Hi Alan. You are right; I did not mention this. PRS is not a requirement for any sprinkler nozzle. It is, however, required by law in some states when purchasing new sprinklers, like California - not because it is required by the nozzle (such as MP Rotators), but because it is now a requirement of the sprinkler body. In terms of the MP Rotator, this nozzle performs best at 40psi, so if you are considering PRS-type sprinklers, you will want to purchase the 40psi option. MP's work better at higher pressures than spray nozzles which will "mist" heavily at higher pressures. Yes, you can use the MP Rotator with non-PRS 1800 heads without any issues. Have fun out there.
I have a rainbird 1800, the grass is getting too much water in one spot in the yard. I just need to cut the amount of water by about half. How do I do that?
If your sprinklers have typical spray nozzles, the precipitation rate is roughly 1 in/hr. You could switch the nozzle to a rotator-style nozzle, and the precipitation rate will drop to about 0.40-.50. That will apply half the amount of water as the other nozzles on the zone. This is generally not recommended because it would result in a potential dry spot, but in your case, it's perfect!
I need to replace one of my Rain Bird 1800 that got damaged with a lawn mower. It is a 12in one, and I can tell that it is using the side inlet. Does anything have to be done to block the bottom if I screw into the side inlet? Do I have to dig a huge hole to spin the 12in Sprinkler Body into the side inlet, or is there an easier way to do it? It is spraying some bushes, so the Side Inlet where it connects to the now broken body is actually above ground. Is there a way to replace this without digging a massive hole? If the sprinkler body is using the Side Inlet, does that mean that the bottom of that damaged sprinkler body likely isn't screwed into anything?
Great question, and I'll try to explain. The side inlet is used to connect the service pipe, instead of connecting it to the bottom. To use the side inlet, remove the plug that comes installed, and screw it into the bottom, to plug the bottom inlet. That should pretty much answer the question ;) You'll probably need to dig a hole larger enough to make the repair - however large that may be. Also, double-check that the actual riser height (pop-up) is 12". If this was in the grass and damaged by a lawn mower, you may have a 6" pop-up. Does this help?
@@Andy_Humphrey Thank you for the reply, this helps! It was a 12 inch, and I was able to replace it with zero digging. I did have to use a blow torch to loosen up the side inlet on the old one so I could remove it, then just popped in a new one!
Can you use the inlet as an outlet? I’m trying to get to some potted plants and was thinking there must be a way to connect it to some bubblers. Thanks.
Unfortunately that is not possible. You best option is to change the nozzle to a lower precipitation rate nozzle, such as a Rotating nozzle. Although mixing nozzles is generally not recommended, in this instant, it may be the only option to lower to precipitation in that specific area.
@@krispy5139 There are different types of "standard" nozzles. It should say Rain Bird, or Hunter, or Toro etc. And then something like 8H or 8VAN. generally, it will have a number followed by a Letter for the arc (Q, H, F, or adjustable VAN).
Hey Andy, one of the Rain Bird 1800 sprinklers shoots water straight up into the air. It appears to be the basic version as there are no SAM or PRS written on it, but perhaps that part broke off and disappeared? There is only white ring with dots all the way around it. Any advice? Thank you in advance.
Very common! Either the nozzle broke off or was mowed off. Or the entire riser portion broke off. Super easy fix, no digging, you just need to know the height (4”, 6”, 12”), and you can replace just the inner guts. Typically, the other sprinklers on the zone will be the same height, and have similar nozzles you can reference. You’ll also need a new nozzle. Happy to help if you need more info.
@@Andy_Humphrey Thank you. The blue colored portion of the nozzle is gone. Regarding the height, I'm guessing it is 4 inches. It looks just like the one you have in the video.
nice video... My problem is I can't even get the head to pop up with the 1800 model. I have the 5000 as well and just doing a test between them the 5000 pops up using just one. I'm guessing my water pressure sucks. Any advice. Im going to use these above ground in select planters around my small yard.
Interesting. The 1800 should pop up more easily than the 5000, with as little as 15-20psi. Perhaps you have exceeded the maximum flow with that zone? (Too many heads)
@@Andy_Humphrey I’m only testing one head. I haven’t installed any of them yet. I’m getting the layout done first. I can pry the head up slightly than and it goes up. Soon as I try open the nozzle up wider it wants to go down. It will stay up at 100 degrees or with increased pressure. I’m running an adapter to it with a normal garden hose. I’ve swapped out nozzles and heads. Makes no difference. I just ordered a pressure gauge to see where I’m at.
Huh. It pop right up. Have you tried testing with another 1800 to rule out anything unusual with that unit? When you get your pressure gauge, be sure to test the pressure with the water running. A hose Y-adapter/splitter is useful for this. Very curious to learn what you find out!
