What is a Pop-up?
A pop-up is a commonly used type of irrigation sprinkler or spray. It’s called a pop-up spray because the middle part of the spray that the nozzle attaches to pops-up out of the spray body to a specific height when in use and disappears below ground when not in use. Common heights are 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”, and 12”. On some of the taller models (6” and 12”) rather than having the water enter the spray from the bottom, there are side inlet options where the water enters the body from its side which makes them easier to install as the spray bodies can be quite long.
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What are they used for?
Pop-up sprays are typically used for watering lawns but can also be used to water flower beds and vegetable gardens. They sit flush with the ground, making them easy to have installed in your lawn with little to no risk of lawn mower damage (if installed correctly). Pop-ups can also be installed on strong, supported risers for watering overhead for vegetables or garden beds with high and wide foliage. They are designed to distribute water evenly over lawn and garden surfaces, ideally mitigating dry and soggy spots. The amount of water distributed, and the distance of the water spray will differ depending on the height of the pop-up, the type of nozzle used, and the zone run-times.
What variations do they come in?
Pop-ups come in a variety of sizes to meet your watering needs. There are standard models which will water well, however if you’re looking to be a bit more sustainable or your property has a significant grade to it, there are some models with specific features:
Pressure Regulated Pop-ups – PR pop-ups and designed to ensure the same water pressure is travelling through each spray nozzle, ensuring consistent pressure throughout your irrigation system. This is a more sustainable option as it helps to eliminate misting at the beginning of your line and water pooling at the end of your lines, both resulting in wasted water. They do this by either reducing or increasing the water pressure when it runs through the spray body. These pop-ups will have a PR on the top of the body. Depending on the pop-up brand, pressure can be regulated to 30psi, 40psi or 45psi.
If using fixed spray nozzles on your pop-ups, you’ll want a pop-up regulated to 30psi. If you’re using rotary nozzles like an MP or an R-Van, you’ll need a pop-up regulated to 40psi or 45psi.
Check Valve – CV Pop-ups are designed to be installed on a hill as they stop water from running back down the line and leaking from the lowest sprinklers in the zone. Having check valve sprays also keeps more water in the line between runs, reducing the amount of water needed to fill irrigation pipes for each run. This conserves water and helps your system to activate quicker. These types of pop-ups have a CV on top of the body. For some brands of pop-up, the CV (check valve) may be called a SAM (Seal - A - Matic™), they are the same thing, however the pop-up will have SAM on the top of the body rather than a CV.
Combination – Pop-ups are also available in a PR/CV (PR/SAM) combination, so you get one pop-up with both efficiency and sustainability features.
Learn More
To learn more about pop-ups sprays, check out these resources from Irritrol, Rain Bird and Toro.