Sprinkler systems are an undoubtedly convenient and easy way to ensure your lawn stays lush and green all summer long. Unfortunately, sprinkler systems are also prone to various issues since they have many different components that all need to work correctly. Some sprinkler system issues could result in damage to your lawn. If your sprinkler system leaks, it can flood your yard or even cause water to seep inside your house in addition to wasting large volumes of water and sending your bill skyrocketing. If you’re experiencing issues with your sprinkler system, here’s what you should know about identifying the issue and what it will take to fix it.
Identify the Specific Issue
The first thing you need to do if your sprinkler system isn’t working correctly is determine what issue or issues it has. Many people program their sprinkler system to run overnight or in the early morning hours. In this case, you often won’t realize your sprinkler system isn’t functioning as it should until you see that part of your lawn is dry and brown. When facing a potentially faulty sprinkler system, you might want to run your sprinkler system manually so that you can monitor how it’s working. If you have multiple zones, you should only need to run each one manually for a minute or two to check that the zone comes on and each sprinkler head sprays as it should.
A sprinkler head that simply leaks and sprays with little pressure or won’t spray at all often means that the head is bad and needs to be replaced. Another possibility is that the seal inside the head is worn out. In some cases, a sprinkler head may not work properly because the inside is clogged with dirt and needs to be cleaned.
If water continues to leak from one or more sprinkler heads after the system is shut off, the valve that controls the water to that head or zone could be faulty. Another possible reason that the water won’t shut off is that there may be a bad solenoid or some other electrical issue, in which case you need to enlist the help of a professional.
A leak in one of your underground sprinkler lines is usually quite easy to identify. A small leak will typically result in weak water pressure in the sprinkler heads that are supplied by the leaky lines. If one of the lines is crushed or broken, the heads it supplies won’t come on at all. In this situation, you might notice that the ground in the surrounding area is overly wet and soggy. In some cases, there may even be puddles of standing water on the ground. If part of your lawn is overly wet, it makes it easy to pinpoint the location of the leak fairly accurately without needing to do too much digging.
Call for an Underground Utility Locate
To fix the majority of sprinkler system issues, you’ll need to dig up part of your lawn to access the sprinkler head, sprinkler line, valve, and other sprinkler parts. This is why the first step before attempting any repairs is to call 811 so that you can schedule an underground utility locate. You are legally required to take this step before doing any digging in your yard so that you know the location of any underground utility lines such as electrical or gas lines. The service will mark the location of all underground utilities in your yard so that you know where you can safely dig and which areas you need to avoid. If you fail to have the underground utilities located and marked appropriately, you could end up facing steep fines should you dig and damage any underground utilities. Accidentally digging up an underground utility line can also result in serious injury or even death.
Replacing a Broken Sprinkler Head
Most experts recommend calling in professional help when dealing with any sprinkler system issues just to ensure that the work is done correctly and to reduce the chances of leaks or damage. It also saves you from having to do all of the digging yourself. That said, replacing a broken sprinkler head is fairly easy. After carefully digging and removing the soil from around the head until it is entirely exposed, all it takes is just unscrewing the broken head from the riser and then screwing the new head in place. In some cases, replacing the entire head itself isn’t necessary since sometimes all it takes to fix it is to replace an internal component like a seal. This is another reason why you might want to leave this job to a professional so that you don’t end up paying for unnecessary parts.
Fixing a Leak in a Sprinkler Line
Fixing a leak in a sprinkler line requires first carefully digging a small trench all along the line to locate the exact location of the leak. The damaged section of the pipe then needs to be cut out and replaced. This is done by using couplings and hose clamps to securely attach the new pipe to the existing pipes. If not done properly, you’ll usually end up with an even bigger leak and have just wasted your time. That’s why you should leave this job to a professional unless you’re completely sure of what to do and how to do it.
One common issue that can happen if you have a larger tree in your yard is that tree roots can end up crushing or breaking one of your sprinkler lines. In this situation, the best option is to dig up and remove the entire line. The reason is that you want to completely reroute that line somewhere else away from the roots. If you were just to replace the line in the same location, there’s a high chance you’ll end up facing the same issue in the future.
Overcoming Issues With a Faulty Sprinkler Valve
A faulty sprinkler valve will usually result in one of two issues — either the water to one sprinkler head or zone won’t shut off or the water won’t come on. Determining which valve is bad is fairly easy since it will be located somewhere along the line that supplies that head or that zone. Still, you’ll often need to dig up quite a bit of the line to locate the valve. Replacing a faulty sprinkler valve is generally not something you should try to do yourself since sprinkler valves are electronically controlled. That means you not only need to cut out the section of pipe where the valve is located, but you also need to unwire the old valve and then rewire the new valve. If this isn’t done properly, the new valve still won’t work. Another thing to note is that there is a chance that the valve itself isn’t bad and instead that there is an issue with the wire that controls it. In this case, the only solution is to run a new wire from the controller.
As the most experienced contractor in the Cheshire area, F.F. Hitchcock Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is the company to call for all of your home service needs. We offer expert plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical services, and we can also help if you’re looking for ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Contact us today for more information or if you need to schedule a service appointment.
