Guides
Buying guides, explainers and how-tos, newest first.
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Do I need a backflow preventer for my sprinkler or drip system?
What backflow is, the five devices you will meet, which faucet and drip kits include one, and how permits and yearly tests…
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The best smart sprinkler controllers
Six controllers compared on zones, paid plans, offline running and EPA’s WaterSense list, with the Rachio 3 as the smart pick for…
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The best hose timers, smart and plain
Seven hose timers, from plain dial models to Wi-Fi and Apple Home ones, ranked on how you control them, hubs, leaks at…
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The best drip irrigation kits for raised beds and gardens
Seven faucet drip kits for raised beds, vegetable rows, borders and pots, compared on what each puts on the faucet and what…
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How to winterize a sprinkler system, drip kit and hose timer
The fall routine for hose-faucet kits, drip kits, hose timers and full systems, with official blowout safety limits, controller winter modes and…
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Rachio 3 vs Orbit B-hyve
Rachio 3 or Orbit B-hyve 6-zone: how the two most-compared smart sprinkler controllers differ on controls, Wi-Fi, fault alerts, mounting and zones.
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How deep to bury sprinkler pipe: poly, PVC or PEX
What the kit makers, irrigation designers and local rules say about burial depth, why frost matters less than you think, and how…
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How many sprinkler heads per zone, and how many zones you need
One sum, your flow divided by each nozzle’s flow, sets how many heads a zone can run; the zone count then tells…
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How to measure water pressure and flow for a sprinkler system
Two quick tests at the outdoor faucet, a gauge and a 5-gallon bucket, tell you which sprinkler or drip kit your water…
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Hose-faucet sprinkler kit or a full in-ground system? How to choose
When a hose-faucet sprinkler kit is enough, when you need a full in-ground system, and what each means for flow, zones, permits…