Hunter Residental Sprinkler System Design Handbook
A Step-By-Step
Introduction to
Design and Installation
Residential
Sprinkler System
Design Handbook
T
his booklet is intended to be used when designing
and installing single family residential sprinkler systems. It
is set up in an easy-to-follow format with illustrations and
helpful charts.
If this is the rst system you have installed, or if you have installed
several systems but have never used this guide before, we
recommend you look through the next few pages and become
familiar with this presentation of the design and installation
process.
You will notice we have included a sheet of graph paper for
your convenience. There are detailed illustrations depicting
suggested installation methods for sprinkler heads, pipe and
valve manifolds, and how to connect the sprinkler main line into
the house water supply or pump. Installation tips have also been
placed throughout the guide to assist you in planning a system. A
Glossary of Terms is included and Hunter Sprinkler Performance
Charts are featured on the back cover.
While developing the Liters Per Minute (l/min), Working Pressure
and Pipe Sizing charts, we considered reasonable friction loss and
acceptable water velocity for a residential irrigation system. If you
have any questions on the design or installation process, your
best resource is your local Hunter distributor.
Hunter recommends contracting the services of a professional
irrigation designer when planning large residential or commercial
projects. Contractors and irrigation designers can receive
additional information by contacting their local Hunter distributor.
Table of Contents
Plot Plan and Design ............................................................... 1
Sprinkler System Design Capacity ........................................... 2
Service Line Size Chart
System Design Capacity Chart
Select Sprinkler Heads ............................................................. 3
Locating Sprinkler Heads ......................................................... 4
Divide Sprinklers Into Zones .................................................... 5
Area Capacity Example
Locate Valves and Size Pipes ................................................... 6
Pipe Sizing Chart
Point of Connection ................................................................. 7
Sprinkler System Overview .................................................. 8–9
System Installation ........................................................... 10–12
Making the Point of Connection
Installing the Main Line
Installing the Valve Manifolds
Installing the Lateral Lines
Installing the Controller
Installing Heads
Backlling
Materials List .................................................................... 13–15
Glossary of Terms ................................................................... 16
Watering Guidelines .....................................Inside Back Cover
1
Graph Areas
A. Plot Plan And Design
1. The rst step in designing a residential system is to
measure the property and indicate the location of the
house. On a separate piece of paper sketch out your
property and place your measurements on the sketch.
Plot Plan and Design
Be sure to include all concrete or brick walks and patios,
driveways and fences. While you are measuring, locate
any trees, shrubs and lawns and draw them on the sketch.
2. Next, draw the plot plan to scale on the graph paper
provided. The scale can be 1:100, 1:200, or whatever you
decide. Write your scale on the plan. Make sure to note
lawn, shrub, ground cover and large trees.
3. On the plot plan, divide the property into areas. The areas
should be rectangles or squares and as large as possible.
Consider the information in Step 2 above while dividing
up the plot plan: front yard, back yard and side yard, lawn
or shrub areas and shady areas. Label your areas A, B, C,
D, etc. (See the example plot plan above).
AREA A
AREA B
AREA C
AREA E
AREA D
TIPS
Tools and Supplies You May Need
Permit (As required by
local/city bylaws)
Electrical Tape
Hack Saw
Hammer
Pipe Wrenches
Plastic Sheet
Pliers
Rags
Rake
Screwdriver
Small Marker Flags
Shovels – Trenching, Flat,
Spade or Round Point
Spray Marking Paint
Tape Measure
Trencher or Pipe-Puller
Tunnel Kit or
Hose Jetting Kit
Wire Cutters
Automatic Drain Valve
(Used in freezing climates
to winterize system)
Insulated Wire Staples
Rain Shut-off Device
Shut-off Valves
Teon Tape or Teon Paste
(Used on all thread-to-
thread ttings)
Valve Boxes, 150 mm and
250 mm
If you use PVC Pipe:
Glue (Solvent)
Primer
PVC Pipe Cutters
If you use Poly Pipe:
Pipe Clamps
(for insert ttings only)
2
WORKING Bars
PRESSURE kPa
1.7 2 2.4 3 3.5 3.8
175 200 240 310 345 380
To check water
pressure, attach a
pressure gauge
to the outside tap
nearest the water
meter or water source.
