These three components are the key to your satisfaction

A good lawn sprinkler system is one flexible enough for both your current and future watering needs:

It will put the right amount of water in each area and it will keep operating year after year with minimal maintenance.

Your satisfaction with the system will depend ultimately on these three items.

Even watering (High DU)

Proper design of the system and its efficiency

Every system is rated by evaluating the efficiency of the system to deliver useful water to your plants.

A budget system is typically 20-30% efficient, an average system is typically 40-60% efficient, and ours are about 60-80%. This is important for water efficiency and water windows and should be one of your greatest concerns.

Assuming each system was designed to put 0.5” of water per hour. If you wanted 1” of water on your lawn over a period of 1 week, it would follow that a zone would need to run for 2 hours. (1” = 0.5”/hr * 2hr)

    • On a budget system, we then factor in the efficiency, (2hr/30%) and we would have to run the zone for 6.66 hrs.
    • An average system, using the same calculations, (2hr/60%) and it would run for 3.33 hrs.
    • A higher quality system, using the same calculations, (2hr/80%) and it would run for 2.5 hrs.

All three of these systems are capable of putting 1” of water on your lawn per week, the cheaper system will just use and waste more water than the others. This may or may not be important to the customer, but clients who don’t have much time to water because of municipal watering restrictions, or those who are trying to save water, or pay for water,  may definitely want to consider investing in a better system.

The quality of the installation

This one is difficult to evaluate but is often the most important.

There are so many different components that are involved in a sprinkler system that the customer will never see, the ability to cut corners here is extremely easy for the contractor.

90% of the sprinkler system is buried underground where the client will never see it. By the time these problems start to show up, usually, in about 2 years, your guarantee is over.

Unfortunately, I don’t even recommend going by how long the company has been in business. Some of the largest and some of the oldest companies in the Montreal area have been putting in very poor systems for years.

The best way to avoid this problem is the feel you get from the company. If you feel they care, and are honest and trustworthy, then that is probably your best indicator.

The quality the of the system components

We use the best products we can find on the market and do not limit ourselves to one manufacturer.

Sprinkler system componentsHowever, if something was found to be defective, all the major professional sprinkler manufacturers stand behind their products and offer anywhere from 3 to 5-year warranties. Surprisingly, many people think this is the most important part of the decision. Actually, it’s the least important. That is not to say that quality components are not important, they are. But they are also the easiest thing to change if you don’t get what you expected.

For example, if a certain sprinkler is installed and it turns out you end up having to change every sprinkler because of a defect. That could be an expensive repair, but it is a solvable problem.

Compare that example to one where your system isn’t designed correctly. There is no product in the world that will make it work better. The entire network of pipes would have to be re-done. You would basically be starting from scratch. If the installation was just done poorly, unfortunately, you will be repairing it every year, until finally the majority of the system is redone.

It is comparable to plumbing in your house. It is much easier to change a poor quality tap then to have to change all the pipes that are inside the walls.

2 Thoughts to “How can I be sure I will get a good sprinkler system?”

  1. Thomas Good

    If your company covers an area into Cornwall Ontario I ask that you contact me ASAP .

    Thanks

    Tom Good
    613_662_4572

    1. Glenn Johnson

      Responding via email

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