How many sprinklers can I put on one zone?

In this video, Sprinkler Nerd Andy tackles a common question that many DIY enthusiasts, professionals, and homeowners have been asking: "How many sprinklers can I put on one zone?
If you've ever found yourself wondering about the optimal number of sprinklers for a single irrigation zone, you're in the right place! Sprinkler Nerd Andy breaks down the key factors that influence the answer to this crucial question.
00:00 Introduction
00:39 What is Your Available GPM and PSI
01:49 What is the GPM and PSI requirement for each Sprinkler and Nozzle
02:34 Understanding Dynamic Pressure
04:32 Outro
Contact Us: sprinklersupplystore.com/page...
Learn More: sprinklersupplystore.com/page...
👉 Schedule a technical support call with Andy: calendly.com/andyhumphrey/tec...

[@patrickbenjamin4943]

Great video, I'm planning to create DIY system with poly tubing so it can be converted to an unground system in the future. I've been considering 3/4 inch and 1 inch poly due to the distance and amount of heads I would like to install. Would you measure the GPM directly from the spigot or would u recommend creating short hoses for each diameter and connecting them to the spigot to measure the flow after building pressure in the line?

[@phileisermann1257]

I found this to be a pretty informative video. the explanation of the concepts was very clear and easily understandable without making it overly, complicated.
now i just need to find a table of standard friction losses that includes valves.

[@Andy_Humphrey]

Thank you for your kind words. Every valve has a psi friction table available. This is typically found on the product Cut Sheet or Specification Sheet. This link is an example; scroll to the bottom of page 2 to see the friction loss. -Andy
www.hunterindustries.com/sites/default/files/CA-Cutsheet-1-Inch-PGV-and-PGV-Jar-Top-US.pdf

[@phileisermann1257]

@@Andy_Humphrey great, thanks! I guess I should have thought of that myself.

[@Andy_Humphrey]

Haha, now you know. Pass it on 🤙

[@Jasonrcsd]

If I'm getting my water from a 2" riser pipe that is gravity fed from a 4 or 6" pipe gravity fed a ditch that is 30-40' higher do I do the bucket test for gpm? If I recall correctly I had ~20 psi at the riser pipe when I checked it last summer. It must be somewhere close to that because I just gravity feed with a 2" hose to a large sprinkler

[@Andy_Humphrey]

I love you Jason. This is 100% NERD.
Yes, do a bucket test, but you may have more, a lot more.
What you need to know is:
#1 the size of the source pipe
#2 the pressure

[@lspyderp]

I noticed on the rain bird 32SA the springs look too strong for my water pressure, I don’t think reducing nozzle office size is gonna help that , I have 360 fan sprinklers in back that work fine, same psi same length of hose, but I do notice that the spring gauge thickness is quite less, hence easier for a 40 psi to push out a popper ! Gonna try the smallest one now, but I doubt it’s gonna work! And yes I have double the heads 4 in ft and two in back which significantly reduces my psi ! So what’s ur recommendation go to lower pressure Sprayers ? Thks .

[@Andy_Humphrey]

I’m not following your exact question. The springs are unrelated to the sprinkler pressure requirement.
The 32SA is rated down to 25psi (images.salsify.com/image/upload/s--Sikg69SR--/bqsvkd5hifn3nc1mhytw)
To reduce friction loss and conserve pressure you have 2 options.
#1 increase the pipe size.
#2 reduce the water volume (use smaller nozzles, or remove sprinklers).
Last option is a booster pump.
Hope that helps.

[@gennafer]

Is it okay to put drip irrigation and pop up sprinklers in the same zone or does each zone have to be one type of sprinkler?

[@Andy_Humphrey]

Hi @gennafer, thanks for this fantastic question! It's great to see such engagement. Typically, it's advisable to separate Drip & Pop-Up Sprinklers into different zones. However, there are exceptions. For example, if your plants aren't overly sensitive to water variation, combining them might work, particularly in scenarios where expanding an existing system makes separate zoning challenging.
To put it simply, spray-type sprinklers usually have a higher precipitation rate, about 1 to 1.5 inches per hour, compared to drip systems, which are around 0.25 to 0.75 inches per hour. Imagine filling two different-sized buckets with water; sprays fill up their 'bucket' about twice as fast in the same time frame.
My advice? If you're considering combining them, try to match spray nozzles and drip emitters that have similar precipitation rates as closely as possible. Stay tuned, as I might upload a visual guide or a demo video on this soon! And as always, feel free to reach out with more questions or share your experiences in the comments. Happy sprinkling!