Repair a Pop up Sprinkler Head
As pop-up plastic sprinklers get older, they tend to get stuck in the up position, leaving them vulnerable to lawnmowers. A chopped or broken head will result in a water-wasting geyser, high water bills and eventually dead grass in your yard. Replacing a pop-up sprinkler is easy; just follow these simple steps and keep your yard looking green.
Contents
Steps
- Cut through the lawn surrounding the sprinkler head, about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} all the way around, using a serrated knife or dirt shovel with a point on the end. (Be cautious not to dig too deep so as not to puncture the water line.) Please note that if you have a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} pop-up or greater, there is a good chance that the piping has been run to the side inlet of your head (only a few inches underground). Pay special attention to avoid slicing the tubing to this side inlet.
- Pry up the section of turf using a hand trowel or small shovel (about 2-3 inches thick) and set the turf aside to replace later.
- Carefully dig away the dirt surrounding the sprinkler head. Set the dirt in a pile nearby; you'll need it later to refill the hole. Dig down carefully until you reach the water-supply pipe (about 6-8 inches below the grass).
- Once you have cleared all the way down to the riser (a short vertical pipe connected to the water-supply pipe), unscrew the old sprinkler body and remove it. Be careful not to let too much dirt fall into the opening of the riser (plug it with a small piece of cloth). The riser may become unscrewed from the supply pipe while remaining attached to the sprinkler. Simply unscrew it from the sprinkler being careful not to damage the threads at either end. It is sometimes helpful to shove a sharp hunting knife into the end of the riser, and twist to remove the riser from the sprinkler. The edges of the knife dig just slightly into the riser, allowing you enough contact to twist and remove the riser.
- Take the old sprinkler body to the store, and buy a new sprinkler body that is the same size as the old one. The foolproof way is to buy exactly the same brand and model as the old. If not, be sure that the new one matches the old in 2 ways: (1) same diameter female opening at the bottom, and (2) same overall length. Different brands are different lengths, and if you get one that is too long, it will stick out of the grass after you install it. Another consideration: if possible, buy a sprinkler body that has an orange flush-plug top instead of a nozzle, which will make it easy to flush dirt from the line after installation.
- Wrap a thin coating of Teflon tape around the threaded male end of the riser (Teflon tape is available in the plumbing section of any home-improvement store). Screw in the new sprinkler body until it is hand-tight.
- Turn on the sprinkler line for just a moment to blow out any dirt that may have fallen into the line.
- Turn off the sprinklers, then using the flush-plug ring, pull up the riser, unscrew the flush-plug, put in the plastic filter screen and screw on the nozzle.
- Twist the nozzle to align the spray pattern so it sprays onto the lawn, not the surrounding area.
- Before re-filling the hole, run the sprinkler and check for leaks around the riser. Tighten the sprinkler as necessary (or add more Teflon tape) to eliminate the leak.
- Replace the dirt back into the hole, packing it down around the sprinkler body.
- Replace the turf and push it down around the sprinkler head.
- Turn on the sprinklers to check that everything is spraying correctly. You may need to twist the nozzle slightly to adjust the pattern
Tips
- An old serrated steak knife is great for cutting through turf. Alternatively, just use a sharp pointed trowel.
- Most spray nozzles can be adjusted for distance by turning a small center screw with a flat bladed screwdriver.
- The turf will grow back nicely within a few weeks and you'll hardly notice the repair.
- If you notice misting or fogging, your water pressure may be too high. Try using a pressure-regulating spray head sprinkler instead.
- Keep a terrycloth towel handy to help you twist the head into place.
- Most pop-up sprinklers have a 1/2" female thread bottom inlet. You'll need a 1/2" threaded riser to install it. You may be able to reuse the riser from the old sprinkler.
- Put dirt and grass on a small tarp as you repair to make it easier to tidy up your lawn when you are done.
Warnings
- If you notice a lot of water bubbling up around the sprinkler, you may have a cracked sprinkler line or the sprinkler may not have been screwed in tightly enough.
- Be careful when digging around the head, you don't want to break the surrounding PVC pipe.
- Don't replace the dirt in the hole until you've flushed the sprinkler. You may need to adjust the sprinkler and don't want to get stuck digging it out again.
