Pop-up Sprinkler Heads — How to Fix them with Sprinkler Master Repair
With Sprinkler Master Repair, we understand our expertise. When you choose us in any location, you choose quality service that doesn’t cut corners and quality parts that’ll last in the long run. However, we’re also aware that expertise doesn’t stay that way if knowledge isn’t shared. When considering sprinklers in your yard or lawn, there is a lot to measure and think through. Will installing sprinklers in the first place even save me time and money? Which type of sprinkler head uses water the most efficiently? How can I save more water and more money over time? Sprinkler Master Repair can answer these questions and more. Today, we’ll be looking at the Pop-up Sprinkler Head and what they mean for you and your yard!
ITS PURPOSE
A Pop-up Sprinkler Head does what it’s called — it pops up out of the ground. It connects to the main pipe by a nipple or a 90-degree funny pipe that usually connects under the sprinkler head. The Pop-up Sprinkler Head uses water pressure to push up the center shaft, which then connects to the nozzle that sprays water. It also has a rubber seal and a spring that helps slide the center shaft up and down with ease. The nozzle on top can spray a radius from 0° to 360°, depending on the type of nozzle used. Nozzles can either regularly spray a fan of water, or spray in small streams that slowly rotate. A Pop-up Sprinkler Head is usually attached to a lateral line and can connect underneath, or on the side if it’s a longer style head.
Click here and here for some video overviews on the Pop-up Sprinkler Head.
Names of Parts:
- Rainbird
- Hunter
- Orbit
- Toro
- Nozzle
- Rubber Seals
- Springs
- Top Screw Cover
- Extension
- 90 Degree Funny Pipe
- Dual Orifice/Dual Spray
- MP Rotator
- MP 1000-3000
- Adjustable Nozzle
- R-Vans (Rotary)
- He-Van (Finger Streams)
- Van Adjustable
- Side Strip Nozzle
- Center Strip Nozzle
- End Strip
- Quarter, Half, Full, High Efficiency, Arc
- Bubbler
- 4,6,8,10,12,15,18,20,30 foot filters
Pros and Cons of the Pop-up Sprinkler Head:
- Pop-up Sprinkler Heads are relatively cheap.
- They can be raised or lowered easily.
- They can be connected to all kinds of sprinkler pipes.
- The nozzles can be interchanged throughout most sprinkler heads.
- They can be turned on and off if they have a filter.
- The sprinkler heads are low profile and are installed underground.
- However, because of the underground installation, they are more prone to get stuck up or clogged.
- With them being underground when not in use, they can move up or down from underground, turn easily, and need semi-frequent adjustment.
Common Problems:
Pop-up Sprinklers most commonly get broken from being stepped on, ran over, chewed on, or getting cracked from severe weathering. They can also clog anywhere from the line that feeds them up to the nozzle they spray out of. It is a common misconception that if a sprinkler constantly leaks it’s the sprinkler head’s fault, but the real issue is the sprinkler valve that feeds the head. The nipple or 90-degree funny pipe that connects the sprinkler head to the pipe can easily break or crack. Pressure can be low from too many heads on one line, or valve.
How to Diagnosis Problems:
- When the sprinkler head is not spraying correctly, the nozzle is either broken or clogged.
- If the sprinkler head stays up after watering, the rubber seal on the top of the sprinkler is going out and may need to be replaced.
- If water is coming up from underneath the sprinkler, the connection is probably broken.
- However, if no water or little water is coming out, there is a clog anywhere from the feed line to the head.
- If a sprinkler is above the grass/dirt line before turning on, it is too high and must be lowered, or vice versa if they are too low.
- When pressure across all heads is low check the flow control on the valve. If they are still low, consider replacing nozzles with low-pressure nozzles, taking heads off, then adding them to another line, or adding a new valve.
How to Install/Repair:
- If a nozzle is broken or clogged, it as well as the filter underneath, will need to be replaced. This is done by unscrewing the nozzle/filter and screwing a new one in.
- If the sprinkler head is staying up after watering, the top of the head or the entire head can be replaced, as they are usually the same price. If water is coming up from under the head, carefully dig a circle of dirt out from around the head, use a nipple extractor to unscrew the broken nipple if possible, if not possible, cut the fitting out of the pipe and put a new one in. Once this is done, blow out any debris by turning the valve on and then screw a new nipple and head on.
- However, if the head is clogged, try unscrewing the nozzle first to see if debris comes out. You may find that no debris comes out, and if that happens, then the pipe controlling the head may be clogged and needs to be blown out. Unclogging a system can be troublesome. As that happens, try hooking a hose to the head, undoing the fitting right before the valve, and back-blowing it out.
- If a sprinkler head is too low you can unscrew the head and either unscrew the nipple it’s attached to, add a nipple extender, or lift the pipe (if it’s connected to funny pipe). Your sprinkler head may also be too high. As this is the case, you will need to unscrew the sprinkler head and either unscrew the nipple it’s attached to, reattach a lower one, or connect the head to the funny pipe and move it so it can go lower than the feed pipe (if not already attached to funny pipe).
- If pressure across all heads is low check the flow control on the valve. However, if they are still low consider replacing nozzles with low-pressure nozzles, taking heads off, then adding them to another line, or adding a new valve.
Tips and Tricks:
- If a nozzle is clogged, try unscrewing it and blowing out the debris, or using a small screwdriver.
- A sprinkler nozzle can turn on and off by screwing the center screw (Only if a filter is underneath).
- Some Pop-up Sprinkler Head nozzles can only be adjusted with special tools.
Conclusion:
With any type of sprinkler concern you may have, know that you can rely and depend on Sprinkler Master Repair to get the job done right. We are sprinkler masters in all that we do! Click here to find the nearest location to you, and remember that wherever you go, Sprinkler Master Repair installs the best and repairs the rest!
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