Say “yay” to the spray
Spray irrigation systems use a network of sprinklers to water your lawn.
They often have a controller or timer so you can schedule watering sessions.
Spray irrigation pros include convenience, ease of use, and customizability.
However, there are cons, too, including the costs and winterization requirements.
Other irrigation methods include underground and drip irrigation systems.
While it’s certainly possible to grow a healthy lawn without sprinklers, having an irrigation system makes it much easier. However, not all sprinkler systems are the same—and depending on your lawn’s unique needs, one type might make more sense than another. In this guide, we’ll cover one of today’s most popular residential irrigation methods: spray irrigation systems. Keep reading to discover some spray irrigation pros and cons, as well as alternatives to this lawn-watering system.
Spray irrigation systems, also known as sprinkler irrigation systems, are a type of irrigation system used for watering your lawn. They connect to your home’s water supply and distribute water through a system of pipes, which flows into your sprinkler heads to water your grass.
Most systems let you set up different irrigation zones, each of which corresponds to a specific area of your yard. Zones can have multiple sprinkler heads to cover all parts of your lawn effectively. You can also install various types of sprinkler heads, depending on the type of plants you have and each zone’s watering needs.
Aside from the pipes and sprinkler heads, there are several other parts in a sprinkler system, including the sprinkler valves and backflow preventer, all of which work together to water your grass. Your spray irrigation system might also have a controller, which you can program to automatically water your lawn.
| Pros of Spray Irrigation | Cons of Spray Irrigation |
|---|---|
| Easy to operate | High installation cost |
| Customizable for any size yard | Required winterization tasks |
| Great coverage for large yards | Potential for overwatering |
On average, a new sprinkler system costs between $1,670 and $3,550, with most people paying around $2,540. However, prices vary depending on a few factors, including your lawn size, the number of sprinkler heads and zones you need, and the quality of the products you choose.
If you’re trying to pick a new irrigation system, there are plenty of reasons to consider a spray system. Here are a few of the main benefits.
When your spray irrigation system is up and running, there’s very little that you need to do to water your lawn. Instead of dragging a hose or portable sprinkler around your yard every few days, you can create automatic watering schedules so that you know your lawn is getting the right amount of water—even when you’re at work or out of town.
Every yard has different watering needs based on the size of your lawn, the type of plants you have, and your climate. Spray irrigation systems help you meet your yard’s unique requirements by letting you customize your sprinkler setup. Not only can you set up multiple zones and install different types of sprinkler heads, but you can also create special watering settings for each part of your lawn.
Manually watering a big yard is a tedious and time-consuming task. But with a spray irrigation system and the right type of sprinkler heads, you can make sure that your large lawn gets all of the water it needs. Specifically, impact and rotary sprinkler heads are ideal if you have a lot of grass to water.
While spray irrigation systems are a good fit for many people, they aren’t right for everyone. Here are some of the disadvantages of this type of watering system.
If you’re installing sprinklers for the first time, you might be caught off guard by the cost of setting up and running a spray irrigation system. For starters, you can expect to pay a couple of thousand dollars to get your system up and running. After installation, your water bills may increase—especially if you haven’t watered your lawn much in the past.
From time to time, you’ll also need to pay for inspections and maintenance on your system. Typically, sprinkler system repairs cost between $130 and $410, for an average of $270.
If you live in a region that experiences freezing temperatures, you’ll need to winterize your sprinkler system each year. This involves removing all of the remaining water in your sprinklers and pipes so that it doesn’t freeze and damage your system during cold weather. The cost of winterizing your sprinkler system varies depending on the size and type of your system, but generally speaking, you’ll pay about $90, although prices commonly range from $60 to $130.
Even with an automatic sprinkler system, you might still make one of the most common (and expensive) lawn irrigation mistakes: overwatering. Not only does overwatering raise your water bill, but it can also damage your plants’ root systems and encourage weed growth, requiring you to spend even more money on lawn treatments.
Spray irrigation systems are great for keeping your lawn lush and green, but they aren’t your only option. Here are two other irrigation methods to consider.
If you don’t like the look of above-ground sprinklers, you could opt for an underground irrigation system. In-ground systems rely on a network of underground pipes, which distribute water straight to your plants’ roots.
To install an underground irrigation system, you’ll first need to dig a trench, which costs between $4 and $12 per linear foot (for an average price of $400 to $1,200 for most people). For a 1/4-acre lawn, this type of system costs around $1,740 to $3,410.
Drip irrigation systems typically sit just above or below the earth’s surface. They have drip lines (rather than sprinklers) that slowly release water into your lawn, garden, or plant beds. They’re usually more water-efficient and less expensive to install than automatic sprinkler systems.
You can buy DIY drip irrigation kits for as little as $20 per 100 linear feet. However, if you hire a local sprinkler installation pro for the job, you’ll pay between $450 and $650 for a 1/4-acre lawn.
In most cases, no, you shouldn’t run your sprinklers every day. Most lawns need one to three watering sessions per week, depending on the grass type, amount of rainfall in your area, and soil type. However, there is an exception: If you have newly seeded or sodded grass, you should water your lawn twice per day for the first few weeks.
When installing a sprinkler system, make sure that all of the sprinklers are at least 2 feet away from your house. If they’re closer than that, they might spray your foundation, walls, window wells, or other parts of your house, which could lead to water damage, flooding, or mold growth inside your home.
