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Sprinkler dilemma

I have the usual electric timer, valve actuated sprinkler system. I have two stations running off of it, one for the lawn, one for the plants.

My pressure seems to be low on the sprinklers, not enough to make the 7 4" heads pop up and give the grass a good drink. I have checked and checked, and everything seems good. I have removed the heads, and blown water through to get all the trash out of the system. It is not low pressure on some of the heads, but all of them.

Maybe, should I tap into the line feeding the manifold and take a pressure reading?

Julio the gardener took the valve apart and said it was normal.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB
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If it's been like this since the system was installed, then you probably have an incorrectly designed system: too small a feed line, too many heads, etc.

If the system used to work, but now doesn't then you have to track down what has changed. If not a physical obstruction, a leak, or a defective valve, then it's likely a decrease in your water main pressure. Has there been new home construction in your area?

That would be a good first step in diagnosing the problem.

- Michael

Reply to
DeepDiver

Check your actual pressure with the lawn sprinkler valve open. Most systems need at least 30psi to 40 psi at the valve block to run the heads correctly. I'd be looking for some sort of blockage upstream from the valve block that allows flow but drops the water pressure excessively.

I have well water that has some f> I have the usual electric timer, valve actuated sprinkler system. I have

Reply to
RoyJ

Is this on one zone or both? Is the supply valve fully open? What kind of backflow preventer does the system have? If you have good flow at the blow out port (or before the solenoid valves) then it sounds like a main line or lateral line break. I sell irrigation supplies and it doesn't take a lot of pressure to lift a head (like less than 5 psi). Set the clock to run for two hours and look for a mushy spot in the lawn.

-Carl

Reply to
CAM2

There are sprinkler heads that take less pressure to work. Of course, you have to run them longer...

Steve

SteveB wrote:

Reply to
Steve Smith

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