Author: Matt Moore, Senior Field Service Engineer for Franklin Electric
Anyone that works in irrigation knows: the greener and lusher the lawn, the better the property looks – and the better your business looks to prospective clients. If you can get a landscape, garden or lawn growing as beautiful and healthy as a golf course fairway or botanical garden: the green will speak for you.
But at what cost to the property owner? Conventional wisdom might tell you that the only way to get a property looking good is with water, water and more water. However, you don’t have to compromise either the health of the fields you serve, or the sustainable aspect of water usage to get highly professional results. That’s because more water isn’t the issue: better coverage is.
Today’s smart irrigation technologies not only adjust watering over time; they also harness the power of constant pressure to vary flow demand for lawn and garden irrigation zone requirements. They’re more precise, customizable and adaptable to different needs and situations.
How can you put this technology to work for you – and optimize a system’s performance? The answer is a constant pressure system.
Constant Pressure Systems Deliver Natural-Looking Results
Many conventional irrigation systems utilize a water well or pressure boosting system and a differential pressure switch (typically, at 30-50 PSI) to water a property. The result is often inconsistent surface-level watering, coverage gaps, increased watering time, runoff – and wasted water. That’s where constant pressure systems – which are designed to maintain a set pressure across the entire system – offer better performance. Whether driving an irrigation sprinkler, drip system or sprayer, the complete system is designed to perform efficiently across the board. Constant pressure systems deliver the right amount of water across a property and deeper watering without gaps to keep plants and lawns growing strong and looking healthy for years to come.
Constant Pressure Systems In Action
The installation of a constant pressure system, such as Franklin Electric’s SubDrive family of variable frequency drives, allows irrigation professionals to set the pressure to one setpoint at varying flow rates; just what you need to match irrigation demand that might change with the season, vegetation type or drought conditions. SubDrive systems use a pressure sensor to detect water pressure, send a signal to the variable frequency drive (VFD) and regulate the speed of the pump to meet the demand for water -- all while keeping pressure constant throughout the system using a set pressure.
The result is a constant pressure VFD solution that elevates your system’s performance and efficiency for optimum coverage. You get improved irrigation coverage that feeds plants and trees in the healthiest way possible.
Constant Pressure Systems Deliver Water Savings
With constant pressure comes not only better coverage but additional benefits, like reduced water usage and the resulting cost savings. These systems optimize overall efficiency and performance in favor of reduced irrigation cycle times. Trees, lawns and plants get deeper watering – that’s not only healthier for plants, but also helps reduce surface-level evaporation that leads to increased water usage.
Constant Pressure Systems Come with Installation Benefits
While the performance and cost benefits are clear, professional installers also need equipment that’s simple to install and operate. And, from residential to agricultural and commercial applications, Franklin Electric’s SubDrive family of VFDs offer a cost-effective, easy-to-install upgrade from set pressure systems. They retrofit most irrigations systems easily with an outdoor-ready, uncomplicated control solution. Simply wire it up, flip a switch or two, and you instantly have a motor protection, pressure boosting, and constant pressure solution ranging from 1/3 hp up to 5 hp for submersible and above ground pumping systems.
Franklin Electric’s SubDrive family of variable frequency drives (VFDs) are made by experts and backed by experts. This means they are manufactured specifically for water pumping applications by a pump manufacturer, incorporating Franklin Electric’s more than 15 years of drive engineering expertise into its design and comes fully supported by the industry’s leading Technical Support professionals and Field Service Engineers.
Franklin Electric is a global leader in the production and marketing of systems and components for the movement of water and energy. Recognized as a technical leader in its products and services, Franklin Electric serves customers around the world in residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, municipal, and fueling applications. Franklin Electric is proud to be named in Newsweek’s lists of America’s Most Responsible Companies and Most Trustworthy Companies for 2024 and America’s Climate Leaders 2023 by USA Today.