Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Irrigation systems, like all mechanical things, require some periodic maintenance to ensure adequate performance. Because many residents have automatic systems that water very early in the morning, problems often go unnoticed. Check your system carefully and take note of the following tips:

1.	Big leaks – There is a geyser in your front yard and none of the normal irrigation controls you’re familiar with will shut it off.

What to do: Where the irrigation system branches off from your house water system there is a valve with a handle to turn (main shut-off valve, usually at the front of the house opposite the water meter). Repair the irrigation system piping, replace the spray head, etc., and turn the valve back to the "on" position.

2.	Little leaks – The water is continually seeping out of a section of your irrigation system.

What to do: This type of leak is in the valve. Replace the valve. It can be challenging, so be prepared to call a repair person that specializes in irrigation.

What to do: If it is a sprayhead or microsprayhead you might be able to just grab the top of the unit and twist it in the right direction. If it is a rotor, it probably requires tools and knowledge you don’t have; call an expert.

What to do: replace the clogged dripper(s). It is not usually worth the trouble to try to clean them. Then clean the filter and flush the system. Clogging is not something that happens a lot in properly installed drip systems; if this is a recurring problem, have the system checked out by an expert.

What to do: How fast a watering device applies water to the soil is called the application rate. How fast the soil takes in the water is called the infiltration rate. You may be able to apply water at an impressive rate but if the soil is taking four times as long to absorb it, then three quarters of the water you are applying is likely being wasted.

1.	Adjust your irrigation controller. Use the watering calculator for guidance.

2.	Install a weather-based irrigation controller that will automatically adjust itself for weather changes. See Choosing a Control System above.

1.	Divide your total watering time into short segments with time in between for soaking in. Note that, unlike choices 2 & 3 below, this is not a cure for the problem, but a coping mechanism.

2.	If your landscape is several years old, have the soil aerated. If your landscape is turf, have it de-thatched. Your gardener should be able to do this.

3.	Change to a different watering device with a slower application rate. If your irrigation system is composed of sprayheads (fixed spray patterns of quarter, half and full circles) with 15’ or greater radius, change the nozzles to rotary nozzles. See Upgrading Existing System.