It happens to everyone with an in ground sprinkler system at one point or another – a broken sprinkler head. You step outside and see a geyser in your front yard instead of a stead stream of controlled spray directed at your lawn and plants. Broken sprinkler heads happen for a variety of reasons. Lawn mowers are a common contributor to broken sprinkler heads. So, how can you prevent your sprinkler heads from breaking? And what do you do if it is already too late?
Prevention
It has been said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, it is better to prevent the damage from happening in the first place than to deal with the costly repairs after the fact. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to help prevent damage to your sprinkler heads.
Make Sure Heads are Properly Buried
Sprinkler heads that are above ground level are more likely to be struck by lawn mower blades and/or vehicles. If sprinkler heads are too low they may not be able to pop up properly. We use different methods to lower or raise sprinkler heads depending on each situation.
One of the quickest and simplest things you can do to protect your sprinkler system is to put a properly-placed concrete donut around each of the sprinkler heads. These donuts provide a simple barrier around the sprinkler head allowing garden tools like lawn mowers and weed eaters to easily glance off and over the sprinkler head.
Repair
If the damage has already been done, you will want to repair the broken sprinkler head as quickly as possible. And of course, you cannot forget about the added cost to your water bill with all the excess water flow. It can also cause your other sprinkler heads to not work properly. Call us to help prevent and repair any broken sprinkler heads you may have. (813) 478-2438