Sprinkler head repair and rocks? Troubleshooting flow problems.
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2011
- There are times when simply replacing a sprinkler head doesn't solve the problem. Sometimes trash, debris, and rocks can affect the flow of water to the head and a little troubleshooting must be done to get the head working properly.
That is the case in this sprinkler repair video. what I thought was going to be a 5 minute repair turned into an exercise in sprinkler troubleshooting.
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Thanks for the feedback.
I recommend using a bucket to put the dirt in when fixing a sprinkler. Makes it easier to put the dirt back. Dirt falls back into the grass when put on the grass. That is the most likely reason.
Thanks for all of the detail and part identification.
Clear photography. Nice to see the steps. I find Rainbird variable arcs drift, but maybe 'cause I have 80/90 water pressure. I set then and then glue them.
Nice job. Thanks for taking the time.
Helpful information, thank you for sharing !!
great video sir, we come across this scenario everyday..
Thank you..Nice explanation.
Thanks Kurt for commenting.
Nice, easy to follow video.
Thanks for the comment.
Sir, ur awesome, I learned a lot from your videos on how repair fix underground drainage pipe , how to install new sods etc. yous just save me a lot of money plus I learned to fix it all by myself, thanks a tone and more power !
Wow, what a nice comment. Thank you.
Thank you very much that's the CZcams video I was looking for..☺
Thank you. I appreciate the info.
Great video. Thanks!
Thanks.
Great explanation thanks
I have a test tomorrow. Why on Earth did I just watch this man fix a sprinkler?!
Same LOL
You prolly dont care but if you are bored like me during the covid times then you can stream all the latest movies on instaflixxer. I've been binge watching with my brother during the lockdown :)
@Jacob Briar Definitely, I have been using InstaFlixxer for since december myself :D
Thank you for the prompt response. You won't believe what the solution was. Someone had turned off the sprinkler heads. Since it was my first repair, I was not confident I had made the proper repair. In event, thanks for the tips and I appreciate your videos.
+marcus jefferson
Congrats on figuring it out.
Can you tell me where you got the PVC hand pump please?
thanks
Much appreciated!
Good stuff thanks man!
Thanks for respond.
I forget to say that overflow valve located pretty close was flashing couple times I have started. You think it doesn't belong to pressure issue?
Igor Perel
Overflow valve? What does it do? It sounds like a flow issue to me.
So i have the same problem but with 4 sprinkler heads. The first 3 in the zone have lots of pressure and the 4 following dont. I don't know where the lines go so I guess i could dig up the last good sprayer and cut open the line? Maybe blow it out or use a snake.
Hi kerry can u tell me y they call that pipe funnypipe i use it 2 and like it
Van nozzles (variable arc) are the worst choices, unless your forced into needing coverage of less that 90 degrees. The VAN spray pattern is choppy and any hope of matching precipitation rates are lost the moment the that nozzle is installed. Stick with fix arc nozzles for controlled flow rates at each head.
Funny pipe or SBE pipe has a “memory”. Being heat formed and rolled into a coil, it forever tries to return to its bent state. Which your video shows, the slow curve in the poly pipe. Unless you install a marlex and SBE elbow at the sprinkler head, the poly pipe will pull the head out of position and disrupt the uniform coverage. This situation become very pronounced when using pop up heads shorter that 6”. Even in installation of 12” pops, marlex should always be used to ensure head placement is permanent.
Learn the names of the parts. And you did not put back the 1/2" Marlex that you took out. Never use a 2" pop up in grass. When you remove the grass put it a side with the soil up this will reduce the amount of soil loss. Soil is lost when you dig if you just put it on the grass next to where you are digging because it will be pressed down into the grass you put it on. If you dont want to loose the soil place it on top of a 55 gal garbage bag placed on the floor next to your repair.
If you leave your role of funny pipe in the sun it will become soft enough that you can but it in any position you want then as it cools it will keep the shape you gave it
Slow curve AKA a sweep
Hi Carry, one of mine is missing the spring. Was it not installed for a reason or simply forgotten by mistake? Thanks!
Probably forgotten. You need the spring or the shaft may not retract.
5:55 I thought there was another rock lol and the thing with the dirt happens to me too.
Great Video
Thanks!
How much a pro Like u usually charge for a couple of sprinckler heads with the same problem
Thank you for this
Thanks for watching.
iscraper I repaired a "Tee". Now I have 2 of 5 sprinkler heads that work. All worked prior to repair, and there are no leaks from the repair I made. In addition, the 2 heads that work are 1 and 5; 2,3,4 which are in between 1,5 (with perfect pressure output) just drizzles down from the fixed sprinkler heads. Any recommendations?
+marcus jefferson
You probably have obstructions. I would check:
* Filter screens under the nozzles.