@@Andy_Humphrey it was really weird. I bought one later in the day from Menards and it worked. Than I went to try one of my originals and it worked. Seemed like it was functioning like normal. Checked my pressure today and it came back with 70 psi or 5 Barr. Maybe I had a random low pressure at the time of day i initially tried them out. Soon I’m going to see if I can get 4 too fire up in one zone
I currently have 7 rain bird 1800 heads on 1 zone, they are the base model. Can you mix base, PRS 30's and PRS 45's on the same zone? Or do they have to be all the same, ie... all base, all 30's or all 45's? TIA
@@Andy_Humphrey As of right now all 7 are non PRS with various Rain Bird VAN's. The plan is to upgrade and put new nozzles on some if not all of them. I'm undecided on the Hunter or Rain Bird rotary ones. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to change out the body of the sprinkler head and replace with with the PRS's. 2nd question... are the outside bodies of the non PRS and the bodies of the PRS's the same and just the inner workings different? Maybe I could buy a couple of PRS's and unscrew the inner workings and put them into the old bodies so I wouldn't have to dig the whole thing up to replace.
Hi Mark. The flow rate (GPM) is based on the specific nozzle being used. There are dozens of different nozzles. We recommend identifying the nozzle and then referencing that nozzle specification. If you let us know what nozzle you have we’d be happy to look it up for you.
Thanks for the idea, we'll add this to the list of future videos. Here is a link to the instructions, www.rainbird.com/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017-06/man_sprayheads.pdf - nozzle adjustments may differ based on the specific nozzle you are using - there are many brands and different types of nozzles. You are welcome to call us and we'll walk you through it. -Andy
Extremely well done video, Andy! Your planning, knowledge/skill deliverance & persona values are obvious and very much appreciated.
Thank you. All the information is actually helpful for when I go to Lowes! They have so many pieces! So thank you again!!!
My pleasure. You are correct, there are way too many sprinkler options 🎉
Excellent. I could not find an answer to changing the direction of the stream until this discussion. Thank you very much
Great!! It is confusing for sure, not to mention it feels you’re breaking something when you twist it.
Excellent job. Covered my topic of adjusting the tube as my sprinkler head wasn’t pointed in the right direction.
Thanks! We’re just over here Living The Sprinkler Dream😊
@@Andy_Humphrey Me and you both.
Thanks! very concise and precise video. You answered all my questions and voila! sprinkler repaired and adjusted!
Thank you so much! That was exactly what I needed to know.... appreciated your post.
Excellent!
You didn't talk about whether the PRS is required for the MP-Rotator nozzles. Can you use the MP-Rotator with the non-PRS 1800 heads?
Hi Alan. You are right; I did not mention this. PRS is not a requirement for any sprinkler nozzle. It is, however, required by law in some states when purchasing new sprinklers, like California - not because it is required by the nozzle (such as MP Rotators), but because it is now a requirement of the sprinkler body.
In terms of the MP Rotator, this nozzle performs best at 40psi, so if you are considering PRS-type sprinklers, you will want to purchase the 40psi option. MP's work better at higher pressures than spray nozzles which will "mist" heavily at higher pressures.
Yes, you can use the MP Rotator with non-PRS 1800 heads without any issues.
Have fun out there.
I have a rainbird 1800, the grass is getting too much water in one spot in the yard. I just need to cut the amount of water by about half. How do I do that?
If your sprinklers have typical spray nozzles, the precipitation rate is roughly 1 in/hr. You could switch the nozzle to a rotator-style nozzle, and the precipitation rate will drop to about 0.40-.50. That will apply half the amount of water as the other nozzles on the zone.
This is generally not recommended because it would result in a potential dry spot, but in your case, it's perfect!
@@Andy_Humphrey thank you!
Thank you!
Our pleasure. Glad it was helpful!
I need to replace one of my Rain Bird 1800 that got damaged with a lawn mower. It is a 12in one, and I can tell that it is using the side inlet. Does anything have to be done to block the bottom if I screw into the side inlet? Do I have to dig a huge hole to spin the 12in Sprinkler Body into the side inlet, or is there an easier way to do it? It is spraying some bushes, so the Side Inlet where it connects to the now broken body is actually above ground. Is there a way to replace this without digging a massive hole?
If the sprinkler body is using the Side Inlet, does that mean that the bottom of that damaged sprinkler body likely isn't screwed into anything?
Great question, and I'll try to explain. The side inlet is used to connect the service pipe, instead of connecting it to the bottom. To use the side inlet, remove the plug that comes installed, and screw it into the bottom, to plug the bottom inlet. That should pretty much answer the question ;)
You'll probably need to dig a hole larger enough to make the repair - however large that may be.
Also, double-check that the actual riser height (pop-up) is 12". If this was in the grass and damaged by a lawn mower, you may have a 6" pop-up.
Does this help?
@@Andy_Humphrey Thank you for the reply, this helps! It was a 12 inch, and I was able to replace it with zero digging. I did have to use a blow torch to loosen up the side inlet on the old one so I could remove it, then just popped in a new one!
@@HeyNikP excellent!
