Did you know that more than 65 percent of a household’s yearly water use goes toward landscape irrigation and that 30 percent of that is lost to overwatering or evaporation? That number goes even higher when sprinklers are leaking or misdirected and left without repair. So, it’s important to repair water-wasting problems within 48 hours of finding them. A properly functioning, well-maintained system will keep your landscape healthy while making every drop count!
Here are some tips for repairing your sprinkler system:
-
Turn off water to the problem area and flag it for easy identification
-
Get your “sprinkler tool box” ready
- Note additional parts needed and purchase from irrigation supply or home improvement store.
- Be sure to use the same brand and model as the other sprinklers and nozzles on the same valve. If some sprinklers and nozzles are already mismatched, replace them so all are the same.
- Most brands and models of sprinklers are not compatible with any other brands or models. While there are exceptions, most manufacturers use different flow rates in their sprinkler heads than their competitors.
-
Repair and adjust your sprinklers within 48 hours (see our Sprinkler Symptom Solver for help!)
- Adjust misdirected and tilted sprinklers to water the lawn and not the sidewalk.
- Repair or replace damaged sprinkler heads and nozzles.
- Stop runoff by dividing your watering cycle into multiple shorter periods to allow better absorption.
- Trim grass or plants blocking spray heads or raise sprinklers that are too low.
- Fix broken sprinklers and risers.
- Clean valves and replace worn out seals.
- Clear out clogs in spray nozzles.
