Having an automated irrigation or sprinkler system installed at your home or business can be incredibly convenient, saving you the time and trouble of manually watering your gardens and lawns every day.
However, it is essential to keep a close eye on the system to make sure that it is working optimally. Failure to maintain the system could not only result in some plants suffering and potentially even dying from a lack of water, but it could also cause significant water losses that could end up costing you.
If you discover a problem, thankfully irrigation system repair in Austin, Texas, is only a phone call away. We at Smart Earth Sprinklers are irrigation services and repair specialists, so we can get your system working optimally again in no time.
Various factors could lead to an installed irrigation system experiencing failure and breakages over time, so regular checkups are recommended to ensure everything is working as it should.
Here are some of the most common signs that your sprinkler system might need repairs.
Your Water Bill Has Gone Through The Roof
Probably the most obvious sign that there is a problem with your irrigation system is a higher-than-usual water bill. When your water bill suddenly spikes for no apparent reason, the first thing you need to consider is that you’ve got a leak somewhere.
The leak might not be in your irrigation system and might be elsewhere on your property, but the irrigation system is a good place to start investigating as underground leaks are often invisible. If left unchecked, such leaks will worsen and can start to cause other kinds of damage to your property as well.
You’ve Noticed Weak Or Uneven Water Pressure
In some cases, low water pressure could be a result of municipal issues or water shortages. This is easy to verify by checking the pressure at indoor faucets. If the water pressure there is fine but your sprinklers are suffering, then you can be fairly certain you have a sprinkler problem.
Low pressure in your irrigation system can be caused by either leaks or blockages in the system. This will typically lead to uneven water pressure, where sprinkler heads before the problem have normal pressure while heads after the problem have low pressure. This is a tell-tale sign and is relatively easy to spot. Sometimes the PRV (pressure reducing valve) can fail, blocking the water volume the system needs. The Smart Earth Sprinklers team can test those if that is suspected and repair them as needed.
Your Sprinklers Are Sputtering
When your irrigation system is operating as it should, the flow of water should be smooth and consistent, producing a steady, soothing hiss as the water sprays out. However, when you notice that some of the sprinklers are sputtering, dribbling or stopping and starting randomly while the system is active, you know you’ve got a problem somewhere that needs a repair.
Thankfully, this is an easy one to spot because you will not only see it but hear it quite clearly as well. Various things could be the cause, such as a blockage or a cracked sprinkler head, but it’s usually not difficult to rectify.
Some Areas Are Flooded While Others Are Bone Dry
A well-designed and properly functioning irrigation system should water your landscape evenly.
However, when you start to notice that some parts of the garden are getting flooded while other parts are maybe getting no water at all, then something is definitely not right. An easy way to spot this problem is to look for dry or discolored spots on your lawn and/or pooling occurring in other spots. Sometimes you may see outright flooding on the paving.
In some cases, these issues can be rectified by simply adjusting the sprinkler heads. But in other cases, you might have a blockage or leak of some kind causing this to happen.
You Have Leaky Control Valves
Your irrigation system’s control valves are responsible for ensuring that the right amount of water is distributed to each of the various sections of the garden. If you notice that they are constantly dripping when in operation ‒ which they shouldn’t be doing ‒ then you should address it as soon as possible. If you ignore it, you could end up with bigger problems down the line. If there are wet spots around filters and pressure regulators, that’s a sure sign that the system might need some maintenance or repairs.
If you need irrigation system repairs in Austin, Texas, we at Smart Earth Sprinklers can ensure that you are back up and running in no time. Contact us today to ensure your sprinkler system is in tip-top shape!
