Why Does My Sprinkler Leak Water When The System Is Turned Off?
The purpose of an automated sprinkler is to water your landscape on a predetermined timetable. However, you may notice that some areas are excessively wet after or between watering cycles, indicating a leak.
Because the majority of your sprinkler's components are underground, you may not notice a leak right away. If you don't find and repair a sprinkler leak soon, it could harm your garden and lawn in addition to wasting water. Here's a list of possible leak causes:
Low-head Drainage
When the program is finished, water siphons from the lowest sprinkler in a specific zone, resulting in low-head drainage. Any residual water in the system line drains to the lowest zone point after the watering cycle. If there is a sprinkler head in that area, the water will continue to flow until balance is reached or the zone's pipes become empty.
Because of gravity movement, water in sprinklers frequently seeks equilibrium. This isn't usually a problem. However, if the drainage causes water flows or puddles on driveways or sidewalks, we recommend contacting experienced Orlando sprinkler installation to remedy the problem.
Broken Pipes
Broken pipes are frequently the cause of wet areas in your landscape. Sprinklers have two types of water lines that can break: main lines and lateral lines. To repair a broken pipe, we must first determine which line is broken. If it is the main line, you must immediately turn off the water supply.
When the sprinkler is turned on, lateral lines feed water to each zone and are under pressure. Unfortunately, identifying fractures in lateral lines is challenging. Small or large lateral line breaches in your flowerbeds or lawn can cause holes and soil loss.
Both the main and lateral lines break waste water and damage the landscape due to erosion or over-watering. Line breaks must be repaired by our professionals, who will ensure that impurities such as dirt do not enter the line during the repairs. Such impurities could permanently clog or harm your sprinkler.
When there is a break in the lateral line, you can still operate your sprinkler. To prevent more damage to the landscape, simply turn off the zone where there is a break until we repair your sprinkler.
Control Valves
Each sprinkler valve functions similarly to a faucet, shutting off and resuming water flow. They, like any other faucet in your home, can leak. A blockage in the valve's operating mechanism is frequently the cause of a leaky valve. A blockage could also be an indication that the valve is worn out and needs to be replaced.
Water will continue to flow out of the sprinkler long after you have turned it off, making it easy to locate leaks in the valve. This type of leak, however, could also be an indication of low-head drainage.
Tips for Maintaining Lawn Sprinklers
Regular Examination
It is critical that you inspect your sprinkler system at least a couple times per season. We recommend performing the initial check before turning on the system at the start of the season. The second examination should take place halfway through.
You should check your system on a monthly basis, if possible. Examine the controller to ensure it is operational and securely plugged in. Check that the sensors and wires are properly connected, and then adjust the timetable to meet the needs of the current season and the condition of your landscape. Finally, activate each individual zone to check for damage.
Take care of the sprinkler heads.
Don't assume that the sprinkler heads are always in good working order. Sprinkler heads tend to sink or break more frequently as time passes. Poor installation, lawn mowers, and normal wear and tear all result in damage to the heads.
Installing heads on swing pipes allows them to float inside the earth, making them less vulnerable to damage.
Clean the sprinkler system.
Make sure to flush the system at the start of each season. Normal wear and tear, as well as contaminated water, have the potential to clog the nozzles. To avoid clogging, make sure you flush the system's beginning point. Debris will otherwise enter the system and clog the nozzles.
Aside from flushing the system, you should put screens on each sprinkler head and take steps to increase system filtration.
