General Information
Q. What sprinklers do Precision Series Spray Nozzles fit?
The Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles come in both male and female threads in an effort to accommodate as many different brands as possible. (That way you can simply change out the nozzle instead of the entire sprinkler body.) The brands that Toro Precision Nozzles retrofit include:
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Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles do not fit on old/existing brass sprinkler heads; there must be a plastic sprinkler body for them to retrofit. If you do not see your brand of sprinkler on this list, or if you have further questions, please contact a local distributor for more information.
Q. Are there sprinklers that the Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles will not fit?
Yes, the nozzles will not fit the following sprinklers
- Champion Brass
- Weathermatic Brass
- ORBIT
- WATERMASTER
Q. How do I change my nozzles?
Q. Where are the local distributors who sell Toro Precision Series Spray Nozzles?
Q.
What do I need to take with me to the store?
- A filled out checklist of what nozzles you need! Do you need male or female threads? Do you need full, half or quarter sprays? Stores don’t know what you need because they don’t know your yard! If you have questions call a listed distributor.
- You will also need to bring your voucher! Don’t forget to print it out and take it in with you within 30 days!
H2O Chip Technology
Q. What’s different about these nozzles?
A. Precision Series Spray Nozzles use a completely different technology to create a spray pattern than conventional spray nozzles do. Instead of directing one or more small, concentrated streams of water into a multi-angled plastic surface and slamming those streams directly into that surface to create a spray pattern, the Precision Series Spray Nozzles use a patented, H2O Chip technology that is much more efficient. This patented process creates high-frequency oscillating streams that create patterns of equal distance and coverage with conventional spray nozzles but with at least 1/3rd less flow. The streams oscillate at such a high frequency (200 cycles/ second) that they cannot be detected with the naked eye. They can only be seen under strobe light illumination.
Q. Is the “H2O Chip” inside the Precision Spray Nozzle like a computer chip?
A. NO; even though it is “SMART.” A Precision Spray Nozzle “chip” is simply a highly engineered chamber (i.e., flow path), that creates one or more high- frequency oscillating streams without the use of any moving parts. It is patented.
Q. How does the H2O chip work?
A. The water enters the bottom of the nozzle housing, travels around the head of theadjusting screw and then proceeds up to a specially designed chamber. This chamber is the patented H2O Chip. As water flows through the H2O Chip, micro-vortexes of water continuously form and collapse inside the chamber, creating one or more high-frequency oscillating streams outside the chamber – all without the use of any moving parts. It is these oscillating streams that give these “spray” nozzles the performance characteristics of a rotor – lower precipitation rate and higher uniformity as well as water droplets of consistent size and velocity and better edge definition. This process is efficient and allows Precision Series Spray Nozzles to achieve conventional distances of throw (5’, 8’, 10’, 12’, & 15’) with 1/3rd lower flows. They also operate over a wider pressure range than conventional spray nozzles: 20 – 50 psi vs. 15 – 30 psi.
Q. What do you mean by saying that there is a micro-scrubbing action going on inside the H2O chip?
A. Think of the inside of the Precision Series H2O chip as a highly engineered chamber with an inlet and one or more outlets. As water flows through the chamber, micro-vortexes of water continuously form and collapse inside the chamber, creating one or more high-frequency oscillating streams outside the chamber. In essence, this is the micro "scrubbing" action that goes on inside the chip; it is caused by the micro-vortexes.
Q. Is H2O technology used in any other industry?
A. Actually you’ve seen this technology for years. It’s the way most windshield wiper fluid gets sprayed on to windshields in automobiles made by Cadillac, Toyota, Mercedes, Ford and others. Did you ever wonder how the windshield wiper fluid was so evenly spread on your windshield and how long you could go between having to refill the fluid reservoir? The answer: low flow, high velocity discharge and high uniformity. Traveling at 65 MPH, windshield wiper fluid would normally just mist away. By using this technology, the water is moved onto the windshield very quickly, very evenly and with good force behind it so it hits the target.
Q. Is the Toro H 2O Chip used by any other company?
A. No. Each industry customizes the basic technology in order to adapt it to their specific needs. Some adaptations are easy; others, like Toro’s Precision Series Spray Nozzles, have been very challenging. Never before has this technology been used to achieve 15’ distances of throw. Check out their website for the Precision technology used in other applications.
