How to install pop-up sprinklers

Before you begin, check your water pressure and flow to determine how many sprinklers you can install on each line. To do this, use a 9-litre bucket and time how long it takes to fill from your garden tap. If the bucket fills in 30 seconds, your water pressure is good. If the water pressure is low, you may need to run multiple lines with fewer sprinklers and use a controller to schedule different zones for watering.

Next, determine how many sprinklers are required for your lawn. Pop-up sprinklers should be spaced evenly to cover the lawn, ensuring no dry patches. Most sprinkler manufacturers provide performance charts, indicating how far each sprinkler will spray based on your water pressure. Choose the appropriate sprinkler head type—whether it’s full circle, half-circle, quarter-circle, or adjustable sprays—depending on the size and shape of your lawn.

Tip: Make sure to overlap the spray patterns by 50% to avoid any dry spots. 

When navigating corners or splitting the water flow to different parts of your lawn, use barbed and threaded elbows and tees. Elbows are perfect for smoothly changing direction around corners, while tees allow you to branch off and direct water to multiple sections.

Tip: Dip the pipe ends in hot water to soften them before attaching fittings. This makes it easier to insert the barbed ends securely. 

Once the pipe layout is complete, it’s time to attach your pop-up sprinklers. Use barbed and threaded elbows for corners and tees for straight sections. Wrap thread seal tape around the threaded ends of your sprinklers for a watertight seal, and then screw them into the threaded fittings.

With your water sprinklers attached, connect the poly pipe to your garden tap using a click-on irrigation tap fitting. Ensure the connection is secure to prevent leaks. Turn on the tap to check that the sprinklers are spraying in the correct direction. Adjust the spray by pulling up the centre of the pop-up sprinkler and rotating the top ring until you’re happy with the coverage.

Once you’ve adjusted the sprinklers, it’s time to dig trenches for the poly pipe and sprinklers. The trench should be deep enough to ensure the top of the pop-up sprinklers sit flush with the surface of the lawn when retracted.

Before covering the trenches, run a quick test to ensure all the sprinklers are working properly. Tighten any loose fittings or clamps with pliers to prevent leaks.

If everything is working well, you can fill in the trenches with soil and cover the pipes. Make sure the sprinklers are flush with the lawn to ensure a smooth finish.

Learn how much to water your lawn year-round.