to know how to adjust sprinkler head radius, make sure you have a screwdriver! The top of the nozzle should have a small screw, so you can use the screwdriver to adjust the sprinkler head radius.
· Step 2: If you want to set the arc position, you can adjust the stem of the sprinkler.
As you can see, if you have an adjustable pop-up sprinkler, the adjustment process is pretty straightforward if you have a screwdriver.
However, if you have a fixed spray nozzle, you will need to buy a new sprinkler head if you want to make any adjustments.
Adjust a Gear Driven Rotor Sprinkler
You will need a rotor adjustment tool to adjust a gear-driven rotor sprinkler. This will likely come with your rotor system. If not, check which type of tool is suitable for your make and model:
· Step 1: Start by turning on your sprinkler system and standing behind the sprinkler you want to adjust – you need to make sure you’re behind the trajectory of the sprinkler to avoid injury.
· Step 2: Next, turn the rotor head of the sprinkler to the left, which will complete its cycle. You will know you’ve reached the right spot when it stops spraying.
· Step 3: Now, it’s time to find the keyhole for the rotor adjustment tool. It should be near the Plus and Minus signs on top of the rotor.
· Step 4: Put the rotor adjustment tool in the sprinkler and hold the rotor head in the location of the ‘right stop.’ Next, turn the key left to increase arc or right to decrease arc. Remove the adjustment key when you finish.
· Step 5: Let the sprinkler system spray again to see if your adjustments are correct.
· Step 6: Make further adjustments until you’re satisfied.
Adjust an Impact or Multi-Trajectory Sprinkler
The easiest type of sprinkler to adjust is an impact sprinkler. You can rotate the head of the impact sprinkler to adjust the arc. This is the only type of manual adjustment you can perform on this type of sprinkler.
Additionally, as impact sprinklers aren’t permanently attached to the ground, it’s easier to change their location and direction.
Related: How To Kill Weeds.
Other Tips and Tricks for Sprinkler Head Adjustment
Now that you understand how to adjust sprinklers, we also have some additional tips you can use to get the most from your sprinkler head adjustment.
Firstly, assess which parts of your garden or lawn are receiving water when your sprinkler is operating. If certain areas on your property don’t appear to be as lush or fruitful as other parts, it might be due to poor sprinkler placement.
Additionally, if parts of your garden or lawn contain mud, you might be oversaturating that area of your property.
There are also some tools that you can use to make the adjustment process much easier. While a screwdriver is necessary for pop-up sprinkler adjustments, you can purchase an adjustment ring if you need to change an impact or multi-trajectory sprinkler. An adjustment ring makes it easy to change your sprinkler’s arc without hurting your hands.
Related: How To Dewinterize Sprinkler System
Call Lawnman Today!
If you’re wondering how to adjust sprinklers, you can also use a professional lawn service to take care of the process for you. At Lawnman, we have extensive experience adjusting and repairing sprinkler systems for our clients.
