Fixing Sprinkler Systems Family Handyman. Overview Simple system, easy fixes. An automatic lawn irrigation system is the best way to keep your lawn looking fresh and green. Correctly designed and programmed, itll deliver the right amount of water to your yard no more moving the sprinklerBut like any other system, it occasionally breaks down or requires maintenance. The good news is you can handle 9. Well show you how to identify and fix the most common problems. Calling in a professional could cost at least 1. Hey Simon, The left, front corner of my house has all the power, communications and water while the other corner has gas. The plumber told me that today, an inspector. Dont be intimidated by the prospect of working on a system that involves both plumbing and electricity. The pipes are plastic and much simpler to repair than the plumbing in your house. The electrical lines are low voltage, so theyre not hazardous. You dont need special skills to make the repairs, but youll need a multimeter to diagnose electrical problems. Figure A How a Sprinkler System Works. The controller sends a signal to the control valves in the control valve box. The valves open, sending water through the underground water line, which causes the sprinkler heads to pop up and spray. Figure A How a sprinkler system works. Sprinkler heads not working Solution 1 Replace the heads. Replace a sprinkler head. Dig around the sprinkler head to expose the riser. Unscrew the broken sprinkler head from the riser. Install the new head, turning it tight with your hands. Broken sprinkler heads are easy to identify. Simply look for cracked or broken plastic casing on the heads, heads that dont pop up, or water that sprays wildly or not at all. Its common to find the top of the head completely broken off. This typically happens to heads that are set too high and are run over by vehicles or hit by lawn mowers. Replacing the head is one of the simplest fixes. Replacement heads are available at home centers and online. Be sure to buy the same type of head that youre replacing. To change a broken head, turn off the system and dig a 2 ft. diameter hole around the head. Using a square shovel, slice the sod into easy to remove pieces. Set the sod on a tarp so you can set it back into place at the end of the job. Dig down to the riser the vertical pipe that branches off the main line which is connected to the sprinkler head. Dig with a light touch to avoid damaging the plastic water line, which is 8 to 1. Turn the head counterclockwise to remove it from the riser. While the head is off, take care not to spill dirt into the riser. Sprinkler heads are installed only hand tight, but after being in the ground for several years, they may require the use of wrenches to unscrew. If the head doesnt turn easily, hold the riser with slip joint pliers to keep it from twisting loose from the fittings below. Attach the new sprinkler head by placing it on the riser and turning it hand tight photo. Dont use Teflon tape or joint compound on the riser threads. Sprinkler heads are factory tested to make sure they work. As a result, theyre often packaged still wet, so dont be surprised to see water in a new head. Before filling in the hole and replacing the sod, set the desired sprinkler pattern see Reset the Spray Pattern, below. Caution Before you start digging to access the underground water lines, electrical wires or spray heads, dial 8. Sprinkler heads not working Solution 2 Clean and reset heads. Photo 1 Unscrew the top. Disassemble the sprinkler head by unscrewing the top from the canister. Rinse away soil and debris in a bucket of water. Photo 2 Clean the screen basket. Remove the screen basket from the bottom of the head, then clean it with water. Photo 3 Adjust the spray. Adjust the watering range of the sprinkler head before installing it. Place the head in the canister so the nozzle is at the edge of the area to be watered. Make final adjustments with the water running. Dirt sometimes gets inside sprinkler heads, causing them to clog up. Clogged heads may rise but fail to spray, not lower after watering, or produce an erratic spray pattern. To clean the head, dig it out and remove it from the Riser Photo above. Take the head apart by holding the bottom of the canister and turning the top of the head counterclockwise. Once its unscrewed, lift it out of the canister Photo 1. Remove the plastic screen basket, which serves as a filter, at the base of the head. If you cant pop the basket out with your fingers, pry it out with a flat head screwdriver or pull it free with a pliers. Rinse the basket in a bucket of clean water, washing out the debris Photo 2. Clean the rest of the sprinkler head by rinsing it with water. Replace the head on the riser. If it still doesnt work, replace it with a new head. Note In areas of the country that experience freezing temperatures, polyethylene poly pipe is used for the irrigation water lines. PVC pipe is used in areas that dont freeze. Reset the spray pattern. When putting on a new sprinkler head or using the same head after cleaning, you may need to adjust it to water a specific area. Adjustment methods vary. You can adjust some head types by turning a slot at the top with a screwdriver. Others require a special key that you insert into the head and turn Photo 3. Some heads also allow you to adjust the spray pattern by turning a tiny screw located next to the nozzle. Adjust the heads before installing them, then fine tune them once theyre in place with the sprinkler running. First, turn the top clockwise until it stops. That nozzle location is the starting point the head will turn counterclockwise from there. Adjust the head to set the watering rotation anywhere from 4. Set the head in the canister. Standing behind the head, align the nozzle with the right edge of the area you want to water, such as along a driveway. Tighten the head in the canister. Carefully backfill the hole and replace the sod. Turn on the sprinklers at the controller. Allow the head to make a few rotations, then make additional adjustments while the system is running. Low water pressure Solution 1 Turn on valves at backflow device. Check the valves. Check the valves on the backflow device to make sure theyre open. Turn the valve on the horizontal pipe first, then the vertical pipe valve. Low water pressure will result in the sprinkler heads barely shooting water. In extreme cases, many of the heads wont even pop up. Start with the easiest solution. Make sure the valves at the backflow device are fully open. The backflow device is located above ground, with the valve at least 1. Most backflow devices have a valve on the horizontal and vertical pipes. Turn the valves to their open positions as shown. The valve is open when the handle is parallel with the pipe. Low water pressureSolution 2 Find and repair leaks. Photo 1 Install a slip coupling. Cut out the damaged section of line and replace it with a slip coupling. Secure the coupling with band clamps. Photo 2 Close up of slip coupling. A slip coupling easily expands and contracts to replace a damaged section of line. Then check for leaks in the water line. Look for a series of sprinkler heads that arent watering properly. The water line problem is always located between the last working head and the first nonworking head. Look for signs of leaking water, such as water bubbling up from the soil when the sprinklers are running, a depression in the ground, or a very wet area. If you find running water, follow the water to the highest point to find the source. Once you locate the approximate leak site, dig straight down to the water line. Then enlarge the hole along the line, following the flow of the leaking water until you find the break or crack. Before making the repair, make sure the system is turned off at the controller. Use a slip coupling to repair the leak. This special coupling contracts to make insertion easy. Find these couplings and other repair parts at irrigation supply stores. To fix the leak, use a hacksaw to cut out a 4 in. Place a clamp on one of the line ends, insert the coupling, then tighten the clamp. Place a clamp on the second pipe end, expand the coupling while inserting the nipple into the pipe, then tighten the clamp. Backfill the hole with dirt and replace the sod. Low water pressureSolution 3 Repair crushed pipes. Photo 1 Crushed pipe. Tree roots can grow around a pipe and squeeze it closed after several years. Photo 2 Splice in new pipe. Cut out the damaged section of line. Replace it with a new section of line, making connections with standard couplings and band clamps.
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