Helpful Tip: Choosing the Right Sprinkler for Your Job

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This summer has been quite dry and just a couple weeks of little rain can cause our lawns to loose color or die. Supplemental watering with the right sprinkler can help bridge the gap during times of extreme weather. Do you have the right sprinkler for the job? This article is designed to go over each type that is available, so that you can make the best choice based on your situation. Here goes...

1. Oscillating Sprinklers: These are often the best sprinklers for lawns because of their rectangular pattern. Water is sprayed out in a soft, fan motion and falls gently down to the garden. Each model varies in terms of adjustments. The simplest of them often include only 4 spray patterns (full, half, left, or right). The most advanced of oscillating sprinklers has adjustments you can make both in the width and the length of the sprinkler action. Once you are finished with one areas, simply pick up the sprinkler and move to the next location. Oscillating sprinklers cover a max area of 4500 sq ft (or about 60' x 75')

2. Impulse (or Impact) Sprinklers: Impulse sprinklers cover a circular pattern and are similar to the ones you see at large baseball fields that would ordinarily pop up out of the ground to spray when needed. The ones that you find in a store like ours are connected to a garden hose and staked into the ground wherever you choose. The adjustments are plentiful on these models, since you can change the distance of the spray, the intensity of the spray, and the amount of revolution of the spray. Most frequently sold on a stake, these are also available in stand-alone units with a heavy weighted base to prevent tipping. Coverage of an impulse sprinkler is upwards of 80 feet in diameter.

3. Whirling Sprinklers: These are smallish area sprinklers that send a delicate swirling pattern of water into the air. We like to recommend these for garden areas where blooms may be delicate and you wouldn't want the impact of a water to cause any damage to the plants. They are also great option for kids that are looking to play outside and cool off at the same time. You can even mount these sprinklers to a wooden stake of some sort to get them above the plants you are looking to water. "Whirling bird" sprinklers cover an area of approximately 35 feet in diameter. You can lessen the reach by reducing your water pressure :)

4. Misting (Pattern) Sprinklers: These sprinklers usually have 6-8 patterns to choose from and they are designed and they create the most gentle of sprays. It is so fine that it can be considered a mist. These are not the most efficient for good soil irrigation, but if a gentle spray to water leaves and rinse plants of bugs and such, then this sprinkler could be a good fit for you!

5. Sprinkler Hose: These hoses are exclusively meant for garden or very thin strips of lawn. A sprinkler hose has many little holes in one side of the flat hose. When water goes through the hose, it is forced through the holes and squirts into the air only a few feet tall. Again, these hoses are most often recommended for new landscaping, where you can pin this hose to the soil to create your desired coverage area. These are most typically sold in lengths of 50 and 100 feet.

Thanks for reading everyone. Happy watering to you and your garden!

Rollier's Hardware

Phone: 412-561-0922

Email: info@rolliers.com 

Address: 600 Washington Road
Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228

Store Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-8pm and Sun 10am-5pm 

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