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You might, depending on where you live. Backflow preventers ensure that water only flows in a single direction so that the dirty water from your home and irrigation system doesn’t contaminate your fresh water supply. Many municipalities require you to have a backflow preventer if you have a sprinkler system. But even if you don’t legally need one, installing a backflow preventer can give you peace of mind that your dirty water isn’t mixing with your clean water supply.

The nozzle is a small piece on top of a sprinkler head that offers some control over the spray pattern and spray height or distance. Typically, homeowners can make small adjustments to the spray by twisting the nozzle on top of the sprinkler head. Be sure to check your sprinkler head’s manual instructions before making adjustments.

Lawn irrigation is the process of getting water to your lawn, grass and all, for it to grow. There are five main types of lawn irrigation methods:

• Manual irrigation puts you in charge of the flow of water. Using a sprinkler head on your hose is best to evenly distribute the water across your entire lawn. This doesn’t take much time but requires you to be physically outside holding the hose. 

• Above-ground sprinklers attach to your hose and rotate or oscillate around your lawn. Since these are above-ground, they’ll need to be moved when it’s time to mow, and depending on the size of your property, you might need to move it around your yard for full coverage. 

• In-ground sprinklers are flush with the ground when not in use but pop up above the ground level when it's time to water the lawn. Piping for these sprinklers is all found underground, and there are different types of sprinkler heads for different uses and lawn sizes. 

• Drip irrigation involves drip lines that are more efficient than sprinklers for more extensive lawns. This involves a lot of digging since they are installed underground, but it makes it easy for you to mow.

• Rainwater collection and irrigation uses nature’s precipitation to water your lawn. This option might not be available in every area since semi-reliable rainfall is needed, though the barrels for this system can range from 15 gallons to 10,000 gallons or more.

If you don’t currently have an irrigation system, cost is one of the biggest drawbacks of adding drip irrigation. You’ll likely spend several hundred dollars to set up your system. Plus, installation can be tricky—especially if you have a large or sloped yard. Drip irrigation systems also need ongoing maintenance, which you don’t really have to deal with if you’re just using a garden hose or portable sprinkler to water your lawn.