- Control Panel – this is the brains of the whole system that tells each valve to open. You can set the panel timer to come on at whatever time you want or you can use pre-programmed time schedules depending upon the unit
- Sprinkler Valve – this is the component that opens the water flow to the zone that is controlled electronically by the control panel
- Zone – Most water pressure situations do not allow all of the sprinkler heads to come on all at one time. For this reason and other reasons, you must divide the system up into zones which come on independently.
- Backflow Control Valve – This is a large valve that is usually connected directly to the water main, located in a green box near the water main. This component prevents fertilizer and contaminants from entering into the water supply for your house through the sprinkler heads or through broken underground pvc pipes.
- Sprinkler head – There are a few different ways to distribute the water in any given zone. There are rotory style heads, popup heads, shrub nozzles, and drip irrigation. A sprinkler head generally refers to either a popup or a rotary head.