A pressure gauge can
be obtained from your
local Hunter dealer.
Sprinkler System Design Capacity
Working PressureDesign Capacity
Enter Static Pressure Here:
Enter the Size of the Meter Here:
Write the Service Line Size Here:
L/MIN BARS KPA
Service lines are based on 30 meters of thick walled PVC. Deduct 7.6 l/min for copper pipe.
Deduct 19 l/min for new galvanized pipe.
Working pressure is the approximate working pressure at the head, and should be used only as a
guide when choosing the proper sprinkler heads and designing the system. The numbers in the
Design Capacity Chart are based on generally accepted ow rates (velocity). In some cases, designers increase the velocity in copper pipe only from the accepted 2.3 meters per second (mps)
to 2.75 meters per second (mps). If you do not deduct the 7.6 l/min for copper pipe, the rate
is approximately 2.7 meters per second (mps). The friction loss is substantially increased at this
speed, and the working pressure will be affected. In order to use numbers in the chart, the length
of copper service line should not exceed 15 meters if you decide not to deduct the 7.6 l/min.
SERVICE LINE SIZE
APPROXIMATE
STRING LENGTH 7 cm 8.25 cm 9 cm 10.5 cm 11 cm 13.5 cm
Size of Copper Pipe 20 mm 25 mm 32 mm
Size of Galvanized
Pipe
20 mm 25 mm 32 mm
Size of PVC Pipe 20 mm 25 mm 32 mm
SPRINKLER SYSTEM DESIGN CAPACITY
STATIC Bars
PRESSURE kPa2200
2.8
275
3.5
3504415
4.8
480
5.5
550
WATER
METER
SERVICE
LINE
MAX
l/min
MAX
l/min
MAX
l/min
MAX
l/min
MAX
l/min
MAX
l/min
15 mm
13 mm
20 mm
25 mm
7.6
15
15
15
23
26
19
30
30
23
30
38
26
38
49
26
45
57
20 mm
20 mm
25 mm
32 mm
15
19
19
23
26
45
30
38
64
34
53
76
38
64
83
45
76
83
25 mm
20 mm
25 mm
32 mm
15
19
19
26
30
53
30
53
91
34
68
98
45
76
114
45
76
130
B. Determine System Design Capacity
When planning an efcient automatic irrigation system, you must
rst determine the correct Sprinkler System Design Capacity –
how much water is available for irrigation.
If the system will be installed using the city water supply, follow
steps 1 – 3 below. If the water will be drawn from a lake, tank,
bore hole or well, your Hunter dealer or the pump installer will
have the specications for pressure and volume output of your
pump. Enter this information in the Working Pressure and Design
Capacity boxes at the bottom of the page.
1. Water Pressure (kPa) (Bars)
To check the water pressure, attach a pressure gauge to the
outside tap closest to the water supply. Make sure that no other
water is owing at the residence. Turn on the tap and record the
number in the area provided to the right. This is the static water
pressure in kPa or Bars.
2. Water Volume (l/min)
To determine the volume of water available for the system, you
need two pieces of information:
A. What size is the water meter or water supply line?
Water meters will generally have the size stamped on the
meter body. The most common sizes for residential meters
are 15 mm, 20 mm, and 25 mm. In some areas the water
supply hooks directly into the city main without the use of
the water meter. In these cases, simply enter the size of the
service line in the space provided.
B. What size is the service line?
Measure the outside circumference of the pipe that runs
from the city main to the house. An easy way to do that is to
wrap a piece of string around the pipe, measure the string,
and use the table to the right to convert the string length to
pipe size.
3. System Design Capacity
Using the System Design Capacity Chart on this page, locate
the three numbers you just recorded to determine the Sprinkler
System Design Capacity in liters per minute (l/min). Record
this number in the l/min box. Next, locate your system’s static
pressure and move down that column and nd the system’s
working pressure; record it in the kPa/Bars box. Working pressure
will be used when choosing sprinkler heads and designing the
system.