Precision Series Spray Nozzle Performance
Q. If Precision Spray Nozzles have flow rates 1/3rd lower than conventional spray nozzles and keep the turf green without increasing the station run time, why isn't the uniformity WAY higher?
A. The answer is — because there's more to overall irrigation efficiency than just uniformity. Uniformity is one performance characteristic; but so is the lower precipitation rate, the better soil chemistry that results from a lower precipitation rate, less runoff, less chance for misting, more consistent water droplet size and velocity. When you add improved uniformity (not way higher uniformity) to these other factors, we get more water savings than you would expect if you only considered uniformity measurements. Toro’s Precision Series Spray Nozzles deliver a multi-dimensional assault on water waste. In other words, a higher percentage of the discharged water from a Precision Spray gets to the root zone than a conventional spray nozzle.
Q. Why can you reduce the radius of a Precision Series Spray Nozzle and maintain matched precipitation rate performance when you can’t do that with a conventional spray nozzle?
A. The H2O Chip technology is so efficient, that using the radius reduction screw reduces the water flow in just the right proportion to maintain the 1”/hr precipitation rate throughout the 20-50 psi pressure range of the Precision Spray Nozzle. When you see a conventional spray nozzle mist at 40, 45 or 50 psi, the mist represents inefficiency. You won’t see that wasteful misting with the Precision Spray Nozzles because the high-frequency oscillating streams are more efficient when they exit the nozzle than water blasting off a hard plastic surface of a conventional spray nozzle
Q. Can the spacing between sprinkler heads installed with Precision Spray Nozzles be stretched?
A. Toro recommends head-to-head spacing based on nominal radius and pressure throughout the operating pressure range of 20 - 50 psi. Given field test results to date and internal testing results in zero-wind lab testing, Toro recommends head to head spacing of Precision Series Spray Nozzles.
Q. Do I install Precision nozzles differently?
A. No. Precision nozzles are attached to a spray head body just like any other nozzle. They also have a radius adjustment screw on top just like any other nozzle. But unlike any other nozzle there’s a lot of installation information on top of the nozzle contained in the color codes and graphics.
Q. "If we need to put down 1.25" of water per week, and this nozzle puts out a slower precipitation rate... explain why we don't need a longer runtime to achieve that 1.25" per week…??"
A. First, the missing variable that will answer this question is the “efficiency” factor of the nozzle. If one nozzle is more efficient than another, this efficiency difference provides the answer. Remember, a better DU is only one of the performance characteristics that increases overall irrigation efficiency of a spray zone. Other factors include, lower precipitation rate, more consistent water droplet size and velocity, better defined edges and less soil saturation.
In beta testing, customers have told us that when they’ve installed 15’ Precision Sprays next to conventional 15’ sprays, they’ve successfully used the same watering schedule for both zones. Let’s see what this means for the “efficiency” factor of each nozzle type.
If a 15’ conventional zone is 43.8% “efficient” and the 15’ Precision Series Spray Nozzle zone is 70% efficient, how long must each zone run per week so that every part of the zone gets at least the 1.25” desired?
Conventional Spray Nozzle:
1.25”/43.8% = 2.85” (So 2.85” must be applied to deliver 1.25”)
Precision Spray Nozzle:
1.25”/70% = 1.79” (1.79” must be applied to deliver 1.25”)
A conventional 15’ spray zone delivers water at the rate of 1.6”/HR. (2.85” of applied water/1.6”/hr application rate = 1.8 hours).The zone must run 1.8 hours (108 minutes) total during the week to deliver the desired 1.25” of water to every part of the zone.
The Precision Spray Nozzle zone, on the other hand, applies water at 1”/HR. (1.79” of applied water/1.0”/hr application rate = 1.8 hours). Therefore this zone must also run 1.8 hours (108 minutes) during the week to deliver the desired 1.25” of water to every part of the zone.
This example assumes that the current watering schedule of the conventional zone has been previously set so that no brown spots are evident in the turfgrass. By delivering water at a higher overall efficiency, lower flow Precision Spray zones can deliver the desired amount of water, e.g. 1.25”/week, in the same amount of time as higher flow conventional spray zones.
1.8 hours of watering @ 1.6”/hour = 2.9” of water applied for the conventional zone.
1.8 hours of watering @ 1.0”/hour = 1.8” of total water applied for the Precision Zone.
The water savings = 37.9%. Same weekly watering time.
