Rainbird 5000 Series Gear Drive Sprinklers

The main safety concern is regarding the water supply. To avoid contamination of the mains water upstream, in most municipalities, a Dual Check Valve is required at the water connection.

We definitely don’t recommend it. Typically, drip tube will deliver the water at a far slower rate that sprays. Because of this, if you were to have both on the same zone, the areas with drip would be left far drier than the areas with sprinkler coverage. If you do want to water some areas with drip & some with sprinklers, it can be done, but each will just need to be run on their own separate irrigation zones.

A garden tap is an excellent place to connect your irrigation system. Ideally, install a connection point behind the tap (turn the water off first) so you can still use your tap to fill a bucket when you need to.

Even on a typical domestic system running on mains water a filter is still a good idea. In the event of a water main fault where rubbish does find it’s way down the line, a filter will protect the system from blockage and or failure. On systems operating off recycled water, like from a tank, a screen filter is mandatory. Debris like silt & dirt from recycled water is the most common cause of blockages of failures in irrigation systems.

No, unless you’re tapping into your water supply, a plumber isn’t required. Most domestic irrigation systems can be installed by anyone half handy.

Most gear drives adjust the same way: Alter the spray radius by changing the nozzle, most sprinklers come with a nozzle rack. And, alter the spray radius using a gear drive adjustment tool or screw driver. Gear drive adjustment tools or spanners make adjusting much easier with the added function of being able to lift the sprinkler riser for simple adjustment.

Firstly, each sprinkler &/or nozzle has a specified spray radius. Secondly, sprinklers are typically designed to deliver more water at their base & progressively less the further away you get. For this reason, you want to position sprinklers so they spray to hit the base of the next sprinkler. Of course this isn’t possible all the time so in those cases, aim to spray at least 80% of the way. By doing this you will guarantee even water across your lawn or garden.

Each sprinkler & nozzle sprays water at different rates, but the key factor is the flow rate of your water supply. Work that out with a simple timed bucket test. From there, you can work out how much water each sprinkler you’re looking at uses & work within your flow limit. For more information, check our Product Guides.

Well you’re in the right place! We’ve got it all here. The first step, is drawing out a plan of your garden, to scale of course. We’ve got Grid Paper in our Product Guides & all the advice you’ll need in there too!

As you install a system, it’s almost inevitable that small fragments of dirt will get into the pipe, for this reason you should always flush out the system before running it the first time. This can be done by leaving an open end at the farthest point of each irrigation zone & operating the zone for 15 or so seconds to flush it out. Then plug it up & you’re good to go! This can also be said for any other times dirt may have gotten into the system (eg: further irrigation repairs or a mains water supply fault).

The type of nozzle all depends on how far you need to spray, each nozzle is specified by the radius it sprays & the spray arc it provides (0-360 degrees). Aim to spray to the base of the next closest sprinkler for even watering. For more information on planning, check out our Product Guides.

There’s no best type of sprinkler, just better sprinklers for different applications. Gear Drives are better for large areas, over 5m. Pop-Ups are ideal for 1.5-5m & Micro sprays are excellent for anything under that.

We get any number of calls from people across the country who've bought from overseas & have problems. From electrical output problems to thread compatibility problems & other problems that we aren't able to help with!

By buying from SunshowerOnline, right here in Australia, you can be sure that your warranty issues are covered, that compatibility & compliance isn't an issue & that you'll be able to get helpful after service advice.