# Irrigation spray nozzles: match flow, pressure and wetted pattern URL: https://leafwrit.com/ie/irrigation-nozzle-selection/ Reviewed: 2026-10-29 **Choose irrigation spray nozzles by the required wetted pattern, measured operating pressure and flow.** Give the designer the crop layout and water supply before selecting a micro-sprinkler head or misting component. The Netafim SuperNet JET comes in several flow, connector and static-deflector configurations. Match the complete model code to its specified working-pressure range. ## Define what must receive the water Say whether the water is meant for the root zone, an overhead crop area or climate control. Mark beds, containers, tree rows and paths on a simple layout, and note whether the crop is outdoors, under a tunnel or in a glasshouse. Give the designer the crop spacing, canopy size and the mounting height you have, and mark the boundaries where water is unwanted. For hydroponics or a nutrient solution, tell the designer what the solution is and what the equipment is made of. Do not use a nozzle chosen for ordinary landscape irrigation without asking whether it suits that system. ## Read the complete flow specification Read SuperNet JET discharge in litres per hour. Keep that unit apart from litres per minute and from water depth over a growing area. Ask for the model code, the nozzle or flow variant and the pressure at which that flow is specified. Get the manufacturer's table rather than copying a shop's short product title, and put the exact model and flow code on the order and the system plan. Count how many outlets run together in each zone. The flow of one head and the demand of a whole zone are different numbers, and the designer needs the second one for pump and pipe sizing. ## Measure pressure where the equipment works Use the pressure requirements for your exact selected model and ask where the system must be measured. Tell the installer about changes in elevation, pipe length and how many outlets run at once, and ask them to check the most demanding spots, not only the reading beside the pump. Write down the commissioning results with the zone layout, including which valves were open and what was connected, so you can compare after changing a line or a head. ## Match connectors and deflectors Choose the inlet connector and deflector arrangement for the SuperNet JET variant supplied. The connector describes the physical connection; the deflector describes the distribution configuration. Compare both. When you order a replacement, send the supplier photographs and the code of the existing part, and say how the pipe or tube connects and how the head is mounted. Do not force a similar-looking fitting on just to keep the zone running. Ask the designer how edge rows, corners and obstructions are handled, and write the intended head orientation on the installation note: a different deflector or a turned head changes which part of the crop gets water. ## Specify filtration and maintenance with the head Tell the installer where the water comes from and about any sediment or repeated blockages. Ask for the manufacturer's filtration, flushing and cleaning instructions for the equipment you chose, and keep them with the operating file. If output drops, write down which outlets are affected and whether they share a line or zone. Compare the measured output with the specification and check the water supply before replacing heads. When you do replace one, record its code and the reason, and keep the spares list, connectors and seals matched to the installation. Note the model reference next to the colour when you stock several nozzle types. ## Keep irrigation separate from pesticide application Modern strawberry production uses drip-line irrigation and fertiliser injection. That is a different operating discussion from applying a pesticide with a crop sprayer. For pesticide application, use the [sprayer-nozzle guide](/ie/sprayer-nozzle-selection/). Keep irrigation zone and commissioning details with the crop plan. Before adding any input to the irrigation water, have the product and the planned use checked. ## Compare the named variants before calculating a zone The SuperNet JET offers seven nominal flows from 30 to 90 litres per hour, at a recommended 1.5–4.0 bar. Choose among five inlet-connector types and six static-deflector arrangements. Get the technical sheet for the exact component offered locally. Start a comparison table with these columns: manufacturer, series, complete code, nominal flow, pressure range, connector, distribution pattern, mounting orientation, supporting stake or tube, and the supplier's recommended filtration. If the quotation leaves a cell empty, ask the seller for that specification instead of assuming that another product in the same family is identical. Keep the units straight with a simple calculation. Twenty outlets at 40 litres per hour need 800 litres per hour together. That is not yet a pump selection, because it ignores other simultaneous demand and the pressure needed across the network, so give the designer the outlet count and the operating schedule. Likewise, 40 litres per hour for half an hour is 20 litres at one outlet. That does not tell you the irrigation depth over a bed: ask the designer which area the outlet serves, and do not convert litres per tree into millimetres without the area and the calculation. ## Distinguish regulated flow from unlimited pressure tolerance The SuperNet JET regulates flow within its specified pressure limits. A regulation claim should therefore be read with its operating envelope. Investigate low pressure at the end of a lateral or excessive pressure at the first outlet. Give the designer the pump details, the source arrangement, elevation differences, mainline lengths and branch sizes. Mark isolation valves, pressure regulators, filters and injection equipment on the diagram, and ask which readings are needed before and after each of them. Have the technician name the measuring points so later checks are taken in the same places. At commissioning, say exactly which zones are running and ask for readings at the nearest, furthest, highest and lowest representative outlets. If readings change when another valve opens, show the installer that sequence. Do not answer a network problem by swapping every nozzle for a larger opening without a design review. For an extension, give the designer the extra outlets and their hours of operation, and ask whether the existing supply, filtration and pipework can serve both. If running everything together is not possible, ask about separate zones. Get the calculation before ordering a pump or raising the pressure. ## Match the wetted shape to beds, trunks and boundaries The JET specification includes full-circle and partial-circle arrangements, a butterfly pattern and a flat-spray deflector. These are distinct configurations, not interchangeable names for a universal head. Ask the supplier to mark the chosen deflector on the component drawing. Sketch the wetted footprint you need around a typical plant, with the trunk, container edges, aisles and any neighbouring crop. Ask how the pattern changes with mounting height and pressure, and request the manufacturer's performance diagram instead of judging coverage from a photo of a working sprinkler. Show the designer bed corners, end rows, gaps between pots and hanging foliage, and ask them to justify the distribution for the current crop and for its later growth, including the changing area young trees need. If the aim is misting or climate control, say so explicitly. Check droplet pattern, leaf wetting, ventilation and control settings together, and do not swap an irrigation head for a fine-mist part just because it fits the same thread. ## Treat water quality and filtration as part of selection Say whether the supply is a borehole, mains, stored rainwater or a pond, and show the installer any laboratory results you already have. Report visible sand, sediment, discolouration, deposits and repeated blockages, and ask which further analysis would help choose filtration and maintenance. Describe your current filter type, element and cleaning method, and ask how to tell when cleaning is due and where to measure the pressure difference. Use the manufacturer's instructions for the equipment you chose and do not borrow a mesh size from another sprinkler catalogue. Say if the water carries fertiliser or another material, because that changes the design question. For a blocked outlet, keep the removed part for the technician, photograph the deposits and note whether the affected units share a branch or source. Ask whether the blockage is at the nozzle, connector, tube or upstream filter before replacing parts. Do not widen an orifice with a drill or wire unless the manufacturer instructs that method. Where flushing is recommended, get the sequence, the discharge arrangement and the check that it is finished. Ask how to reach the line ends safely, where the flushed material should go, and how to return to normal operation, including any valves or settings you changed. ## Next step Give the designer the outlet model, flow, inlet pressure and zone layout; organise source volumes through the [water-abstraction guide](/ie/irrigation-water-abstraction-records/).