The past few weeks have been extremely dry on Long Island.  With 7 weeks until the end of summer it is important to have your irrigation system operating properly to maintain a healthy landscape. It is important to check your system to see if it needs repairs.

Many of the calls we receive each day are requests for sprinkler system repairs. The most frequent questions we are asked are why did my sprinkler pipe break or why did the sprinkler head stop rotating? These are all great questions and unfortunately there aren’t any simple answers.

An automatic sprinkler system is a complex mix of many different components that when properly combined and designed, using quality components, will operate together to irrigate your landscape.

What causes sprinkler systems to fail? The most common reasons are:

  1. Age As systems age the components fail. Many of the repairs we perform are on older systems. Most irrigation equipment is designed and manufactured to last only 12- 15 years. If you maintain your system it can last longer. If your system is 15+ years old, then expect more frequent repairs.
  2. Equipment All manufacturers including Hunter, Toro, and Rainbird make several grades of the same equipment. Good, better, and best or residential and or commercial. The good or the residential grades don’t hold up well or over time. You can expect to make repairs or replacements within 5- 7 years.
  3. Maintenance If you maintain your sprinkler system and you use the best or commercial grade of equipment, then your sprinkler system will last a long time. Many of the systems that I have designed and install from 30 years ago are still working great! It is important to have your system winterized in the fall, turned on in the spring and make repairs or replacements quickly. Winterizing purges your system of water and prevents the system from freezing and cracking. Many times we repair systems that were not winterized. Although the system did not immediately break, the freezing of the system weakened the components and cause early failure. Repairing your system immediately after discovering a break or missing head allows dirt and debris to enter and that causes failure in other parts of the system.
  4. Damage due to others Lawn mowers, snow plows, landscapers, gardeners, and other maintenance people all contribute to physically damaging an in ground sprinkler system.
  5. Tree Roots growing around pipe and sprinkler heads do great damage by pushing the pipe apart or growing around the pipe and strangling it that no water can flow through.

My recommendation is to check your sprinkler system once a week for a few minutes per zone.

If you are having a problem then please call us at 631-423-2211 or CLICK HERE.

Rain Rich Sprinklers has been serving Long Island for 37 years. Rain Rich prides itself on providing outstanding service and the best value.