A sprinkler system is essential in maintaining the lushness of your lawn, and when it goes bad, it can cause a huge problem not only to your beautiful lawn but also to your budget. The basic parts of a sprinkler system are the control fittings, piping, plumbing components. All these parts work together, so when one part gets broken, the entire function of the system is affected. Even a high quality sprinkler system is subject to wear and tear, so it is important that you are prepared in case something goes wrong with either one of the part of the system or the entire system itself. Be sure to study how sprinklers work so that you can diagnose simple problems yourself. This way, it would be easier for you to make quick fixes without the help of a professional.


Step 1. Check the main line. If your system has a leak, the first thing you need to check is the main line. It’s easy to find out if this is where the damage of your system is, because there will be a constant leaking and pooling even when the system is turned off. If the damage is the lateral line though, water leakage will only occur when you turn on the system. To fix the problem, you have to shut down your system completely and dig in the area where the water is pooling. Once you find out which pipe is broken, remove all the soil surrounding it to expose the pipe. Inspect the damage and see whether it needs a major or minor repair. In any case, you will need to cut the damaged pipe with a pipe cutter and replace the coupler. Apply PVC glue to join pipes and allow it to dry for thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, turn the system on to check whether the leakage has stopped or not. If the leakage has stopped, you can cover the pipe.

Step 2. If there are no problems with the main line, check the sprinkler riser instead. Dig around the sprinkle head and unscrew the nuts to remove it. Next, take off the riser using a nipple extractor and mount in a new riser. After fastening the riser, turn the system on to see if it’s working properly.

Step 3. Sometimes, the problem may only be with sprinkler head so there’s no need for you to check the main line. To repair the sprinkler head, dig the soul surrounding it and unscrew the nuts to unfasten it. Leave the riser in place and make sure you don’t allow dirt and debris to get into the head. Fasten the new sprinkler head and turn the system on to check if it’s functioning and cover the hole when you’re done.