You have now established the maximum l/min and the
approximate working pressure available for the sprinkler system.
Exceeding these maximums may result in inefcient watering or a
condition referred to as water hammer, which could cause serious
damage to the system. These two numbers will be used in the
design process.
3
Select Sprinkler Heads
C. Select Sprinkler Heads
There are three basic types of sprinklers for residential use: large
area rotors, rotating stream spray sprinklers and small area fan
spray sprinklers. Large area rotors and rotating stream spray sprinklers should never be installed on the same zone as small area fan
spray sprinklers. High efciency
spray nozzles such as Pro-Spray
®
MP Rotators
®
should be
considered in place of traditional
spray nozzles.
1. Large area rotors will cover areas that measure 8 meters
by 8 meters and larger.
2. Small area sprays are typically used in areas smaller than
8 meters by 8 meters.
Within both of these groups are pop-up sprinklers which are
installed even with the ground level, and riser-mounted shrub
heads, which are installed above ground level.
This 8 meters by 8 meters measurement is not a hard rule, rather
it is a guideline. The only consideration restricting the size of
the area in which spray heads (small area sprinklers) can be used
is economics. If a large area or mid-range rotor can be used, it
usually means less pipe, fewer valves and a smaller controller will
be required to complete the job.
AREA A
AREA B
AREA C
AREA E
AREA D
Pro-Spray® – Small Area Spray
3 meters to 5 meters spacing
PGJ – Mid-Range Rotor
5 meters to 11 meters spacing
PGP
®
– Large Area Rotor
8 meters to 12 meters spacing
I-20 – Large Area Rotor
8 meters to 12 meters spacing
EXAMPLE
SYSTEM DESIGN CAPACITY
◗ Water Meter 15 MM
◗
Service Line 25 MM
◗ Static PreSSure
4.8 BarS, 480 kPa
ACCORDING TO SYSTEM
DESIGN CAPACITY
DESIGN
CAPACITY
WORKING
PRESSURE
49 L/MIN 3.5 BARS, 345 KPA
Locate Sprinklers
Pro Spray® – MP Rotator®
from a 4’ strip to a 30’ radius
4
Locating Sprinkler Heads
D. Draw Sprinkler Locations
Decide where you will be installing large area sprinklers and
where you will be installing small area sprays. Large area
sprinklers should be 8 meters to 12 meters apart. Small area
sprays should be 3 meters to 5 meters apart. This spacing will
allow sprinklers to overlap their throw to assure even water
distribution. Do not mix sprinkler types within one area.
Do not place sprinkler heads too far apart; stay within
specications listed on the Sprinkler Performance Charts on the
back cover. Spacing is determined by the size of the area the
sprinkler is serving. Additionally, a sprinkler should be spaced
so that it will spray both the head next to it and the head across
from it. Working with one area at a time, start placing sprinkler
heads:
Step 1. The critical points on a plan are the corners.
Draw a quarter pattern sprinkler in each corner. Using a
compass, draw an arc showing the sprinkler’s watering
pattern.
Step 2. If the quarter heads will not spray each other
(head-to-head spacing), place heads along the perimeters.
Draw these sprinklers’ watering patterns.
Step 3. Now look to see if the perimeter heads will be
spraying across the area to the heads on the other side.
If they do not, add full circle heads in the middle. An easy
way to locate these heads is to draw perpendicular grid
lines from one perimeter head to another. Again, using
the compass, draw an arc showing this sprinkler’s watering
pattern to make sure there is complete coverage.
TIP
Check with local agencies:
• To nd out if a permit is required
before installing a sprinkler system.
• To determine where gas, telephone and
other utility lines are buried.
• To nd out which type of backow pre-
venter is required in your area.
Step 1 Step 2
Corners are critical points. Start
by placing sprinklers in each
co rn er.
Add sprinklers along the sides
if necessary.
Step 3
Larger areas may require sprinklers in the middle, in addition to the
sides, in order to provide head-to-head or overlapping coverage.
Convert curved areas to a series of straight lines; place sprinklers
the same as you would in square or rectangular areas. Adjustable
arc nozzles on spray heads work very well in curved areas.
Curved Areas
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