July 24, 2008
Repairing Inground Sprinklers
CHANCES ARE you can hire a contractor to design and install an inground irrigation system for your yard. But try finding one to fix a couple of broken sprinkler heads, repair a burst line or relocate a head or two. For a contractor, there's little profit, if any, in such small repairs.
So take matters into your own hands. Here are a couple of tips for minor repairs on your in-ground sprinkling system. For just a few dollars worth of parts you can make most minor irrigation repairs. Be prepared to do lots of bending and digging.
First, let's tackle the repair of a burst water line. Your system is set up to water in zones, or discrete areas, of the yard. If one of your zones isn't getting water or some sprinklers in the zone aren't popping up because of reduced water pressure, it's likely you have a burst line. Find the control box, usually located in an attached garage or basement, and turn the system to manual control. (It's generally a matter of flipping a switch on the control box panel, but check the operating instructions that came with your system to switch it to manual.)
Next, turn the system on so that water is being distributed in the zone in need of repair. Walk the area and look for water bubbling up from the ground. Many times a burst line will be near a sprinkler head. Find it, and that's where you need to make your repair. Turn off the system and get out the shovel.
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Dig out an area a little larger than you might think necessary. The line probably will be within 10-12 inches of the surface, so you should find it easily. Look for a piece of black plastic pipe. Be sure to find the piece that is damaged-it will have a crack or hole in it-and scrape away the area carefully so as not to cause any more damage to the line. If you're not sure it's the right line, once you've exposed it turn the water back on. Water should shoot from the hole in the line.
For a neater look when you're finished with all of these repairs, dig a 3-foot square about 6-8 inches deep and peel the grass away. Set it aside. Next, dig out the square until you find the pipe. Once you find the damaged area you're going to have to cut it out of the run.
If your sprinkler system was installed in the last 20 or so years, the pipe will probably be plastic, most likely a type called polyethylene (PE). You can cut this with a sharp utility knife or hacksaw. If you plan on adding sprinkler heads later or making several repairs or relocating heads, you might consider purchasing a specially designed pipe and tube cutter. This racheting-type cutter is the kind the professionals use. Expect to pay about $ 12-$ 15 for an inexpensive brand.
Your broken pipe is probably an inch in diameter, but to make sure, take it with you when you buy parts for the repair. You can find parts at a home center or plumbing supply store.
In addition to the piece of repair pipe, you'll need one or more types of plastic fittings to join the pipe ends. You'll also need band clamps-two for each coupling-to secure the piece of new plastic pipe to the coupling. For PE pipe there are four types of common plastic fittings, called barbed rigid fittings: a coupling (for a straight run), an elbow (for a 90-degree turn), a reducer (for connecting two different pipe diameters), or a T (for adding another head to the line). Let's assume you're repairing a straight run.
Attach the parts to complete the repair. The band clamp goes over the piece of existing pipe, then one end of the coupling fits into the same piece of pipe. This will be a tight fit, so you might need some petroleum jelly on the inside of the pipe. Tap the fitting with a rubber mallet or hammer to make sure it is on securely. Then move the band clamp to near the edge of pipe and tighten with a screwdriver.
The piece of new pipe goes on the other end of the coupling. Use a tape measure to determine the length of pipe you'll need for the repair. It's better to be a couple of inches long; this pipe is easy to trim. Attach the repair pipe and complete the repair by repeating the steps for each coupling. You'll need two couplings, one on each side of the repair pipe. Remember to put the band clamp on the pipe before attaching the coupling.
Once all the clamps are secure, turn on the system to test the repair. All sprinkler heads should pop up and run smoothly. Replace the soil and grass plug. Tamp the ground. After a few waterings, the area will look as it did before the repair.
If your system is plagued by damaged heads, the solution is even simpler. A damaged sprinkler head usually must be replaced. Newer styles are gear driven and made of plastic, and when they break they often have to be thrown out. The exception is when mechanisms are clogged with dirt or sand. These can be cleaned.
To remove a damaged sprinkler head, dig around the head and peel the grass away in the same manner as for a pipe repair. Using a small hand shovel, scrape away the dirt around the head. To remove the head, grip near the bottom of the fixture and turn counter clockwise. The head should turn easily and slip out of the ground.
Both pop-up mist-type heads and gear-driven heads are attached to the pipe in the same way. At the very bottom of the head is a nipple adapter that screws into a threaded fitting on the pipe. If the nipple is not on the bottom of the fixture when you remove it, it's probably still on the fitting. Dig deep enough to expose the pipe and the fitting when you are replacing heads.
If you think the head is simply dirty, soak it in a bucket of clean water for a while. Newer gear-driven heads are easy to disassemble. The pop-up portion of the fixture is hidden in a spring-loaded sleeve, where dirt and sand can settle. Unscrew the nozzle turret to expose the sleeve. Once clean, reassemble the head, return it to the system and turn on the water. You can wrap all threaded fittings with Teflon tape for a leak-free seal. Keep the nozzle turret at ground level when you return the head to the system to help keep sand and dirt from getting inside the sleeve. To raise the turret you can use a longer nipple-they come in several lengths-or simply push some extra dirt or sand underneath the fitting on the pipe.
If the head is damaged, it's easy to replace. You can find one that matches the system at a home center or sprinkler supply store. Some manufacturers make newer heads that are designed to replace specific styles, but in most cases a newer gear-driven or pop-up head will run on any system.
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