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I measured 11 gallons per minute at my frost free hose hydrant. I have 95 psi.
I am connecting my sprinklers to a 2” pvc pipe that feeds the hydrant and the house.
Is 11 gpm really all I have to work with? Seems like I should have more than that if I come off the 2” with a 1” to each zone to feed the irrigation system. The hydrant is reduced to 3/4”.

I guess I always wonder why do a sprinkler system. I have not watered or otherwise treated my lawn, other than routine mowing, in 20 years. It is green, it is diverse, it is healthy. I don't have to mow much. Watering will generate work because anything that promotes growth also promotes more work. Maybe I am lazy, but that is how I approach it. Other than that, I hope it works out for you.

RZehr wrote:I measured 11 gallons per minute at my frost free hose hydrant. I have 95 psi.
I am connecting my sprinklers to a 2” pvc pipe that feeds the hydrant and the house.
Is 11 gpm really all I have to work with? Seems like I should have more than that if I come off the 2” with a 1” to each zone to feed the irrigation system. The hydrant is reduced to 3/4”.

What size well pump do you have? How many GPM?

I’m on a rural water system, so no well. I have a 2” pipe coming from my 1.5” water meter, which is 2,000’ away.

Fidelio wrote:I guess I always wonder why do a sprinkler system. I have not watered or otherwise treated my lawn, other than routine mowing, in 20 years. It is green, it is diverse, it is healthy. I don't have to mow much. Watering will generate work because anything that promotes growth also promotes more work. Maybe I am lazy, but that is how I approach it. Other than that, I hope it works out for you.

That program here in the desert would amount to zero grass, just dust, some goat head and tumbleweed would grow. After 10 years or so, you might have a bit of sage brush. I can’t even keep trees alive if I’d only depend on rain.

People east of the Great Plains have it so very different. Water is gold out here, much more valuable than land. It is the water that people used to kill each other over. I was on a farm this week that investors from NYC and Silicon Valley bought for $37,000,000. The value was in the water rights. Without that, the place would have been worth about 1/4 of that.

Automatic irrigation systems make a much better yard, all while using much less water than trying to manually move sprinklers and turn valves.

RZehr wrote:

Fidelio wrote:I guess I always wonder why do a sprinkler system. I have not watered or otherwise treated my lawn, other than routine mowing, in 20 years. It is green, it is diverse, it is healthy. I don't have to mow much. Watering will generate work because anything that promotes growth also promotes more work. Maybe I am lazy, but that is how I approach it. Other than that, I hope it works out for you.

That program here in the desert would amount to zero grass, just dust, some goat head and tumbleweed would grow. After 10 years or so, you might have a bit of sage brush. I can’t even keep trees alive if I’d only depend on rain.

People east of the Great Plains have it so very different. Water is gold out here, much more valuable than land. It is the water that people used to kill each other over.

Automatic irrigation systems make a much better yard, all while using much less water than trying to manually move sprinklers and turn valves.

I am now educated. I had heard about xeric landscapes for the west, but am not sure how those work for a residential yard. Guess you need some grass for the kids to roll around on. And certainly don't need dust blowing around.

RZehr wrote:I’m on a rural water system, so no well. I have a 2” pipe coming from my 1.5” water meter, which is 2,000’ away.

Theoretically I think you should have 25 to 30 GPM available in your 2" line. But then theoretically depending on your hydrant model you should be getting 20 GPM out of the hydrant. Some outdoor hydrants will only give you 10 or 11 GPM though.

Thanks. I intend to keep the irrigation lawn part quite conservative in size because of the maintenance and water usage. But some lawn is nice. And because of wildfires, there are building codes required to protect the home from wildfire, and I know a green space around the house works as a fire barrier.

Yesterday I tapped into the 2” with a new 3/4” frost free faucet. I measured 23 gallons per minute.
The first faucet I measured gpm at, had a section of 1/2” pipe. This new faucet may allow more flow than the old one as well.

Last week we had a lightning storm that started 30+ forest fires. We could see the flame glow from our house. Smoke was really bad for a few days. Seems better now, still smoke to the west.