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best sprinkler head for this application

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fenwood5000

New Member

Posts: 8

1

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 9:26am

best sprinkler head for this application

I'm using a Rain Bird 5000 and it will not cover in close and 30' away I
tried the range of adjustment but it seems it's either in close or far away
can't do both? Rain Bird has another 3/4" IPS that will replace this one, 5500 Series Rotor that
they advertise will help?

Any helpful suggestions will be greatly appreciated
:thumbsup:

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

2

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 9:43am

Not enough information. Odds are good that the pressure at the head is too low for effective performance. You should consider changing nozzles, perhaps for every head in the zone, to bring the pressure up.

As for what head can give good low-pressure coverage from head to outer reaches, the easy answer is a Maxipaw.

GatorGuy

Moderator

Posts: 458

3

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 12:20pm

Other heads on the zone work ok?
I'd be interested to know what nozzle you have installed.
I don't think the 5500 would make any difference.
Much cheaper to try different nozzles first.

Have you swapped this rotor with another on the same zone?
Does the problem follow the rotor?

fenwood5000

New Member

Posts: 8

4

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 2:21pm

Thanks for your replies! When the irrigation installation was done they pretty much stretched the 6 zone
package to cover what should have been done by 8 zones. I wasn't here during
construction but this is what I was told after the fact? So I have to maximize
the six zones. The 5000 will water the scrubs @ 35' fine without being choked(by
adjusting the screw downward in front of the stream) but then overshoots the
grass closer to head. If I choke(this is not a irrigation term I'm sure) it down
it does not hit the scrubs @ 35' but waters the closer in grass just fine. All
the 5000 heads work about the same, doesn't seem to be a pressure problem but
more of a head design problem. I just bought an Orbit Voyager II w/8 nozzles that sprays max
up to 52' (25'-52') as opposed to 22'- 38' for the Rain Bird (same exact size
& Made in USA) My logic is that I have a lot more flexibility to choke down
on to enable me to water the schurbs @ 35' and the closer in grass @ 10' from
head? I looked at the Maxi Paw but It was much longer that the Orbit & Rain
Bird and I would have to start digging, something I'm trying to avoid.

Any comment on Orbit products?

GatorGuy

Moderator

Posts: 458

5

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 2:50pm

I won't criticize Orbit as I have rarely used them. The main thing about
them is they are residential oriented, where Rain Bird, Hunter,
Irritrol, etc. have commercial lines and experience that spreads across
all their products.

Choking down on the rotor you have is a last resort. The screw you are using to choke it down is for fine tuning once you have the correct nozzle in. If you tighten too much you disrupt the pattern. If you have replacement nozzles I'd try them first.

That said, I just took a look at the Orbit specs and it seems like it would work ok. The stream seams more concentrated than Rain Bird's but I'm basing that on company videos. Let us know how it works.

fenwood5000

New Member

Posts: 8

6

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 5:20pm

GatorGuy The nozzle that is in the existing Rain Bird 5000 is a 3.0 when you suggest replacing the nozzle I'm thinking you mean with a bigger nozzle like 6.0/8.0?
Thanks for your help!

hi.todd

Supreme Member

Posts: 417

Location: Houston, Texas

7

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 5:27pm

If what I understand is correct, you don't have head to head coverage. If that is correct, you can try to optimize your situation with nozzles. It is kind of hard with out seeing it.

Of course head to head coverage is best. This means that the water from one head will hit or touch or cover to the next head.

This is a design issue. We don't live in a perfect world, but we should try to design that way.

Good Luck.

:thumbsup:
:thumbup: :thumbsup:

hi.todd

Supreme Member

Posts: 417

Location: Houston, Texas

8

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 5:30pm

Maybe you already mentioned how many heads, what is the water source, how big is the area you are trying to cover, and many feet apart are your sprinkler heads?

Trying to help.

:thumbsup:
:thumbup: :thumbsup:

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

9

Friday, March 23rd 2012, 9:44pm

That rain bird nozzle is a pretty even DU ( Distribution Uniformity) . It's actually designed to work just fine fully open and shoot 35'. However, that is in conjunction with a properly designed system with overlap ( Head to head coverage) .. If the design is off then yes there will be coverage issues.

fenwood5000

New Member

Posts: 8

10

Saturday, March 24th 2012, 9:31am

If I could achieve ( Distribution Uniformity) @35' it would be good but the 5000 shoots right over the closer in grass and hits the shrubs @ 35' but misses the closer in grass perhaps the 42SA might work better?
http://store.rainbird.com/product/detail/W42003.aspx

[url='http://store.rainbird.com/product/detail/W
That rain bird nozzle is a pretty even DU ( Distribution Uniformity) . It's actually designed to work just fine fully open and shoot 35'. However, that is in conjunction with a properly designed system with overlap ( Head to head coverage) .. If the design is off then yes there will be coverage issues.
[/url]

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "fenwood5000" (Mar 24th 2012, 9:45am)

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