Emitters can let water drip out very slowly, or small sprinkler emitters can be installed to provide a spray pattern similar to a lawn sprinkler. Sprinkler emitters may be appropriate for watering groundcover and lawns. The size of the emitter will influence the amount of water delivered. Drippers vary in the amount of water delivered per hour. Some deliver as little as one half gallon of water per hour while others deliver up to 10 gallons per hour.
Some emitters are adjustable to deliver different rates of water.
Sprinkler emitters also are available in various flow rates as well as with different spray patterns and coverage areas. While these systems need more planning, they are neither expensive or difficult to install. In most cases, no special tools or skills are needed. Plastic pipe is punched with an inexpensive tube punch that assures the proper hole size. Emitters or spaghetti tubes snap into the hole.