Just a quick note to tell everyone Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays! No irrigation here today. It’s cold, rainy, and we even got some sleet which does not happen too often here. Well, I hope everyone is having or had a great holiday season. Look out for more irrigation and lawn sprinkler information coming soon.
We get a lot of maintenance calls to our office throughout the year. There are several different parts to an automatic irrigation system and thus there are many kinds of problems that can happen and cause a sprinkler system to not work properly. A common call that we get and problem that we have to diagnose and deal with is where a lawn/landscape sprinkler system will not shut down. A particular zone is stuck running and it won’t shut off no matter what you have tried.
First of all, there is not one straight answer for all situations, but luckily there are a few main ones that cover most situations. You must first determine whether the problem is electrical or mechanical. To do this, go to the main power supply and turn off the circuit breaker that the timer is on, or unplug it from the wall if it is an indoor timer wired this way.
Simply turning the timer to “off” is not always sufficient, because many electrical problems that I’ve seen that are showing this symptom will keep doing it even if the timer is set to “off”. Once you’ve cut the main power to the timer, the sprinklers will either go down or stay up. If they go down, then you know there is a problem with your timer. If the sprinklers are still stuck on, then you’ve got a mechanical problem.
The most common mechanical cause of this problem is a valve sticking open on a pressurized system. A pressurized system is one that is connected to a pressurized water source such as city water, reclaim water, or a pump/well system with a pressure tank. You can exclude systems with pump start relays from this unless it is the relay that is sticking, but you should have already ruled this out by cutting the main power supply to the timer & relay.
If you have determined your problem to be the valve, then you will need to shut the main water supply of and repair or replace the valve on the zone that is having the problem. You may be able to find a valve repair kit which includes the diaphragm. Many electric irrigation valves have screws or bolts on top that can easily be removed. Once the screws or bolts are loosened and taken out, you can lift the top part of the valve up and remove the diaphragm. If you are dealing with an older model or generic brand valve, you may have to dig a pit or hole, cut the PVC, and replace the entire valve. Good luck and as always you may contact me via email if you have any questions.
An irrigation system is similar to an automobile in the fact that it has many separate moving mechanical parts that all work together to help produce the end result. A very common and important part that can go bad are the electric valves. There is one valve for each zone or section of your sprinkler system and when one goes bad you will have to replace it.
Like an automobile requires maintenance, so does an irrigation system. It’s funny because I’ll run into people who are upset at having to spend $135 to replace a twenty year old valve, but they’ll buy a new car every two or three years…go figure? There is not much you can do to prevent the valves from going bad, they just wear out. The first thing that usually goes is the solenoid, which can usually be replaced without having to remove the entire valve. You can find replacement solenoids for all of the major brands at your local irrigation distributor, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, or similar store.
Replacing the solenoid is fairly easy once you have located the right valve and diagnosed the problem correctly. The solenoid is on the top of the valve with two wires coming out of it. If you are on a pressurized water system such as city water, reclaim (recycled waste water), or pressure tank setup, then make sure to shut off the water source prior to replacing the solenoid. Make sure to clear the valve of all dirt and debris around and underneath it. Give some room for residual water in the line to run out. You may need to use a small hand pump or just a small cup to bail water out of the valve box. This is important so that you do not get any dirt or debris in the solenoid spot, which could cause the solenoid to not sit in the valve correctly and the valve could become stuck open.
When ready, simply turn the solenoid counter-clockwise until it is removed from the valve. Have the replacement in hand and ready to immediately install. Put the new solenoid in place and turn clockwise gently until it is snug. Be careful here because you can actually over-tighten the solenoid. An over-tight solenoid can strip the valve permanently damaging it and cause it to remain open. Too loose and the valve will stay on also. After you have installed the new solenoid, you are ready to wire it.
Now one at a time, cut one wire from the old solenoid and connect one wire from the new one. Then clip the second wire from the old solenoid and connect the second from the new one. It doesn’t matter which wire goes to which, as long as one lead is on the common or negative wire (usually white), and the other wire is connected to the hot wire.
The next common thing to go bad is the valve’s diaphragm. This is a rubber piece with a spring which controls the opening and closing of the valve. Their are only two things that can happen when the diaphragm goes bad: The valve is stuck shut and will not open, or the diaphragm is stuck open and the valve will not shut down completely or at all. As with solenoids, you can find replacement diaphragms for all the major brands.
In certain situations, you will have replace the whole valve by digging it up and cutting the PVC. I usually have to do this when I run into an older model electric valve that I cannot obtain replacement parts for. Another reason to have to replace the whole valve is when the valve body is actually cracked or damage for whatever reason. Most of the time you can replace just the bad valve, but if the valves were plumbed in too closely together you may have to replace more than one. I have had jobs where there is only 1 valve bad, but I had to replace six valves because whoever installed it plumbed them so close together, that it was impossible to only replace one. Usually this is better for the customer anyway, because once one goes bad, it is only a matter of time before the other ones start going bad.
The actual plumbing may vary from situation to situation, but the main points are to get the flow of the valve correctly. All reputable brand valves have an arrow on them showing you which direction that the water flows through them. All you have to do is to make sure that the valve is installed correctly by having the water flow in from the mainline out to the sprinkler heads. Replacing a valve is usually not that difficult, but can be a little time consuming. If you are ever in doubt, call a professional.
