How To Get The Most Out Of Your Rain Bird Sprinklers For A Healthy Lawn

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Rain Bird sprinklers can be an amazing asset to any lawn and help keep it green throughout any hot water without all the bother of dragging sprinklers out of the garage any time the grass looks thirsty. But if your sprinklers are watering the side of your house or the sidewalk more than your actual lawn, then they might need an adjustment. Fear not, you can adjust the spray length and direction in a few easy steps. 

Rain Bird sprinklers are a fuss-free way to keep your lawn looking lush and green. Most lawns need about 1 ½ inches a week, though it depends on the kind of grass you have. Bermuda grass, for instance, is known for being drought resistant and needs less water. If you want to know the water usage of lawn sprinklers, know that Rain Bird sprinklers typically use between ¾ and 3 gallons per minute. This is related to the kind of nozzle you have installed. All sprinklers come with a variety of different nozzle sizes — or you can buy replacement ones for less than $3 at your local hardware store.

If you find your Rain Bird sprinkler heads are facing the wrong way or not spraying far enough, then you're not getting the best use of your garden sprinklers. All you need to fix them is a flathead screwdriver or the specialty Rain Bird adjustment tool. Head to the yard for this quick and easy fix. 

First, let's talk about how to adjust sprinkler heads to give you a wider arc of spray. Turn on the sprinkler you want to work on so that it's in the upright position. If you don't want to get soaked, turn off the flow valve through the middle hole. 

Twist the top of the sprinkler to the left until you hear a click. This gives you a fixed point to work from. Then, take your flat head screw driver, and put it in the bottom hole, where the plus and minus signs are. Turning it to the right will widen the arc of spray, while twisting it to the left will narrow the arc of spray. Once you have the sprinkler head set so it's not watering the sidewalk, let's adjust the length of the spray. You can do this in two ways: By switching out the nozzle on your sprinkler head or by tightening or loosening the screw used to hold the nozzle in place. This screw is located in the slot with the arrow pointing out. 

Turning this screw counterclockwise makes the spray longer, and clockwise shortens it. Be careful not to overtighten, as that could cause damage. You can only adjust the spray length by 35%, so if you need a bigger adjustment than that, you'll need to switch out the nozzles. Always make sure one sprinkler's spray meets another's arc for head-to-head coverage that ensure the greenest lawns.