What are the Different Types of Yard Sprinklers?

Yard sprinklers can be an important part of maintaining beautiful and healthy landscaping. At first glance, it might seem that anything that distributes water over a given area will suffice as a yard sprinkler, but there are many different types of yard sprinklers. Each type has its own uses and merits. When choosing from among the available types of yard sprinklers, an individual might choose from stationary, rotary, traveling, oscillating, drip irrigation, soaker and in-ground sprinkler systems.

Stationary yard sprinklers are a very common type of sprinkler. They work great for small yards or when a person would like to save money on a sprinkler system. This type of sprinkler simply attaches to the end of a hose and sprays water out of the top through a series of holes. Even if a person has a large yard, a stationary system can work well, provided that he or she is willing to move the sprinkler from zone to zone.

Rotary sprinklers are sprinklers that have several arms with holes that rotate as the water moves through the sprinkler. These sprinklers are not considered the most efficient way to water a lawn, but they do provide water to small areas. This is another inexpensive alternative to higher-priced systems.

Traveling sprinklers are more expensive than rotary and stationary yard sprinklers, but they do a great job of watering a lawn, especially if it is a large area that needs to be covered. This type of sprinkler has two arms that rotate and spray water in a circular pattern. It uses two wheels to guide itself along the hose.

Oscillating sprinklers vary in price and construction, but they essentially are designed the same way. A curved arm with holes sprays water in a fan-shaped pattern onto the lawn. Some models allow an individual to adjust the amount of water being used.

Drip irrigation systems consist of a hose that is placed under mulch but directly on top of the soil. When turned on, this system allows water to get right down to the root of the plant, where it’s needed the most. Many people consider this method to be more efficient than traditional sprinkler systems.

A soaker sprinkler is possibly the simplest form of sprinkler system. It is a hose with many tiny slits or holes, which cause the water to leak out of the hose. This causes the area to become soaked with water.

In-ground sprinkler systems are another fairly common sprinkler system. Sprinkler nozzles are connected to underground pipes. When turned on, these nozzles rise out of the ground and begin to shoot water over an area. Most of them rotate from one side to the other and cover certain zones of the yard.