If you are thinking of getting a high quality lawn, one of the issues you will need to sort out is how you have it sprinkled. The use of automatic sprinkler systems is becoming more popular by the day. The most compelling reasons for this include:
• They are easier to use: with a manual sprinkler, you will need to keep remembering when to switch the system on. When you have an automated one, however, this need not be the case. All you need to do is set up the settings (such as when you want the sprinkler to turn on) and then forget about the system
• They are more economical: due to the automated nature of the sprinkler systems, there are some people who find them to be cheaper to run. This is because with them, you need not worry about forgetting to switch on the system.
Of course, there are many more reasons why one would consider using such a solution to their sprinkler needs.
However, what will it cost you? Since they are a more advanced form of sprinkling water on a lawn, most people automatically think that they will cost more than what it would cost you to get a regular sprinkler system. However, this is not always the case. There are many things that can influence the cost of such systems including:
The size of your lawn
This is one of the issues that will determine how much you spend on the system. However, this does not automatically mean that the larger the lawn, the more you will have to spend on an automated system compared to the older types. The reason for this is that when you have a large lawn, you will only need to spend more on the piping, but may not necessarily need to make any special arrangements just because you decided to use an automated system.
Remember, the unit that will be used to control the system will not change, and you will not need to buy a bigger one just because you have a bigger lawn. This means that theoretically speaking, the larger the lawn you have, the closer the cost of an automated system will be to a manual one. The only thing that causes the price differential is the cost of the control unit, and when you have a larger lawn this contributes to a reducing proportion of the total cost of installing the system.
The type of control unit you get
By far, one of the most significant determinants of how much you will spend on such a system is the type and quality of the control unit you decide to get for the sprinkler system. As you can expect, a high quality sprinkler system will cost you more. However, the fact that it is likely to last longer means that it’s more than worth it in the end, which might make it a more economically viable choice.
In addition to that, you also have to pay attention to the features you get in the sprinkler unit. As technology progresses, you will have access to more advanced sprinkler units which will cost more than the more traditional ones. A very basic sprinkler control unit has a timer that will switch on the sprinklers at a specific time of day for a specified duration. However, there more advanced ones that will also take into account variables such as how much moisture is within the ground at that point in time to dictate how much to sprinkle. Some can even be remotely operated. Of course, the ones that have more features tend to be better for most applications, but they will cost more.
The types of sprinkler heads you choose
There are many types of sprinkler heads you can use for such a system, and the cost of these will vary. The main types you can use include:
• Sprayers: these work by producing a fine water spray that is distributed to the lawn
• Rotary heads: these rotate in a circle while spewing out the water. They are usually designed in such a manner that they can evenly water all the areas within the radius that they irrigate.
• Drip heads
Each of these can be found in the static or pop up design. The latter are more expensive, but most people prefer them owing to the fact that they are more aesthetically pleasing (you won’t see any sprinkler heads when they are not working) and also make lawn mowing easy.
In summary, you should not think that getting an automated lawn mower is out of your budget before even finding out more about them. As you can see, there are many things that determine how much they cost, and you can manipulate most of these to keep the cost of the system down. The fact that the prices of such systems has been reducing historically also means that more people can afford them today!
