The healthy maintenance and growth of different types of landscapes is only possible when a successful irrigation system is set up. The irrigation system requires different components to operate efficiently for achieving desired results.

One of these components is the application of valves. The use of irrigation valves ensures to create different watering zones within the system. This separation enables for varied devices to be encompassed within a single system. Now, there are different types of valves available such as ball valves, gate valves for landscaping and others.

Choosing the right kind of valve is important for the irrigation system to work properly and efficiently. Continue to read till the end to learn more about valves and how to choose the right one for your landscape irrigation system.

Significance of Valves

Valves are installed into the system to enable splitting one system into different zones. Splitting the watering zones is important in an irrigation system because not all areas require watering.

Some irrigation zones may need high-pressure water flow whereas some other zones may require low pressure. Moreover, a water source can only provide a certain level of water at once.

Sometimes, in larger irrigation systems the water source isn't able to supply enough water volume that may be required to water the entire system in one go. However, creating varied zones ensures that the water from the water source is not over taxed and each device installed within the system is getting the ideal flow rate needed to gain optimum performance.

Generating different zones also enables to program the irrigation system accordingly as some zones may require longer duration of watering. Based on the needs of watering, the different zones require different levels of watering.

The installation of valves helps in streamlining these operations and brings more efficiency to the overall irrigation system.

Different Types of Valves

There are typically three types of valves used in irrigation systems as per the specific needs. They are –

Ball Valves

The name of this valve suggests the design of it. It is a ball shaped valve with a hole drilled within it. This valve is used for manual operations.

By turning one-quarter line of the handle, the hole in this valve lines up and enables water to flow. However, operators need to keep in mind that quick turn on-off can cause water hammer concerns.

Gate Valves

The gate valve for landscaping has a gate type of simple body that is lowered or raised into the water flow. This is done by turning the handle many times.

The full turning of the handle closes the valve entirely. Similar to ball valves, gate valves also operate manually.

Electric Valves

It is a type of diaphragm valve when it is used with automatic timers. These valves have a specialized feature that enables them to turn off the valve even without electricity.

The 24-volt system utilized in the operations of this valve is similar to the mechanism of model trains.

When determining the right choice of valve for your landscaping irrigation system needs, make sure to consider the essential factors and explore the options before settling on one.