* Loosen the caps and remove internal assemblies from the bodies and check the screens, then check the inlets to the sprinkler heads.
* Remove the heads and nipples and check outlets from the tees or elbows.
* If these steps don't work you may have to cut the pipes at the ends of the circuit and flush the lines.
This is a symptom of 1 of 3 problems:
1. There's a break in the line. Worst case scenario but least likely unless you've been digging around in your yard.
2. Faulty valve. Quickest and easiest fix. Most obvious sign is water leaking at the valve.
3. Broken sprinkler head. Most likely scenario. If the culprit it isn't obvious, you'll have to dig them up and check them one by one.
In my case after digging up 14 sprinkler heads and finding no leaks or signs of leaks my wife noticed water leaking from the valve. A $15 trip to Lowe's for a new valve and the zone pressure was back to normal. The moral of the story is check the easy stuff before you spend 4 hours chasing the wrong thing.
Well done
Thanks!
Ditch the elbows quick. Run a straight barb off the white pvc to the funny pipe. Better water flow. I like the Rain Bird U Series. Better close in watering compared to the VAN's which have none. I think the U series is the best of it's kind. RVAN's take forever to put water down. They look cool though spraying.
Hi kerry i have a q when u have a side of a driveway when the grass is about 2 ft wide can u use a rb1804 w a sst nozel if so do u put the head at the front of the grass or the centre
Either way. Rain Bird makes side strip, center strip, & end strip nozzles. They water a 5' width & around a 25' length in a rectangle pattern. Remember when you adjust the width down with the radius screw it simultaneously reduces the length. I tend to prefer the side strip nozzles to the the center strip nozzles, that way I'm watering from the edge into the grass instead of the center of the grass out.
I realize that the above is an old comment, but it might help somebody watching in the future. Why not use drip lines? I chose to have drip lines under the grass in my three foot wide median; no water is wasted at all that way.
I do irrigation too and i figure the dirt that we end up needing gets lost in the dirt
wow u r so handy i wish i was even 1% of what u know
Question ? Can you replace a Hunter Pro-Spray sprinkler Head with Orbit or Rain bird Head ? I find that Home Depot doesn't carry Hunter products in there store's.
Yes, but I would try and stay with the same manufacturer on the spray heads in a sprinkler zone. Sometimes different makes of spray heads will have different precipitation rates than the other spray heads on the sprinkler zone. You want all the heads on a zone to water at the same rate.
iScaper1 Thank you so much Kurt.
Belinda Lowrie
It's Kerry and your welcome.
Soil is about 25% air space, so when you're filling it back in, the soil compresses because the air has been disturbed. That's why you are "short" a shovel-full or so.
I have always thought that.
My grandfather made this same "discovery" when he supervised the digging and backfilling of gravesites in his church's cemetary. He taught me by framing it as a riddle and when it stumped me, he explained it.
Water exposure is usually the reason why. The water steals the enriched oxygen that lies in the soil. Remember, fertilizer is a gas component. There you go. My O-Chem degree in 30 sec. You can donate to my enriched degree.
Hi,
My complete zone , using the same sprinklers that you have but 6 inches, doesn’t push them up . I clean all of them and check them . They are ok . But still the don’t come up . They are 1 year old but the installer never did a good job . The solenoid when back when new and I just changed it . The installer did not follow the warranty agreement. Maybe the sat too long without use. What do you recommend? Perhaps if I could increase water pressure it will help . However, I am not sure how to that . Thanks so much
The most common problem in for what you describe is too many sprinkler heads on a circuit/zone. To start solving your problem you need to know your water pressure and pipe size feeding the sprinkler heads, then you can figure out how many heads each zone can have.
@@Iscaper Thanks so much . I will look into this..
I noticed this was in front of your home..i have same problem...do i need to shut of water from main line in front where sidewalk(city) is..or as long as my valve is off i can still do it?
As long as your sprinkler valve is off you're okay to make a repair.
@@Iscaper ty 4 reply 👍🏼
How come when I do it dirt always falls back into the hole or mud.
Also my heads are always too low erosion and crap.
Would a rock affect an entire zone? I just replaced a sprinkler head with a more appropriate one, same distance, different radius, now the zone just sputters.
