The Advantages of SAM Check Valves

Rain Bird Sprinkler Manufacturing Corporation has been a leader in the design and manufacturing of sprinkler components dating back to 1935 when it first bought the patent for the horizontal action impact sprinkler from it's inventor, Orton Engelhart. The company was founded in Azusa, CA by Clement and Mary Lafetra whose descendants still own the privately held company.

In the early 1980's Rain Bird developed one of the first plastic spray heads on the market which was spring loaded with a stainless steel spring. This was a big improvement over the previous brass pop-up spray heads that relied on gravity for the pop-up head to drop back down when the water pressure was turned off. The spring was "beefed up" with the introduction of the 1800 series pop-up, and a multitude of plastic and brass nozzles were offered to compliment the new series of heads for different spray patterns and distances of throws.

In 1986 Rain Bird introduced another version of the 1800 series spray head with SAM (Seal-A-Matic) check valves. These pop-up spray heads were designed to eliminate most low head water drainage from sprinkler heads. In other words, they trapped water in the lateral, or zone pipes, with up to 10 feet of elevation change. To achieve this, Rain Bird installed a heavier duty spring inside the head and a check valve with a rubber gasket at the bottom of the pop stem. This was especially helpful in saving water on properties with a moderate amount of elevation differences.

Although many properties in Colorado have a minimal amount of topographical differences, even the smallest change in elevation can lead to wasted water. In many cases this low head drainage can be especially noticeable along sidewalks and curbs, and sometimes results in discolored and often slippery sections of concrete. Sprinkler heads that have the SAM check valves virtually eliminate these troublesome issues, as well as saving copious amounts of water over the course of a growing season.

In addition, heads with the SAM feature are less apt to stay stuck up after watering and are therefor less prone to vandalism or mower damage. They also tend to help reduce the wear and tear on sprinkler components when zone valves turn on and off by providing "back pressure" as the lateral pipes remain full of water between waterings. This can substantially extend the longevity of the sprinkler components especially in areas where high water pressure exists.

It is for these many reasons that Alpenglow Sprinkler installs many more heads with SAM check valves than without, especially in our quest to save our clients money on their water bills!