People’s systems whom have their own well and use the water for their for house usually have a pressure tank and switch to provide on-demand water. Pressure tanks can be used with above ground jet pumps, shallow jet pumps, and submersible pumps.
I’ve even seen pressure tanks used on horizontal centrifugal pumps but I don’t recommend this because it can be very difficult to prevent the pump from constantly turning on and off because a centrifugal pump just doesn’t build up a high enough pressure and it looses it quickly when the system or any water is running. Centrifugal pumps are commonly used for irrigation in many southern areas where the water table is less than 20 feet and the used of a pump start relay can be more efficient (than using a pressure tank) in most residential sized yards.
A pump start relay turns on the pump only when told to do so by a digital or mechanical timer and it is turned on simultaneously with a zone opening or water being used. This is why a relay is usually only good for irrigation systems. The use of a pressure tank and pressure switch is perfect for on-demand water. On-demand water is water that is under pressure and comes on as soon you open a faucet or “demand” water.
A few common problems that I see in the field are:
1. Pressure tanks that have loss pressure due to attrition or a ruptured bladder.
2. Burned up / Shorted out pump motors.
3. Bad check valve or vacuum leak in fittings going into pump causing it to loose prime.
4. Bad pressure switch.
5. Wiring short from source or anywhere between the power source, switch, and pump.
All of these problems can be solved by diagnosing and fixing. It may take some time, but it can be done. As long as you can use a multimeter, plumb PVC pipe, do simple HV wiring, lift small to medium sized pumps and tanks, and have the will to do it, than you have the resources. Many people just do not have the time to fix it themselves, so they hire a professional like myself and my company to fix the problem quickly and efficiently.
Well, my good friend Craig Borglum has done it again. He has shared some more of his great irrigation knowledge with the public by creating a new video clip about how to water your lawn in a more efficient manner.
Many people ask me “Scott, how long do I water my lawn?”There really isn’t a perfect or straightforward, universal answer that suits everyone. Landscapes, soil conditions, sun/shade, system design, and efficiency are all factors that go into deciding your run time or how long you should water your lawn. While I can usually figure out the answer after inspecting a system in person, it is a very hard answer to give to someone over the phone or through email.
Craig’s clip about watering your lawn is a great resource for anyone who is wanting to learn more about improving and maximizing water efficiency though controlling the amount of time to run your sprinklers. In the video clip presented on his site, he does an excellent job at explaining how you can easily figure out how long to water your lawn with your irrigation system.
He hits all of the main points and addresses the most common problems that I run into out in the field & the solutions for you. This could help you save a lot of money and our precious water resource. Make sure to check out the video clip here:
http://www.irrigationrepair.com/How_Long_To_Water_Your_lawn.html
Hope this information helps you with your sprinkler system!
For many parts of the country installing an irrigation system during the winter it pretty much impossible, but in the southern regions of the U.S.A. it is very doable. There are actually some advantages to getting your system installed in the winter months.
First of all, if you are hiring a company or somebody to do it, you will get better prices than you do in the summer time. Everyone waits until spring or summer to get their new systems installed, so at this time irrigation contractors are “swamped” or overwhelmed with work. If you plan on having your system installed during the busy months, you should plan on waiting anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks depending on the company.
The turn-around time in the winter is significantly better. The average wait is cut down from 1 – 2 weeks. The wait time really isn’t even the main advantage here. As a consumer your main benefit is the pricing. Labor prices will be lower during the winter months because there is not as much of a demand and these guys (including myself) need the work! Keep this article in mind as this definitely leaves some bargaining room for you.
Please don’t misunderstand me here and think that you are going to get it for dirt cheap (although dirt isn’t that cheap anymore), but what I am implying is that you will get a better deal during the irrigation off-season. If someone bids too low, I would be worried about their quality and professionalism. I’ve been outbid in the past by guys who don’t carry insurance, workers comp, and have all the overhead that I do, but these kind of guys won’t be in business long.
If you choose a non-professional or non-licensed company or individual to do your work you will probably regret it later as it will cost you more money in the long run. Not to mention, you’ll be calling my company or a company like mine to fix your screwed up system after Joe Blow goes out of business. My repair rates aren’t cheap either, especially when I’m working with a messed up design!
If you have been thinking of getting an automatic lawn sprinkler system installed, then the next few winter months are the best time of the year to get one installed. I know that Christmas is coming and we all need money for presents, but think about using some of your tax return money in January or February to get your system installed. If you wait too long, myself and fellow irrigation contractors are going to be very busy again and our prices will go back up…this I promise!
Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
Another common question that I get is “Should I water my lawn in the winter?”, or “How often do I need to water in the winter?”. Well this all depends on several different factors. Of course in the central and northern states where it snows and freezes all the time you aren’t going to need to water. But in the southern, southwest, and southeastern states or regions where the winters are mild, my answer is yes you do need to water.
Even though your grass goes dormant (turns brown) it still has a root system underground. Your lawn is still alive and still has certain water requirements. The water demand is much lower in the colder months, but you should still water about once per week depending on your local weather conditions.
If you don’t water at all, you will weaken or possibly kill your grass completely. There are other things that can be done in the winter, such as winterizing your lawn with a special mix from the garden store, but don’t forget to water. Now, on freezing days this is not a good idea. If it is 30 – 40 degrees at night, but reaches 50 – 70 degrees during the day time, then you should still be watering your lawn.
Scott Young
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
