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To determine how long to run your sprinklers, place several empty, straight-sided cans or cups at different distances within one zone. (Uniform coffee mugs work well.) Run the sprinklers for 15 minutes and measure the amount of water collected in each can. Calculate an average water depth and determine how long it will take to apply a Â½ to Â¾ inch of water. Example: Â· Â¼â average depth of water after 15 minutes â water 35-50 minutes in that zone. Â· Â½â average depth of water after 15 minutes â water 20-30 minutes in that zone.
Determining Your Sprinkler Output. The most important thing to do is to determine how much water your sprinkler delivers per hour. To do this, set out several empty cans around your yard and run your sprinkler for 20 minutes. Measure the average depth in the cans and multiply this number by 3 to find out how many inches your sprinkler delivers in an hour.