| Are the spray heads or rotor heads on your lawn | | | | don't have any, this can also be done by |
| sprinkler system constantly sticking up when they | | | | removing the head completely and pulling up the |
| should be retracting back down? | | | | swing joint and then flushing. Please note, this is |
| Don't worry, this is a common problem and is | | | | not the same as draining or blowing out your |
| most likely caused by one of a couple factors. | | | | system. |
| First of all, what is the age of your sprinkler | | | | The rotors will have to be flushed in that manner |
| heads? Over time (anywhere from 3 years and | | | | anyway. If your system is older and your heads |
| beyond) the wear and tear on the risers will | | | | are not installed on swing joints, then just make |
| cause rough edges which will cause the head to | | | | sure to dig around the hard PVC riser that the |
| stick up. | | | | head was attached to, making sure that no dirt |
| The more sandy the soil is, the quicker the risers | | | | can flow back in the pipe while you are flushing. |
| will wear. The only way to fix this after the head | | | | You may also want to take the sprinkler heads to |
| is this damaged is to replace the head. However, | | | | a water faucet and clean them out. Unscrew the |
| there is another option available to prevent this | | | | inside of the head from the casing and rinse out |
| from happening again. That would be to get | | | | both pieces. After you are done flushing the |
| sprinkler heads with stainless steel risers. They | | | | system and cleaning the heads, re-install the |
| are a little more expensive, but will last much | | | | heads and run your system for about 10 minutes. |
| longer. | | | | Then turn off the system and make sure all the |
| If you have a system that is pretty new and you | | | | heads went down. If some are still stuck, they |
| are constantly having problems with the heads | | | | may be beyond fixing and you'll just need to |
| sticking, you could have dirt in your pipe. The dirt | | | | replace them. If you are in sandy soil, I would |
| could have entered your system when you were | | | | recommend rotors with stainless steel risers. |
| repairing a break, when the pipe was being | | | | Stainless steel rotors cost anywhere from 3 to 5 |
| installed, or it could just be sediment from your | | | | times the cost of normal rotor heads, but may |
| well. | | | | be worth the expense. Spray heads are a lot less |
| Sometimes, the heads can be easily cleaned by | | | | expensive and it is more economical to just |
| stepping down on the riser while the water is on | | | | replace them, rather than purchasing expensive |
| and the head is running. Let it pop back up, then | | | | steel risers. |
| step on it again. Do this a few times, then turn | | | | Just as with an automobile, your sprinkler system |
| off the system and see if the head is still sticking. | | | | is going to require routine maintenance to keep it |
| What you are doing here is cleaning out the debris | | | | running in good condition. The more that you |
| from around the wiper seal of the sprinkler head. | | | | neglect your irrigation, the more damage will be |
| Your system's water source has a lot to do with | | | | done and will end up costing you more work and |
| how often your heads get clogged. Irrigation | | | | money in the long run. An average system will |
| systems on city water do not need to be flushed | | | | require about $350 per year on maintenance. So if |
| or cleaned nearly as much as sprinklers tied to | | | | you neglect your system for 3 years, expect to |
| well water. Some wells produce fairly clean water, | | | | pay around $1,050 in maintenance costs when |
| while others have high iron content and other | | | | finally having it serviced. |
| debris which causes the heads to stick and | | | | The amount I mentioned above is just an |
| nozzles to clog fairly frequently. | | | | average figure that I've calculated from |
| If you have several heads that are always | | | | comparing hundreds of maintenance jobs over |
| sticking or nozzles getting clogged, then you may | | | | the years, there are many different factors that |
| want to flush out your whole system. This can be | | | | could require your maintenance costs to be more |
| done by removing the nozzles and screens on the | | | | or less. Systems with wells & pumps tend to |
| spray heads and installing flush caps, then running | | | | have higher overall maintenance costs than |
| water through the system. Flush caps come with | | | | systems tied in with city or reclaimed water. |
| the spray heads when you first buy them. If you | | | | |