02/07/12

It is important to do a regular maintenance check on your sprinklers. If sprinklers are not kept in good working condition, they can waste water as well as have detrimental effects on your landscape. Turn on your sprinklers during daylight hours to inspect the system for broken, clogged or misaligned heads. Print out the Sprinkler Maintenance Checklist for some tips of what to look for.

A common problem with sprinkler systems is pressure. Without correct pressure, your sprinklers will not be able to perform as designed. You may notice large brown areas of lawn where the sprinkler is not reaching, or shooting over. High pressures can also damage nozzles and heads–sometimes even causing them to break off. Spray heads should be operating at about 25 to 30 PSI, rotor heads 30 to 50 PSI. You may need a landscape or sprinkler professional to check the pressure at your sprinkler heads. If your pressure is too high, pressure-reducing valves and heads may be installed, or you may be able to retrofit your existing heads with new nozzles instead of replacing them. Also, consult your manufacturer’s instructions and specifications to ensure proper pressure.

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Conservation Tip
Perform an annual maintenance check on your evaporative (swamp) cooler. Check for and fix any leaks you find.

Sprinkler Maintenance Checklist

Once a month, turn on each valve of your sprinkling system during daylight hours and
perform an inspection. Some automatic timers allow you to set a test run, or you can
program each station to come on successively for one minute. Check the following:

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

YES NO

¨ ¨ Is any water being sprayed on the street or sidewalk?

¨ ¨ Are there obstructions preventing the water from reaching the desired areas?

¨ ¨ Are there any observable leaks or breaks in the pipe?

SPRINKLER HEADS

YES NO Are any heads…

¨ ¨ missing?

¨ ¨ broken?

¨ ¨ clogged?

¨ ¨ pushed too far into the ground?

¨ ¨ tilted or spraying in the wrong direction?

PRESSURE

YES NO Is the pressure…

¨ ¨ too low?

(spray is not reaching all desired areas, spray is forming large water droplets, there are
doughnut shaped dry areas, rotor speed is too slow, rotors are not rotating)

¨ ¨ too high?

(spray is overshooting desired areas, spray is misting and there are dry areas between
heads, rotor speed is too fast, rotors are not rotating, heads are leaking)

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