Whether they stop working or run non-stop, irrigation systems are susceptible to failure. And that could mean astronomical water bills.
Irrigation systems are a convenient way to water your landscape on a regular basis.
But as any homeowner with one knows, in-ground sprinkler systems can be a pain to maintain — and they can inflate a water bill very quickly if there’s a malfunction, break or the settings aren’t monitored.
That’s why it’s important to inspect your system every six months to make sure it’s doing its job efficiently and correctly.
In addition to making sure it’s programmed correctly, you want to observe how your system is distributing water — whether it’s just misting or over spraying everywhere but the intended zone — to avoid water waste and a costly bill.
Possible reasons your sprays or rotors are wasting water or not watering properly can be due to high and low water pressure.
High pressure is created when excessive amounts of water flow through the pipes, above the manufacturer’s recommended pressure.
Signs of high pressure include:
Uneven distribution of water: Areas of grass or plants looking not so well. This is the result of getting too much or not enough water.- Misting: water is forced out in a fine mist that’s easily carried away by wind, causing the water to land on sidewalks, driveways and neighboring lawns, creating water waste.
- Overspray: Distributing more water than necessary with poor coverage.
- System or component damage: Over time components can be damaged or develop excessive wear and tear from the amount of time the system is used or out of commission. Spray heads, nozzles, rotor heads, rotor nozzles and even valves can show damage from excess pressure.
- Improper flow control: Each valve should have a center knob to adjust the flow of water. Most valves are installed with the flow control adjusted to the highest setting, which is the most common and overlooked problem.
Low pressure is when water flows too slowly through the pipes, due to settings below manufacturer’s recommended ones.
Signs of low pressure:
- Not enough coverage: Spray or rotor heads do not rise properly, water not issuing strongly from spray/rotor heads, dry areas in grass or plants.
- Inefficient watering: watering cycles are increased to get the desired growth.
- Dead plants: plants die due to dry spots or improper watering.
What can you do to fix these problems?
Each zone valve should be adjusted to the recommended manufacturer’s head pressure. The recommended head pressure for your rotor or spray head nozzles can be found on the manufacturer’s website or product manual.
Turning down the pressure can eliminate the amount of misting through the spray or rotor head. Turning it up to the recommended manufacturer head pressure can help with areas that don’t get enough water.
If a flow control is not present at each valve, a pressure regulator can be installed right before the zone valve.
Give us a call at 210-704-7283 to schedule a free irrigation consultation with one of our licensed irrigation consultants.