Q. I’ve heard talk of odd arcs and specialty arcs. What’s that about?
A. The Toro product development team refers to the following patterns as “odd arcs” because they use at least one uniquely designed H2O chip that is not used in the F, TQ, H & Q nozzles of any given radius family. These “odd” arcs are: 60º; T; 150º; 210º; TT.
The “specialty” arcs are the strip nozzles. Each strip family consists of 3 nozzles: LCS, SST and RCS: Left Corner Strip; Side Strip; Right Corner Strip). 4x30 Family: The first strip family to be introduced will be the
4x30 family. The Corner Strips will deliver 4x15 patterns while the Side Strip will deliver a 4x30 pattern; all at 30 PSI.
4x9 Family: The second strip family to be introduced will be the 4x18 family. The Corner Strips will deliver 4x9 patterns while the Side Strip will deliver a 4x18 pattern; all at 30 PSI.
Physical Characteristics
Q. What are these color codes?
A. The nozzles are color-coded on top to the standard color scheme for Radius used on the MPR nozzle sets – red is for 5’, green is for 8’, blue is for 10’, brown is for 12’ and black is for 15’. In addition, a series of white hash marks around the top circumference of the nozzle indicate the exact arc pattern.
Q. As I look at the nozzle face why do I see multiple chips?
A. The concept of the H2O chip is to develop the absolute best spray possible for the 90-degree or 60- degree arcs and then use them in combinations to give you all the arc selections. A 180-degree nozzle is actually two 90-degree chips used side-by-side. And don’t worry, where the chip edges meet there is no overlap or gap. The sprays become seamless after they are projected 1-2 inches from the nozzle face.
Reliability Questions
Q. How will Precision Series Spray Nozzles stand up to water with high mineral content? Will they clog up with calcium deposits?
A. The H2O Chips have been tested for performance in hard water and found to be reliable. This is primarily because the critical surfaces are only exposed to sunlight when the nozzles are spraying water; otherwise, they are protected below the surface of the wiper seal. No sun means no evaporation, and no evaporation means no hard water mineral deposits. In addition, the physical properties of PBT make the chip’s flow path highly resistant to mineral deposits.
Q. What about debris?
A. You’ll notice the filter screen is attached to the nozzle body – at the factory - to ensure it is properly positioned and attached to the nozzle housing. This assures that each Precision Spray Nozzle is installed and operated with the correct screen; preventing harmful contamination from entering the H2O Chip. The screen is designed so that anything passing through the screen will pass through the nozzle and the H2O Chips. While the screen can be removed and cleaned if it becomes clogged, it is critically important to re-attach the screen before re-installing the nozzle (see next question). For all intents and purposes, the warranty is void on the nozzle if it is operated without the screen.
Q. The screens for the 15’ Series look different than the screens for the other models. Why is that?
A. There is one screen (26 mesh, 560 microns) for the 15’ Precision Spray Nozzles and a finer mesh screen (45 mesh, 306 microns) for the other models: 5’, 8’, 10’ and 12’ nozzles. The screen with the little tip extension at the end is the finer mesh screen.
Q. What kind of material are most spray nozzles made out of?
A. ABS Plastic.
Q. What kind of material are Precision Spray Nozzles made out of?
A. PBT Plastic (Polybutylene Terephthalate).
Q. Is PBT a better plastic?
A. PBT is a highly engineered plastic that is harder than ABS. It has been chosen for the Precision Spray Nozzles and H2O chips because of its physical properties. It also has a much lower coefficient of friction so there is less energy loss as water travels across the surface of the H2O Chip molded out of PBT Plastic.
Q. Won’t the micro-vortexes of water that continuously form and collapse rapidly inside the H2O chip wear out the plastic?
A. NO. PBT Plastic has chemical and physical properties that are uniquely designed to handle the turbulent water flow inside the chip. PBT is a highly engineered plastic that is harder and smoother than ABS, so less friction and abrasion occurs with PBT than ABS. Think of it as a “Super Teflon” surface. Also, the amount of water flowing through any Precision Spray Nozzle is at least 35% lower than conventional, competitive spray nozzles so there is less water to wear out a harder plastic.
* Projections of savings are based on Precision™ Series Spray Nozzles and conventional spray nozzles using the same watering schedule. Actual savings from installing Precision Spray nozzles may vary based on site conditions, head spacing and other factors not under Toro’s control.
**Toro Precision Nozzles are designed to fit on all major irrigation brand products, specific store brands may not apply. Check with your local distributor for more details.