How to Maintain a Lawn Sprinkler System
Once you've installed a lawn sprinkler system, you'll want to know how to protect your investment. Knowing how to maintain a lawn sprinkler system involves seasonal check-ups which you can do yourself. If you choose to hire out the maintenance, call the company which installed the system originally. In addition, your city may require a professional annual test of the system and will inform you of any required testing. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Inspect the sprinkler system frequently for broken sprinkler heads. Unscrew any broken parts and take to a home improvement store to buy matching replacement parts.
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Run the system and measure the water amounts received by using tin cans or a rain gauge. If a sprinkler head has a low flow, unscrew it, clean the filter and check for cracks.
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Adjust the spray pattern for individual sprinkler heads with a screwdriver to avoid spraying sidewalks, driveways and roads and to prevent dry lawn areas. The possible spray patterns are as follows: a quarter circle, a half circle, a three-quarter circle and a full circle. Stepping on or mowing over sprinkler heads can cause the spray pattern to change.
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Drain the entire system prior to freezing weather. Follow the directions in the system's operating manual or hire the installer to drain the system.
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Use caution when restarting the sprinkler system in the spring if the system has been drained. Again, follow the maintenance instructions in the operating manual specific to your lawn sprinkler system.
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Check the controller or timer if you lose power. Loss of power may mean the controller needs to be reset. Adjust watering levels for seasonal needs. Lawns generally need less water in the spring and fall.
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Look for sprinklers that weep even when the cycle is finished. A weeping sprinkler head means that you've got a worn out valve in the valve box that needs replacing. Shut off the water to the valve and take the old valve to your local home improvement store to locate a replacement.
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Tips & Warnings
Even if you plan to hire someone for the maintenance of the lawn sprinkler system, knowing what to look for will enable you to find the problem and describe it when calling for help.
Whether or not the system is running, don't drive over sprinkler heads with a riding lawn mower or other vehicle to prevent damage to the sprinkler heads.
Don't dig without running the system and marking the sprinkler heads with flags. Don't expect to remember where they are located. Because sprinkler lines are laid about 12 to 18 inches apart, beware also of the grid patterns when digging.