Hard question to answer because of all the variables. How many heads are on that sprinkler zone? What is the gpm (gallons per minute) the nozzles on that zone are using? What is your pipe size? What is the available flow for that zone? A rock or rocks could affect the entire zone but usually it's one of the issues I listed above.
yup, 90% of the time on spray heads its the screen or the barb or what u refered to as the elbow. nice vids. It's nice to see someone doing things right for a change. I love how you call it funny pipe....ive seen that on here a lot. We call it Flex pipe
+ww2 colorizer
I've also heard it called swing pipe. Thanks for the feedback.
swing pipe, never heard that one. cool. Have you tried that green glue for use in the rain or wet pipe? I always use the blue, like you do.....but did try the Green stuff and it didn't seem to hold as well. We went back and made a couple repairs on leaky fittings to a large system we installed, but it did start raining on us that day, which is why we even used it. Curious if it was because it was too wet, or if the glue just sux. figured id give a heads up anyway
+ww2 colorizer
I've been using either Oatey Rain-R-Shine blue glue or Christey's Red Hot Blue glue for over 25 years and have had no problems with either one even on wet applications. From what you said I won't be trying the green glue. Who makes the green glue you had trouble with?
What was that tool that you used to suck up the water out of the hole after you flushed out the line?
+Frank Y
Rainbird hand pump.
The pump looks like a pool play gun. I have a few 'soakers' and after seeing this I'll be using them as in this video.
I have some problem that I don't now how to fix. On a small place two sprinkler heads are working good and two aren't. I've replaced heads, adjusted them thoroughly. They pop's up, but the water barely comes out. I have strong filing that this is pressure problem. Without heads water streams fine. Does anybody know how to troubleshoot this?
Igor Perel
You could have an obstruction before the two bad heads or in the threaded tees feeding the heads. You could also have a cracked pipe somewhere. I would remove the heads one at a time, expose the tee in the sprinkler line the head threads into, and turn the circuit to see if you can flush any debris out of the lines. If that doesn't cure the problem then you may have to cut the sprinkler line and flush it. It can be a project isolating where the problem is.
How did rocks get into your inlet valve? This is what I may be experiencing right now. Hoping not.
Rocks usually get into the piping from the initial installation by the contractor.
Hi kerry i am working on a new install i have a q i am using city water my psi is 70 my gpm is 11.58 i have 3 zones 1 z is 9.5gpm sprays and rotey noz z2 is 2 3504 rotors 1 5000rotor w check valve in it rb told me i have 2 put a presher reduser on the in 2 the valves 2 bring the sys 2 30 psi is that true i am using 1-inch sg-4 my lats 4 less fric loss and sg 40 4 my main do i nead a presher red 4 the sys and ware should i put it thank u 4 your in put
Hi John. In deference to Rain Bird whoever told you that is nuts. In my years of experience 50-80 psi is ideal working pressure on sprinkler systems. Once you get past 80 psi then you can start having problems with water hammer and misting. If you pressure reduce the system you're working on down to 30 psi then no one will be happy with the performance. Spray heads will operate down to 30 psi, but the performance of stream and impact rotors isn't very good at this pressure.
The new red nozzle is rare
Did he say that rock is a peanut mm.
Actual name is sprinkler head tubing, but I've heard it called funny pipe for years. Not sure why.
it's exactly what I mean.
Igor Perel
I've never heard of an overflow valve on a sprinkler zone. I need more information to understand what its function is on your system.
It depends on the phase of the moon. A hole dug during the full moon will have an excess of dirt left over. A hole dug during the new moon will not have enough dirt to fill the hole.
James Harding what?!
I am now dumber for reading this moon post.
Oh yes! Having had the same situation with fence posts, etc., consulted Farmer's Almanac and, lo and behold, you'll have dirt left over when done during the the new moon phase. Must be magic.
full moon sprinkler repairs yield less dirt
How did a rock make its way into a sealed pipe???
Rocks were probably in the pipe on the installation of the sprinkler system.
When one of the heads up the line is removed, rocks can fall into the line, and be pushed down to the next choke point... in this case, a pair of 90 degree bends.
I think dry soil is more fuffy and wet soil is more compack
Thats because the dirt guy is in competition withe sock guys
Adjustable nozzles have inferior spray pattern and consume nearly twice the water as a fixed spray. Pros rarely use them.
Not so. A Rain Bird 15VAN nozzle at 30 psi will use a flow of 1.85 (gpm) gallons per minute and a Rain Bird 15H (Half) MPR nozzle that is not adjustable will also use 1.85 gpm. Precipitation rates for both nozzles are also the same. The advantage a 15VAN nozzle has is that with one nozzle you can adjust a pattern from 0-360 degrees.
iScaper1 The Hunter ones are great!
iScaper1 The complication here is the pattern fan (degrees) vs the flow rate. A fixed pattern nozzle sprays x gpm per minute (1.85 in your example) for the pattern provided.
Now if you get an adjustable nozzle it may also spray 1.85 gpm - but that is at a specific spray pattern fan. The pattern only shortens the arc of throw. As you shorten the throw arc form near full circle down to 180 or 90 or 30, as that fan angle gets smaller, the spray nozel isn't also opening up wider to compensate and push out more water over that smaller angle, is it?
