does anyone have an automatic sprinkler system?

[Sara Noel]

Just curious of there are any cons to it or if it's all good.I also don't have a clue as to the expense of purchasing or installing it.

[Mom23boys]

I don't, but it would make life simple. No more going out and moving the water hose to where I need it.

[lacyj]

We have automatic watering in the garden, during the summer, and to the chicken pen. DH set it up with soaker and drip lines, above ground. We usually have a large garden and it is a wonderful time saver. The timer to the chicken pan, comes on during the day and runs slowly for about ten minutes, the overflow makes for a good cool spot for the hens to play.
The cost does seem high for the timer and and all the valves but if it's kept from freezing it will last a long time. We completely disconnect it and drain the hoses, in the winter.

[QuilterMom]

We had one at our old house. It came with the house (part of the 'package' of features) and was tied into the city's reclaimed water system (the city prohibited us from having a well and running the system off that). The use of the reclaimed water cost us $9 per month on our utility bill. It was covered for the first year by warranty, but after that we had to pay for any calls ourselves. The company that we all used (everyone in the neighborhood) charged $45 for a service fee and then additional $ based on the problem. The biggest problem was the heads getting clogged due to the reclaimed water having so much debris and gunk in it. Dh and I took care of that ourselves, but it was time consuming.

[homesteadmamma]

We don't and no one in our town does. Were just to "countrified" I guess.

Many many people had one in the city though.

I agree with Michelle, it would make one's life simpler especially if your watering your lawns a lot.

[paelthom]

Nope. We just drag the hose from place to place. (Don't guess the dogs peeing on things count as automatic sprinkler right LOL)

[Missy]

Yup, and for the last 6 years it has been waiting on dh to install it...so there it sits on the shelving in the laundry room.

[TanyaMT]

We have one. I think the best feature is we can set it for just before dawn (when I would not want to be up watering). Then there is less evaporation but still soaks in and the sun removes any residual so the plants aren't in water all the time.

Ours was here when we moved in but we have had to do repairs and enhancements. It is not hard to maintain, I feel, once it is in.

[dolphin]

We live in the desert and nearly everyone has automatic watering or sprinklers here. Dh installed ours last year because he learned how to do from helping a friend who is in the business. It cost us about $400 or $500 for the materials and he got to borrow a ditch witch so that was free but man was it a lot of work. He placed about 850 feet of pipe. It probably would have been about $2000 if we had hired it done. Here the watering time is so important because we have to water late at night and early in the morning. Daytime watering is pretty useless here.

Call all of the landscapers or irrigation specialist in the phonebook and have them do bids for you.

[forestdale]

Sara, we have a sprinkler system on parts of our large garden, my son installed it. I'm not usre if it's the same type as over there because ours cost less than $100 to do a very big area. It's black hosing with drip and spray heads. If you can get them over there, they are very effective. Ours is attached to a timer we bought for $20. It's basically just hose pipe you bury under the mulch or top soil and punch holes with the supplied tool every place you want a sprinkler. The one I have is similar to this:
http://www.mossproducts.com.au/Water.../prodkits.html

The only downside I've found is that they do get blocked with ants sometimes but it's a simple thing to undo the blocked head and clean it out.

As to the installation, it's very simple. Even I could do it.