Sprinkler systems are a massive boon to our landscaping. Gone are the days where we have to toil outside in the burning sun, watering pail in hand, and make multiple trips to the nearby well. Gone are the days where we have to stand around with a hose, making sure all of the plants are getting equal water distribution. Gone are the days where we can do nothing but appeal to the gods for glorious rainfall. Automated sprinkler systems are part of our lives, and they sure are great, aren’t they?
However, that doesn’t mean that they are flawless. In fact, there is a variety of problems that could potentially plague your sprinkler system, and that’s why we created Affordable Irrigation, Tulsa’s premier sprinkler system installation company. We know every problem that you might encounter in a sprinkler system, and we’re here to help you understand the most common ones.
Here are the problems you’re most likely to run into with your home sprinkler system, and what they might mean for your yard as a whole:
Pressure Problems
One of the most noticeable sprinkler system flaws is a change in water pressure. This is easy to spot, and it’s often one of the first signs of a larger problem. We’re going to guess that you don’t like showering in weak, droopy water that sadly drips out of your showerhead faucet, and your plants aren’t a big fan of it either. Weak water pressure is often a sign that something has gone amiss within the internals of your sprinkler system. Meanwhile, strong water pressure isn’t always ideal either — water can actually overshoot its target if its pressure is too high, and excessive pressure can cause major wear and tear on your system, making sprinkler repair a necessity far sooner than it should be.
Leaks and clogs in your system can be what causes a change in water pressure, but before you jump to that conclusion, make sure you check on the actual pressure level of your valves and pumps. This is a setting you can adjust yourself, and even if you haven’t gone and changed it, you never know if it’s somehow been tampered with. If it hasn’t and the problem persists, it might be time to call a local sprinkler system repair company.
Green And Yellow Grass
Another dead giveaway that your sprinkler system needs repair is an uneven distribution from the watering. You won’t be able to notice this right away — obviously, your grass will look fairly even at the beginning, but as time goes on, the coloration will quickly give away what’s being watered and what isn’t.
If some patches of your yard are a brilliant and majestic green, while others turn into crispy, yellow stalks, something is clearly amiss.
If this is a problem that occurs at the onset of a new sprinkler system, we hate to break it to you, but there were probably mistakes in the installation. If it’s a new problem in an otherwise reliable irrigation system, something went wrong somewhere.
The first thing to check, not unlike in the last point above, is your pressure levels. If there has been a change from the norm, your sprinklers just might not be shooting far enough (or maybe too far). If all things are the same, you’ll want to look at your sprinkler heads. Sprinkler heads go through a lot of wear and tear, and if they become cracked, damaged, or blocked in some manner, it’s going to affect how the water comes out.
Check Your Water Bill
If there’s one thing that will prompt people to pursue quick sprinkler system repair, it’s money. And indeed, it is possible for your sprinkler system to develop a minor issue that ends up draining your bank account way more than it should.
The problem would be a leak. It’s possible, for whatever reason, for leaks to occur in your irrigation piping. It may be because your system is old, rusty, and outdated. It could be because of tree root growth or pests. It could be some kind of traumatic damage. But whatever the reason is, you’re going to end up using a lot more water if there’s a leak down there.
If your system is losing water, it will overcompensate by sending more water in order to meet its quotas, so to speak. This means that, in extreme cases, you won’t even notice there’s a leak. Fortunately, your water bill will come in to save the day in the only way it knows how, by alerting you of how much money is being wasted on the daily.
Unless you’ve suddenly taken to showering 100 times a day, a leaky irrigation system is a pretty good guess when your bill spikes. Don’t hesitate when this is the case — call your nearby experts in sprinkler system repair!
You Have Leaky Control Valves
A good rule of thumb is, “if water is dripping from anywhere it shouldn’t, it’s most likely a problem.” And, as luck would have it, this just so happens to apply with your sprinkler control valves. You’ve seen them before. You know where they are. Even if you don’t use them, your control valves are basically the command center of your irrigation system. All the big decisions are made from there, and they predictably connect to the irrigation water pipes that are laced throughout your yard.
That’s why it’s a cause for concern if you suddenly find water leaking out of these. The valves shouldn’t even be dripping, much less draining copious amounts of water when the sprinkler system is on.
This is a big sign that something is amiss with your valve, and if you’re seeing other problems listed in this blog post in addition to this one, they are most likely related. The water pressure controller could be damaged somehow, or particulates, such as dirt and grass, may be finding their way inside your irrigation system. Not good!
Sprinkler System Repair In Tulsa
There’s an underlying theme between all the items on this list — if your sprinkler system is running amok, fix it! However, we understand just how much of an undertaking DIY sprinkler system repair can be, and that’s why we created Affordable Irrigation. We want to help everybody in the Tulsa area take care of their sprinkler system repair and installation needs.
We have served hundreds of clients in the greater Tulsa area and the surrounding regions, and we take our craft seriously. Do you have a sprinkler system that is in need of repair? Are you looking to install a new system, or want to make changes to the one you already have in place? These, and more, are all things we can do for you. What are you waiting for? Contact us today!
