I just did a Sprinkler Head Repair job in Lexington, S.C.. The customer called and described that one of the rainbird sprinkler heads always leaked, even (seemingly) after the system was off. Upon visual inspection of the sprinkler system, the head seemed to work fine, but it did indeed "leak down" after the zone was turned off. This type of problem exist where there is a head or a zone in the low part of a system, often the lowest head on the system - that's exactly what was going on with this particular service call. The remedy is quick and easy and I wanted to share with you how to repair such a problem on your own. Should you need to call on my professional services, I'm an email away...
Problem: Sprinkler Head leaks down all the time, causing large wet spot in grass, algae across walkway, higher water bill, etc.
Cause: Could be caused by a zone valve staying somewhat open. In the case this morning, it was simply the fact that the head was at the low point in the system, acting almost like a suction drain and allowing the water from that zone to drain out at the end of a cycle.
Solution: The solution today was to install a head with a better shutoff mechanism installed at the bottom of the head - a "seal-a-matic" or SAM. A head with a SAM installed will shut off more solidly, creating a tighter seal than with standard heads.
For more tips on sprinkler system and irrigation repair from someone local to Lexington and Irmo, S.C., come back to this blog or just follow us on twitter!
