When you have an automatic sprinkler system installed on your residential property or commercial land, taking care of it is key to avoiding costly problems. Homeowners can do a lot of sprinkler maintenance themselves, including cleaning and easy fixes. Assuming that your in-ground sprinklers were properly installed and there’s no damage to piping beneath the dirt, your focus should be on the exposed sprinkler heads. Make sure to shield heads from foot traffic and vehicles, clean debris out of openings and don’t ignore obvious issues.
Here are some common sprinkler head problems that may or may not need professional sprinkler system service in Burlington County, NJ.
Clogged sprinkler heads
Should a sprinkler head show signs of a clog, the first culprit that comes to mind is dirt. However, some of the most common head clogging debris include grass clippings and crushed up dry leaf particles. It’s pretty easy to pin point a clogged head. Besides noticing all but one sprinkler head working right, the water spray on a problem head will be uneven, intermittent or non-existent. A clog will often lead to leaks, which you can identify based on pooling water around the head.
Sprinklers set too high
Sometimes a watering system’s sprinkler heads are set too high above the ground. You may have paid for professional installation, yet over time the ground may shift sprinkler components or erode enough around the base to expose heads. Improper installation and system malfunctions may also leave heads vulnerable to damage. To fix this, they need to be set lower in the ground, which involves digging and pipe cutting. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, hire a local sprinkler system service in Burlington County, NJ to get the job done right.
Broken sprinkler heads
An in-ground sprinkler system is designed with a mechanism to automatically activate the sprinkler heads as water rushes through the pipes. Therefore, when your sprinklers are not in use, the heads are supposed to retract back into their underground casings, and then pop up again to spray water on your lawn when you activate the system. Unfortunately, retracted or not, heads can break for a number of reasons—such as strikes by lawn mower blades, edging tools, a weed-whacker or other landscaping equipment. Even kicking a head or accidentally backing over one with a tire are not uncommon occurrences.
Stuck sprinkler valves
A stuck sprinkler valve is not an uncommon issue, either. There are two valves that work together to channel water from a main water source to your grass: an automatic sprinkler control box valve and a valve on the sprinkler head. The good news is that a stuck valve is typically due to a piece of debris, like a rock, stick or dirt. Debris gets lodged inside a valve, blocking it from closing after the rest of the system shuts off.
There is only so much you can do to prevent sprinkler problems without causing further damage. If you have attempted sprinkler head repairs but they are still malfunctioning, contact the team of experts at Star Sprinkler Systems Inc. to schedule an appointment for professional sprinkler system service in Burlington County, NJ.