Why a Fixed-Pressure Valve Regulator is a Great Option for an Efficient System

Creating an efficient sprinkler system includes several key elements. One very important element is ensuring that water pressure is properly regulated throughout the irrigation system. If pressure is too high, over watering can occur and over saturate vegetation, which will increase unsightly and environmentally damaging runoff. High pressure can also take a toll on the components of a system and shorten the life of the products in use. If pressure is low, water distribution can be compromised and leave landscaped areas dry and unhealthy.

As irrigation professionals we are charged with keeping the landscapes we serve aesthetically pleasing in the most efficient, resource-saving manner possible. Running a system at the pressure for which it was designed is a very important element in accomplishing this. When done properly, pressure regulation is proven to save water and extend a system’s overall life. Water savings is achieved by operating each zone at the optimal pressure for the equipment and application type. For example, spray zones are designed to perform the best at 30 PSI and ¾” rotors work best at 50 PSI.

Along with check valves and high efficiency spray nozzles, pressure regulation can save a significant amount of water. Here’s an example:

• 20 rotor zone with nozzles that flow 3.4 GPM per head @ 50 PSI (68 GPM total)
• Zone is running @ 80 PSI flowing 4.2 GPM per head (84 GPM total, 16 GPM wasted)
• Zone runs three days a week for 20 minutes (960 Gallon per week wasted)
• Irrigation runs 45 weeks a year (43,200 Gallons per year wasted)

This example only shows the water wasted, which is significant. One must also consider that with higher pressure, the degraded water distribution of each head would also require a higher scheduling coefficient resulting in more wasted water. The final consideration is the wear and tear shortening the life cycle of the irrigation system components operating well above optimal pressure.

The Accu-Sync from Hunter Industries, is designed to accurately compare the water supply pressure to the desired zone pressure and adjust the valve diaphragm position until the specified pressure is achieved. While there are other models in the industry that provide adjustable settings like Hunter’s Accu-Sync Adjustable model, the new fixed-pressure Accu-Sync models are a new concept for the irrigation industry. Additionally, the Accu-Sync family provides pressure regulation to any Hunter residential or commercial valve and installs in under 30 seconds with no tools required.

Accu-Sync’s fixed pressure feature also helps resolve several other concerns with proper installation and maintenance of adjustable valve pressure regulators such as: Are zone pressures set correctly during installation for the sprinkler type? Will there be vandalism that could possibly change the settings? Will the maintenance crew verify the set pressure and make the proper adjustments? With Hunter’s new fixed pressure Accu-Sync, these issues are solved with factory-calibrated, color-coded units in pressures designed for typical irrigation devices.