Things You'll Need:
- Short-handled flower bed spade
- Nipple extractor
- 1 new sprinkler head
- 1 2-inch section of threaded PVC riser
- Thread sealer tape
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Step 1
Measure a distance of 4 inches from the sprinkler head and insert the garden spade about 3 inches deep into the turf. When inserting the spade, aim it inward toward the sprinkler head and gently plunge it into the soil, slowly, until you feel it hit the lower part of the sprinkler head (about 2 to 4 inches deep). Withdraw the spade from the soil and repeat, cutting a circle around the sprinkler head.
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Step 2
Grab some grass near both edges of the circle you've cut with the spade and slowly lift the ring of grass and soil out of the ground, revealing the threaded bottom of the old sprinkler head. Set the ring of turf off to the side and clear away all of the soil from around the base of the sprinkler.
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Step 3
Unscrew the old sprinkler, turning counter-clockwise. If the sprinkler lifts off without unscrewing, then the threaded riser was snapped off. Remove the sprinkler head from the hole and discard.
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Step 4
If only the top of the old sprinkler head was damaged and you were able to unscrew it, simply screw the new head down onto the existing threaded riser until hand-tight. If the sprinkler head was snapped off at it's base, jump to the following steps. Otherwise, replace the ring of turf previously removed and aim the pop-up sprinkler head accordingly.
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Step 5
Insert your nipple extractor into the snapped-off piece of riser. Turn the extractor slowly in a counterclockwise direction to unscrew the broken piece of riser from the PVC holder (also known as the "T" adapter).
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Step 6
Once the broken piece of riser has been removed, screw in the new piece of riser until hand-tight and then screw the new sprinkler head onto the top half of the riser, also until hand tight. Replace the ring of turf previously removed and aim the pop-up sprinkler head accordingly.
