I ordered some PGP blue nozzles to replace some red nozzles on my irrigation system. The distribution of water isn't quite what I wanted.

The package just arrived and just from looking at them, I'm impressed. The construction is much heavier than the red nozzles were, so they're less likely to warp under water pressure.

I'll update once I get them installed and tested today (although today's test will be not particularly valid; we have moderately heavy winds out there).

Morph:

I switched to the blue nozzles, and never looked back. Much better!

However, there is one downside. Once you have installed a blue nozzle, it it nearly impossible to remove it without damaging it. Treat them as if removal is destruction.

PS: please keep your "why didn't I do this before" posting later to no more than four pages.

I have yet to crawl into clothing and get out there...I'm feeling a bit off today.

One trick I use to eject nozzles is to undo the screw and power up the system. Usually, the nozzle pops out by itself, or with only a little finagling (one does get wet). We'll see if that works with the blue nozzles, as it's inevitable that I'll put one in of the wrong output until I get everything re-balanced.

I used PGP for email a few times, and I understand the concept of encrypting streams, but I'm not convinced it's needed for a lawn.

seriously? the nozzles can make that much difference? How do you go about grabbing the rotors out of the housing to change these...is there an easy way?

Do you have the "key" that came with the Hunter sprinkler heads?

Yeah. You lifting up the heads with it from the hole for the front screw I am guessing?

From memory.. There are three holes in the top. One adjust the screw, one for the side to side adjustment, and one that doesn't do anything. Put the plastic "T" side of the tool in the one that doesn't do anything ( this is what its really for).. turn the tool and lift.

+1 Nothing0. Changeout was a snap, although I destroyed about half the red nozzles removing them (I wasn't careful). Water pressure took out the other half, and those got stored.

If you have to remove a blue nozzle you're going to destroy it--water pressure won't remove it, these fit much better in the PGP sprayer.

We have heavily gusting wind today, so my initial impression will probably improve even more. Water lay is much, much more even. I can't say I see much aesthetic difference in the water streams, but I don't care what they look like if they do the job. They could spell foul words in the air and as long as the water lay is even, it doesn't matter to me.

Distances are a touch shorter, so I did have to account for that--fortunately, my system is designed closer than head to head anyway. Even with these, it's still closer than head to head as you don't lose THAT much distance.

I took the opportunity to pressure-balance a zone I'd been ignoring, and distances there improved slightly. But that's a design flaw on my part.

The nozzles come in 1.5 GPM, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0. I could have wished for a 3.5 GPM in one location as I would have liked to use a 3.5/2.5 combination. I ended up using 3.0/2.5 instead, but that may end up being the better choice.

I only used one higher-output nozzle (a 5.0 GPM), and I'll test that once the wind drops. I don't expect that it'll be any less an improvement. The remainder of the high-output nozzles will go to my mother, who uses PGP shrub sprayers on spikes to do her lawn, and uses 1 output per "zone" (by moving the hose).

nothing0 wrote:From memory.. There are three holes in the top. One adjust the screw, one for the side to side adjustment, and one that doesn't do anything. Put the plastic "T" side of the tool in the one that doesn't do anything ( this is what its really for).. turn the tool and lift.

THANK YOU!... all this time and I didn't know what that was there for.

eriocaulon wrote:
THANK YOU!... all this time and I didn't know what that was there for.

Morph how do you pick what out put you want? When rainbird did my drawing I used what outputs they told me. For some reason I do not feel that its right.

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That is...not a simple answer, which is why outside-created things frequently need adjusting.

My north face, for example, doesn't require vast amounts of watering. It's shaded by the house, by a 20' tree in the garden, and doesn't see the winds the others do. The northeast requires a GREAT deal more as it's in sun, wind, and near both the driveway and the street.

I know I have 6 GPM, I try to limit each zone to 5.5 so the pressure stays high. Just as an example, the right-hand side of the front, on the southern end, has a 2 in the center, a 2 on the edge, and a 1.5 in the corner. A normal design would call for a 1 GPM in the corner, but that corner happens to be very dry.

Don't be afraid to play with it a bit. My drier areas get stepped up, the others get stepped down to compensate. Timing then also has to adjust so nothing gets too over-done.

Update: Andy's right, I'll never look back. These nozzles are superior, hands down.

The areas at the midrange in the lawn are now better watered--they'd normally be starting to go today or so. They're not even thinking about it.

We replaced Mom's red #8 (on average) with 3 and 4 GPM blue nozzles. The front yard is much better watered, as is everything else (but it's extremely obvious out front).

I agree with everyone here that the blue nozzles are FAR superior to the red ones. I switched them out about two years ago and got them for free from JDL when I bought a couple of PGP rotors that needed replaced. I am still trying to fine tune my system so that everything gets watered evenly, it is a work in progress!