3 Ways to Improve Your Lawn Sprinkler System
Have you ever felt that your lawn sprinkler system is draining your budget and wasting your water supply? This does not have to be the case since there are certain ways that you can do to improve the performance of your lawn sprinkler system without requiring special skills. Here are 3 ways to save on bills while maintaining a lush and green lawn.
1. Automatic System
1. Automatic System
One of the best ways to ensure that your lawn sprinkler system is at optimum performance is to opt for an automatic lawn irrigation system. This helps to keep your lawn fresh and green especially with the proper program and design, wasting water will be a thing of the past. You need to be aware though that it is not completely safe from breakdowns and must be subjected to periodic maintenance checks to keep it efficient.
The good news though is that many of the repairs needed, can be fixed without calling for professional help. This translates to savings of both time and money on your part. But, if at any point you are not confident of what you are doing, stop, pick up the phone, and call a trained professional plumber at once!
2. Replacing Sprinkler Heads
When I called a service Scott English Plumbing to fix my sprinkler head, he said this should not cost you more than $20 when done properly. A broken sprinkler head severely degrades the efficiency of your system. How can you identify broken heads?
Just look for broken or cracked casings or heads that do not pop up. The most common reason for damaged heads is that they are either too high or they are accidentally run over by lawn mowers or vehicles.
You have to turn off the system and start digging a hole approximately 2 feet in diameter around the head. This should expose the riser of the damaged sprinkler head. Remove the sod and set it on a tarp so you can easily put it back after.
When digging down to the riser make sure to be very careful to avoid damaging the water line, which is usually made of plastic. Remove the head from the riser by turning it counterclockwise. Put in the replacement and hand tighten it.
Unlike other plumbing connections, joint compound or Teflon tape is not necessary when replacing the sprinkler head. Set your desired pattern for the sprinkler system and you are all set to go.
Be aware though of the possibility of electrical wires, underground water lines, and other connections below ground.
This is one reason why even if the replacement process for the sprinkler head is fairly simple and straightforward; the digging can be challenging and should be left to trained professionals for your safety and peace of mind.
3. Sprinkler Valves
Generally, the sprinkler system also requires the installation of valves. These valves can usually be found on the backflow device that prevents wastewater from mixing with your potable water supply. Checking these valves is another good practice to maintain the efficiency of your sprinkler system.
What happens when these valves are not fully open? You would experience unusually low water pressure with the sprinkler heads hardly shooting out any water or even up to the point where the heads would fail to pop up. These are telltale signs that the valves attached to the backflow may not be completely open. Does this happen? You would be surprised at the frequency.
Do you know where the backflow device is located? Normally, you do not have to do some digging because it is installed above ground and connected to the valve about a foot above the highest positioned sprinkler head found in your yard.
In general, many of the backflow devices are equipped with a vertical and horizontal connection to the pipes. Turn the valves completely to the open position one by one. If you cannot locate the valve connection to the backflow or unsure whether it is completely opened, call for professional help.
As you can see, there are certain things you can do to improve the operation of your lawn sprinkler system. However, this does not mean that you can completely do away with professional help.