# Adjustable Sprinkler Heads For Narrow Parkways?



## Trese (Aug 11, 2011)

Hey folks.

When the sprinkler system was installed on this house they put in standard heads everywhere, yet the parkways are only 5' deep and some as short as 10' long. The head shoots water right OVER the lawn into the street. I cannot reduce water pressure because they put the parkway lines in with the main lawn, so if I reduce the pressure THAT much at the valve, the main lawn doesn't get covered and the sprinklers don't have enough pressure to pop up.

In my research I discovered strip pattern heads which spray in a rectangular pattern, but the Rain Bird Heads throw such a short distance I'd have to dig up the lawn and add two more center sprinklers to each parkway... and the Hunter strip pattern heads throw so far they would create too much overspray. 

I'm looking to cover 4.5' deep x 10' long. Anyone know of a good adjustable strip pattern head for this application? Thanks!


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

You would need a Fan style spray. Best to contact a local landscaping company and see if they can make suggestions how to not waste water, on watering the sidewalk and roadway.


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## Trese (Aug 11, 2011)

gregzoll said:


> You would need a Fan style spray. Best to contact a local landscaping company and see if they can make suggestions how to not waste water, on watering the sidewalk and roadway.


The fan spray is what's on there that sprays into the street... I need a rectangular spray to match the rectangular parkway shape. They make them. They just spray a larger area (like 15 feet long) or a smaller area (like 4x4'). I have a sprinkler at each corner and could make the small ones work by adding another sprinkler in the middle but want to avoid that. 

Just thought someone might know of a strip pattern head that has an adjustable throw, vs adjusting by closing the valve.

It's not something I am going to go hire help to figure out. That's why I am here :thumbup: (and looking elsewhere as well). Thanks, though.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

You are never going to find a rectangle shaped spray. It is always going to be in a fan pattern. You just need to adjust the spread of the spray to keep it within the area. Along with lowering the pressure to those heads.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

Two options:
1) Install new heads using the Rainbird nozzles. Not a hard thing to do.
2) Install taller pop up bodies. My guess is you have 4 inch bodies. The higher popup might get you the extra coverage you need but would be less effective on breezy days.

Are the heads in the center of the area being watered?


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## Trese (Aug 11, 2011)

gregzoll said:


> You are never going to find a rectangle shaped spray. It is always going to be in a fan pattern. You just need to adjust the spread of the spray to keep it within the area. Along with lowering the pressure to those heads.


They do make rectangular and square throw heads. As stated in the opening thread, they're called strip pattern heads and Orbit, Rainbird, Hunter, etc makes them. Scroll about halfway down the page to see Hunter's throw patterns: http://www.hunterindustries.com/irrigation-product/nozzles/specialty-nozzles




djlandkpl said:


> Two options:
> 1) Install new heads using the Rainbird nozzles. Not a hard thing to do.


Yes I decided to go with the Rainbirds because they also make a SQ QTR head that sprays a 4.5 x 4.5 square which I can use on two patches of parkway next to a tree... the areas are slightly smaller than the throw pattern, but will still be less overspray than what's on there.

Then they make the 4x15 throw for the longer areas, and with a left corner and right corner sprinkler (which is all the parkways have... no center or middle), the throws will collide and actually help to keep the water on the lawn and prevent over spray (parkway is 10' long, not 14').



> 2) Install taller pop up bodies. My guess is you have 4 inch bodies. The higher popup might get you the extra coverage you need but would be less effective on breezy days.


Thanks for that tip. I'm going to put these on the Rainbird 1800 risers too (might as well replace them) since I am not sure what risers I have in there



> Are the heads in the center of the area being watered?


Not sure I follow you. But these are rectangular strips of parkway with a head at each left and right corner, and none midway nor in the center of the lawn. 

I will be getting these heads tomorrow at Lowe's and putting them in. It will be nice to be able to park the car at the curb again. :thumbup:


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## Trese (Aug 11, 2011)

BTW for anyone interested, if you go to this Rainbird link http://www.rainbird.com/support/SQNozzles/index.htm you can see a brief tutorial on the SQ series heads. These heads throw in a square pattern and can be adjusted from 2x2 to 4.5x4.5 with a click of the head. They have other heads that throw in a rectangular pattern (4x15) but the SQ series is the square pattern. I need the SQs next to the tree, and the rectangulars on the larger areas... but anyway. It was interesting to watch the other night when I was searching for solutions.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

Great! Glad you figured it out. I asked where the heads were located on the watering area to see if there were other nozzle options.


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## IslandGuy (Jan 30, 2014)

My understanding is that you're not supposed to mix the jet type heads on the same zone as the spray type heads because they operate at different pressures.


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## Trese (Aug 11, 2011)

IslandGuy said:


> My understanding is that you're not supposed to mix the jet type heads on the same zone as the spray type heads because they operate at different pressures.


Sorry, I don't know the diff between a "jet" head and a "spray" head. ? Or even what a "head" is. Do you mean the sprinkler you bury in the ground by 'head', or the nozzle?

Anyway, I ended up not going with the SQ series because they are not available locally anywhere and found something better for the tiny little plots... Rain Bird VAN 4 ... very nice as they only throw 4 feet (adjustable down to 3) and then they have a dial to widen or narrow the arc from less than 1/4 to 270-degrees... so you can precisely water an area that is not square.

And then the Hunter strip pattern nozzles on the larger parts of the parkway. 

FWIW I have standard nozzles on old Toro sprinklers, then Rain Bird 1800 sprinklers with strip pattern and VAN nozzles, and all on the same line and everything works great.

EDIT: Also, the Rain Bird MPR nozzles, which include the strip pattern nozzles, say they are made to work on a line with mixed types of sprays: http://www.rainbird.com/homeowner/products/sprays/15-12-9-8MPRnozzles.htm


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