Question
I have Rainbird sprinkler heads, 1/4th size, that are giving out too much water. They are not "adjustable." How do I lessen the spray of the sprinklers? Do "adjustable" sprinklers control the amount of water sprayed or the size of the sprinkler head itself?

Answer
Hey Sandra I hope this helps. When you talk about a sprinkler head, there are actually two parts to the head itself. The first part is the body, and the second part is the nozzle. The part that actually controls the angle of the spray, and also how far the spray throws is called the nozzle. On the Rainbird heads, this nozzle can be un-screwed from the top stem of the body, and changed to any size nozzle you might need. When someone says adjustable, the spray that is being adjusted is actually the angle of the spray ( 0 degrees to 360 degrees). When you say you have a 1/4 spray head, that means it is spraying a 90 degree angle. Now as far as how far or how much water the nozzle puts out is determined by the size in feet you want it to spray. For example, Rainbird sells nozzles from 5,8,10,12,15,and 18 feet spacings. If you bought a 15q nozzle, the 15  means the spacing would be 15 feet apart and the q stands for quarter which means 90 degree angle. If you bought a 12h nozzle, the 12 means the spacing would be 12 feet apart and the h means half which means a 180 degree angle. You can by any size from 8 to 18 feet in and adjustable nozzle, that would throw from 8 to 18 feet, and you could make it any angle you want. Also if you look on the top of the head, in the center of the nozzle, you'll notice a small screw. If you screw this  screw clockwise (down into the head) it will cut down how far the spray throws. If you turn it all the way down, it will shut the head off. Any irrigation supply store should have the nozzle you need. You can just buy the nozzle, instead of the whole head. One more thing, when or if you change the nozzle, there is a filter that comes with it. Make sure you install the filter down in the stem of the body, before you screw the new nozzle back on. The filter will keep the nozzle from clogging up. I hope this helps and let me know if I can be of any more assistance. Thanks and have a great day.