Sprinkler System Longevity

Hello Craig,

I saw your website on irrigation repair. I wondered about a few items, like "replacing rotors, repair leaks", "Replacing rotors, nozzles" etc... my landscaping company is all over the place on prices. And, they've been frequently finding things to repair - the system was put in 2003, so would you say that I'm at a breaking down point for rotors and such? What should I expect in terms of the old system wearing out? Is there a certain number of years to expect for rotors and such?

So, I thought I'd try to take a little control of the situation. How much expertise would I need to be able to replace rotors and repair leaks on a system. These sprayers rotate about 180 degrees and spray about I'd guess... 30 feet. I wanted to hear a bit from you about the DVD and your site to help me make a join or not decision.

Thank you for your time and consideration.
William, Phoenix Arizona

Hi William. A good quality rotor should last at least 10 years, although many last 20 years. By "good quality" I'm referring to 3/4" inlet rotors. Even some of the most reputable irrigation manufactures make some rather flimsy (in my opinion)1/2" inlet "mini rotors" that don't seem to last.

The same longevity mentioned above applies to the valves and the controller as well as the pipe and fittings.

Of course other factors can come in to play.

A "clean" installation that included flushing the system well before pressurization helps preserve the life span of the equipment.

Water quality can also affect the longevity of the sprinkler system. If you are on a well or lake pump, a sand filter should be installed. If you have re-claim water you should put in a re-claim filter (see the post below.)

As to the issue of leaks, again the quality of the installation matters.Poorly glued (solvent weld) pipe and fittings will be a problem forever.

All sprinkler systems require maintenance as even the best products need "tweaking" from time to time.

As to whether you need my DVD and membership site to repair leaks and replace rotors, the short answer is: no. Many homeowners do their own small sprinkler repair jobs oblivious to the existence of my website :)!

However, if you are "not handy" and would like to save yourself a lot of frustration and multiple trips to the hardware store, the DVD and accompanying manuals and power points will definitely shorten your learning curve.

Sprinkler Valve Repair Problems

Hi Craig.
I've got a sprinkler valve repair problem.

The system is on reclaimed water and the water only gets turned on twice a week for a couple hours at a time. The system gets dirt in the valves causing them to have a constant dribble at the heads and stay on at times. Sometimes the valves will close fully and other times 2-3 valves will be leaking or even stay on at times. Owner stated she has had numerous companies clean and even replace the valves previously.

I had looked at the system and flushed the valves which fixed all zones but 1 that still has a slow leak. When the system is running everything checks out. How can dirt keep getting into the valves time and time again without a sign of a broken line anywhere? She said she had her sod replaced a couple years back if that helps with anything. I just don't want to replace valves and have the same problem down the road. Thanks for reading and any info will be greatly appreciated.
Brian

Hi Brian,
The 1st question is "how do we know that it is dirt?" I'm familiar with Alafaya Utilities that supply the water to that subdivision. Sometimes their re-claim tanks run dry (because a lot of people over water). When that happens all that re-claim water "gunk" gets in the supply line which ends up in the sprinkler valve. Nasty!
If this is the case (you did say that you flushed the valves)there are a couple of options.

1. Install a hose bib on the main line at the lowest point and really flush the main line.Even if you employ the other solutions, do this anyway.

2. Install a re-claim water filter upstream of the first valve. This is a common approach. However, they are not attractive (because they stick up out of the ground) and must be hidden with shrubbery.

3. This is the most expensive approach. Install all new "dirty water" valves on the system. Rainbird, Hunter and other sprinkler manufactures make special valves especially for dirty water.Proce the valves before you bid the job because they are much more expensive than your run-of-the-mill cheapo valves.

I hope all is going well with your sprinkler repair business.

Lawn Sprinklers Do Not Turn On

Greg Hall said...

My sprinkler system has had no problems for 12 years. I can't get any of my zones to pop up now to winterize. The wiring does not look like it is damaged. I think it my be my controller. How do I check to see if my controller is malfunctioning. The system was working good all summer.

Hi Greg,

When nothing works, check the basics. Is the water on to the system? Pump or city water? Have you checked the voltage coming from the controller? Do you have a rain sensor? Is the common wire well connected in the controller?

Using an ohm meter, check the continuity of the valve circuits. Place one probe on the wire terminal marked "com" (for common). Touch the other probe across the zone 1, zone 2. etc. wires.

If you a complete circuit you will get a reading of 20-60 ohms. If the readings are higher, you have a common wire problem. Do you have a wire junction under or near the controller? Check the common connection there first. If not, check the first valve electrically down stream of the controller. If the problem is the common wire, 90% of the time it will be a connection at or in between the first valve and the controller.