SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

I'll try to make a long story short. New 21 zone system, from 5 to 9 rotary or spray heads in each zone, well water, booster pump. Lots of issues with contractor, but it mostly works, just not set up right, ie., they put 15' black nozzles in a 6' wide 45' long bed and it shoots up on the patio about 3' above the bed. Tried a 6' orange one and it sprays much better and flatter, however, the bushes are rather tall, like Solomon Seal, and perennials and the 4" 1800 sprayers just don't make it above the plants. So I pulled the 1800 out of the ground as far as I could, staked it with rebar. Still the 6' spray head doesn't get around very good because it sprays so flat and hits lots of plants. I put the 15' black one back in and tuned it way down to spray only 6' which is fine, the 1800s are only about 6-7' apart. BUT, the GPH seems much reduced, AND the black nozzle shoots up, not flat, even when turned way down, so it does a better job of watering through the plants. Now, I was thinking about going to the Hunter rotary heads, but am I doing the same thing here turning down the 15' head to only spray 6'. I asked in the controller forum about combining 2 zones into one because I'm sure I'm using less than half the GPH out of these nozzles turned way down.

Suggestions appreciated. I'd just as soon not have to buy a bunch of nozzles, unless it's the Hunter rotary spray heads. I'm real new at this, the wife had to have it and I just let her go and didn't have much to do with it and now I'm paying the Piper to make it work. The contractor is pretty non committal, and the workers and managers are rude. Angie's list here we come.