Can you use the inlet as an outlet? I’m trying to get to some potted plants and was thinking there must be a way to connect it to some bubblers. Thanks.
Interesting idea. To use it as an outlet, I would remove the sprinkler, and connect to pipe/fitting underneath.
Can you adjust the pressure on the PRS sprinkler heads? I have a couple areas getting far too much water, need to lower the flow.
Unfortunately that is not possible. You best option is to change the nozzle to a lower precipitation rate nozzle, such as a Rotating nozzle. Although mixing nozzles is generally not recommended, in this instant, it may be the only option to lower to precipitation in that specific area.
@ecomowers can't seem to find a 3 to 4ft rotating nozzle...
@@krispy5139 What is the current nozzle (exactly). I will see what I can find for you.
@@Andy_Humphrey standard nozzle size, doesn't say.
@@krispy5139 There are different types of "standard" nozzles. It should say Rain Bird, or Hunter, or Toro etc. And then something like 8H or 8VAN. generally, it will have a number followed by a Letter for the arc (Q, H, F, or adjustable VAN).
Hey Andy, one of the Rain Bird 1800 sprinklers shoots water straight up into the air. It appears to be the basic version as there are no SAM or PRS written on it, but perhaps that part broke off and disappeared? There is only white ring with dots all the way around it. Any advice? Thank you in advance.
Very common! Either the nozzle broke off or was mowed off. Or the entire riser portion broke off. Super easy fix, no digging, you just need to know the height (4”, 6”, 12”), and you can replace just the inner guts. Typically, the other sprinklers on the zone will be the same height, and have similar nozzles you can reference. You’ll also need a new nozzle. Happy to help if you need more info.
@@Andy_Humphrey Thank you. The blue colored portion of the nozzle is gone. Regarding the height, I'm guessing it is 4 inches. It looks just like the one you have in the video.
nice video... My problem is I can't even get the head to pop up with the 1800 model. I have the 5000 as well and just doing a test between them the 5000 pops up using just one. I'm guessing my water pressure sucks. Any advice. Im going to use these above ground in select planters around my small yard.
Interesting. The 1800 should pop up more easily than the 5000, with as little as 15-20psi. Perhaps you have exceeded the maximum flow with that zone? (Too many heads)
@@Andy_Humphrey I’m only testing one head. I haven’t installed any of them yet. I’m getting the layout done first. I can pry the head up slightly than and it goes up. Soon as I try open the nozzle up wider it wants to go down. It will stay up at 100 degrees or with increased pressure. I’m running an adapter to it with a normal garden hose. I’ve swapped out nozzles and heads. Makes no difference. I just ordered a pressure gauge to see where I’m at.
Huh. It pop right up. Have you tried testing with another 1800 to rule out anything unusual with that unit? When you get your pressure gauge, be sure to test the pressure with the water running. A hose Y-adapter/splitter is useful for this. Very curious to learn what you find out!
@@Andy_Humphrey it was really weird. I bought one later in the day from Menards and it worked. Than I went to try one of my originals and it worked. Seemed like it was functioning like normal. Checked my pressure today and it came back with 70 psi or 5 Barr. Maybe I had a random low pressure at the time of day i initially tried them out. Soon I’m going to see if I can get 4 too fire up in one zone
Glad it’s working! 4 should work depending on the nozzles. Have fu !
I currently have 7 rain bird 1800 heads on 1 zone, they are the base model. Can you mix base, PRS 30's and PRS 45's on the same zone? Or do they have to be all the same, ie... all base, all 30's or all 45's? TIA
Absolutely! When mixing sprinklers on the same zone, you should consider the type of nozzle…
@@Andy_Humphrey As of right now all 7 are non PRS with various Rain Bird VAN's. The plan is to upgrade and put new nozzles on some if not all of them. I'm undecided on the Hunter or Rain Bird rotary ones. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to change out the body of the sprinkler head and replace with with the PRS's.
2nd question... are the outside bodies of the non PRS and the bodies of the PRS's the same and just the inner workings different? Maybe I could buy a couple of PRS's and unscrew the inner workings and put them into the old bodies so I wouldn't have to dig the whole thing up to replace.
Yes. Exactly. The bodies (canisters) are the same. The inner workings contains the different feature sets 👍
the green threaded pipe that is attached to the bottom of the head is damaged
Haha, oops.
Flow rate in GPM?
Hi Mark. The flow rate (GPM) is based on the specific nozzle being used. There are dozens of different nozzles. We recommend identifying the nozzle and then referencing that nozzle specification. If you let us know what nozzle you have we’d be happy to look it up for you.
Too much info in short video. Was not helpful in adjusting (all I wanted to do) the head.
Thanks for the idea, we'll add this to the list of future videos. Here is a link to the instructions, www.rainbird.com/sites/default/files/media/documents/2017-06/man_sprayheads.pdf - nozzle adjustments may differ based on the specific nozzle you are using - there are many brands and different types of nozzles. You are welcome to call us and we'll walk you through it. -Andy