Adjustments for Lawn Sprinkler Head Spray

Underground Rotary Sprinklers

• Rotary sprinklers are installed underground and pop up when activated to water the lawn. The rotary sprinkler always has a fixed side, be it the right or the left, which can't be adjusted. To avoid having to dig up the unit, align the fixed side of the sprinkler with its corresponding side of the lawn. Rotary sprinklers usually come with an adjustment tool that fits into multiple control sections on top of the spray head. These sections control various functions of the sprinkler, such as the stream distance, rotation range and flow.

Impact Sprinklers

• Impulse sprinklers are above ground, except for some specialty models that act like a pop-up sprinkler and usually have a large spike on the bottom. Among the impact spray head adjustment controls are the diffuser control flap, which redirects the stream; the trip pin, the position of which determines whether it rotates in a continuous or partial circle; and the trip collars that define the rotation range of partial circles.

Traveling Sprinklers

• A traveling sprinkler requires a more hands-on spray head adjustment rather than small, indirect control tweaking. The spray handles can be twisted up for a broader spray range or twisted to face down for a more narrow spray range. A more saturated watering can be achieved with an adjustment to the speed controller of the sprinkler. The lawn watering pattern is determined by the lay of the water hose that feeds it, and a manually positioned shut-off device turns off the sprinkler when reached.

Soaker Sprinklers

• Soaker sprinklers are basic aboveground sprinklers that can be adjusted by such things as a clamp-on deflector or a stem extension to reach high foliage. The clamp-on deflector fastens directly around the stream area and blocks off 50 percent of the spray. This is helpful if you wish to deflect the spray from a wall or fence. The stem extension can be screwed onto the base after the spray head has been unscrewed and removed. You can add as many stem extensions as you wish.