Low Pressure on all Zones

If your system has low pressure on multiple or all of the zones than there are only a few possible causes. You either have a break on every zone (very unlikely), a leak on the mainline, an increased gpm demand has been put on the system due to someone added improper nozzles, or it is your main water source which includes the well & pump.

If your system is on a well & pump and uses and index valve, there will be a very short amount of mainline pipe. This will be above ground and you'll see if there are any breaks on this. If you inspect the yard with the system running and do not find any broken lines, then the chances are that you just need a new pump and a well cleaning.

I always check the date codes of pumps. There are metal plates with serial numbers on most older housings on pumps and there are also serial numbers with date codes on the electric motors. Once a pump is more than 10 years old, it will start to get caked up with well debris which is hard to get off, especially with the maze of small ports on jet pumps. A new pump should give you a significant volume and pressure increase as long as you have a good well.

The well screens get clogged over timer and should be cleaned. You can do this by using a product called "New Well" and it is safe for the environment. Let the Well Cleaner sit overnight to 24 hours. I also then use 20 - 60ft (depending on depth of well) of 3/4" pipe with a boring tip on the bottom to help pressure wash or clean off the screens. This process normally work very well, although I have had a few that are beyond repair and must have new wells drilled. But I would say about 95% of wells can be cleaned successfully.

With the combination of a well cleaning and a new pump (as long as there are no other well problems such as a craked pipe and/or massive vaccume leak) you will notice a great improvement in the performance of your system.

Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com

Rotary Nozzles Clogging on Shallow Wells.

A few years ago Rainbird came out with a new type of nozzle called a "rotary nozzle." It is pretty much a combination of a spray and rotor nozzle. It is great for distance ranging from 12 -24 feet, although I do use the 17' to 24' more often because of practical design purposes. Fixed spray heads are great for areas from 4' to 15' and small strip patters. Rotor sprinkler heads are better for areas of 25' to 35' for normal mid-grade rotors.

Rotary nozzles also use less water than spray heads and many rotors because of their lower precipitation rate. So, you have the run them about as long as rotors, but the positive side is that they work great on limited water sources such as wells that produce low volume.

The bad thing about using rotary nozzles on wells is that they do tend to clog easier and quicker than normal rotors or sprays. There is a small detachable screen (similar to a spray head screen) underneath the rotary nozzle than can be easily removed by pulling off. You can rinse the screen out, pop it back on the nozzle and screw the nozzle back on the spray head to test. If it is still clogged you may just have to replace the rotary nozzle because one that debris gets past the screen and in the nozzle it is very hard to remove or flush out completely.

I recommended rotary nozzles if you have a limited water source that is also cleaner water such as city water or reclaim water. Shallow well water usually has too much debris that will cause problems quickly. Spray heads have better, more forgiving screens that save the nozzles more often. So, their are pros& cons the bother. You'll just have to determine what is based for your particular landscape.!

Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com