So to get the right flow rate, so that the adjustable nozzles are applying a consistent amount of water over the area, matching the other heads, you need to make sure you get the nozzle that matches the rate of the fixed heads in that zone, otherwise one head is putting out more or less water than the other head (over the area it waters) and you get un-even irrigation. That might be important.
Eg - a 90 degree pattern that is putting out 1.85gpm, is putting out 4x as much water on the ground it sprays than a 360 degree pattern putting out 1.85gpm. (because that 1.85 gallons that leave the sprinkler nozzle in that minute are spread of an area 4x as large).
Now a adjustable nozzel that puts out 1.85gpm over a 360 deg throw (lets just assume you can get a full circle on an adjustable for simplicity sake) - covers a full circle with 1.85gallons in a minute. When you then crank down the throw fan to 90 degrees on that adjustable nozzel, it is effectively throwing out 1/4 of the water (0.4625 gallons for the minute) since we have restricted the angle - but not adjusted other aspects of the nozzle pattern shape. So with a zone having all-adjustable nozzels of the same gpm rating, things stay matched no matter the fan size.
Its when you mix in adjustable with fixed nozzels that you need to do the math. The point being, in combinations/mixed systems it can be an issue if uneven watering is a problem (eg on lawns).
Your getting your flow rates for the adjustable nozzles mixed up. The flow in gpm for a 15 VAN nozzle set at 90 degrees is the same as a fixed spray 15Q nozzle (.93), and if you adjust the 15 VAN nozzle to 360 degrees the flow rate is 3.7 gpm which is the same as a 15F nozzle. So the matched precipitation rates for the 15 VAN nozzles stay the same as the 15 series fixed spray nozzles.
That may be true - I wasn't making any comments about specific model designations of nozzels. If keeping the base # (15 in this case) results in a consistant distribution of water onto a square inch of ground, then the fan angle is irrelivant - the larger angle nozzels will have a larger gph flow than the smaller angle nozzels.
From one perspective we are talking about how much water is put on a square inch of targeted ground. That is different than the flow rate out of the spray head - which must vary from fan shape to fan shape to get consistent deposit of water - as you pointed out.
So I have a weird issue with my home sprinkler system: When a valve shuts off, seals and the heads go back into the ground the water pipes starts thumping under the ground and in the house. It gets so bad that other zones open due to the pressure getting forced back through the system. What might be the issue there?
Bobby D sounds like water hammer. When the valve closes suddenly, the loose pipes will bang. Try installing a water hammer arrestor.
Bobby D it could also be too high water pressure. Try a pressure regulator if it's none of those issues, it's likely a leaky gasket of some sort.
Increase the valve size i.e. if it's 3/4" go to a 1" valve, etc. That usually helps if it's water hammer.
The only way a rock that big gets in a pipe fitting is if the installer rushed the job and didn't notice it. Also installers should flush the lines and test the lines for proper distance throw.
I highly recommend funny pipe for all heads and especially along borders and driveways because of all the potential heavy vehicles or yard equipment that travels those areas. Rigid pipe is what most installers use and it can snap and break-off underground and the threads can get stuck inside the nipple fittings. I had 2 nipples break-off and since I didn't have a stub wrench to wind it out, I had to replace the entire fitting from the line.
your missing the marlex my friend,
because you made the repair during a full moon
3:46
Adrian Gonzalez izback it’s like the pipe has diarrhea
Got to wonder how a rock got in there.
When he installed or made another "repair" more than likely.
my one zone starts then shuts off and 5 mins later comes on in a spurting till its full flow. Doesn't run the full time then switches over to the next zone. I let that run for a few mins then shut all zones down and start over and zone 1 comes right on and runs the full time. Could I have a blogging or leak somewhere holding back the start of my watering system?
Lenny Cooney
I doubt it, a blockage would affect the flow all the time. Sounds like your zone 1 valve may not be fully opening. Open the valve manually at the solenoid and see if you have the same problem. Also check that the flow control (if the valve has one) is fully open.
ty sir appreciate your help on this matter. I will mention this to the guy who will be looking my system over. ty again.
Lenny Cooney
Good luck, let me know what you find.
41
This was too much...overwhelmed for sure
It's okay. Black folks usually seem to get overwhelmed with even the simplest of tasks. Try calling a landscaping company in your area, as they should be able to come out and fix it for you at a reasonable fee. Good luck Sharkeesha!
A funny pipe? What’s the name?
Swing pipe & sprinkler head tubing are other names for funny pipe. Here's a link:
www.rainbird.com/products/spx-series-swing-pipe
Dig it up and replace it , skip the bullshit man
You say cut the sod out in large pieces so you can re instal nicer, but you cut it up and then re installed ?? You contradicted yourself