Sometimes it is simply not in the budget to hire a professional to repair your system or you are unsure if you can repair it yourself. If you are comfortable with glue, PVC pipe plumbing, minor low voltage wiring, and are fairly mechanically inclined, this may be for you. Or use the information we provide to decide whether or not you need a professional to repair your system.

We will be glad to answer questions about:

• Timers and /or their programming features
• Electric valves
• All types of heads
• Rain sensors
• Pumps
• Backflow devices
• And more…

Any questions you have about sprinkler systems, we will do our best to provide you with the answers you need.

Here are some basics and rule of thumb information for your convenience and geared more toward the homeowner or small commercial site. For additional information please refer to your owners manual for instructions or call or email a question and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

Timers: The rule of thumb for run times is 20 minutes for spray zones and 45 minutes for gear/rotor zones. These are summertime run times so adjust accordingly for cooler months and shade areas will require less run times. Its very important to know that sprays and gear/rotors are never on the same zone or run at the same time. They apply water at two different rates altogether. In Florida and depending on where you live and the time of the year we are limited by law to either 2 days a week or one day a week to irrigate. Contact your water supplier and ask what days and when. This law applies to all sprinkler systems with the possible exemption of those on reclaim water. Also, if your timer has a back up battery check the owners manual as to how often it should be replaced or replace it annually. Newer timers have non volatile memory and a back up battery is not needed.

Start Times: Add up the total number of minutes on all the zones. Then set your start time to end the sprinkler cycle around 6AM. For example, if you have 4 zones that run for 45 minutes each for a total run time of 3 hours your start time will be 3AM. By programming in this manner your landscaping gets irrigated but any standing water remains for the least amount of time in an effort to prevent fungus mildew, diseases, and bugs. At 6AM the sun comes up and evaporates any standing water. If you have slopes, hills, or very sandy soil you may want to “Cycle and Soak” your landscape.

Electric Valves: This term is somewhat misleading. Your sprinkler valve does operate on 24 volt but it also uses hydraulics too. Electrically the valve could be operating just fine but hydraulically it can fail in the open or closed position. Should you determine your valve has failed you have a couple of options:
A. If its electrical a majority of the time its the solenoid. Replace the solenoid.
B. If its hydraulic then you have the option of replacing the guts with new or replacing the entire valve. We prefer replacing the entire valve. History has proven a high failure rate with new and old parts. If the valves are all plumbed side by side replace all the valves. If one valve is bad the others are not far behind.

Head Adjustment:All of the major manufactures have instructions on there web sits on how to adjust there heads. Locate and print that information. Most if not all of today’s spray (mister spray) heads have matched precipitation rates so interchanging nozzles and radius does not harm the application rate much. Stay away from the adjustable or VAN nozzles if possible. These nozzles were created for the oddball shapes and such and they are a poor performer when applying water. Always use fixed arc nozzles whenever possible. All heads on that zone must be spray head only-no gear/rotor heads. The same goes for gear/rotor zones-no spray heads. Gear/rotor heads get a little more complicated when making adjustments. Different manufactures have different “stops”(right or left) and most come pre-nozzled with the same nozzle creating the illusion of even water coverage. Most gear drives come pre-nozzled with 2 GPM nozzles. This is okay for 90 degree arcs(corners) but using the same nozzle for half patterns you are applying half the water of the corner nozzle. As you increase the arc to two thirds (270 degrees) or full circle using the same nozzle your dividing the application rate by half each time. In other words the corner will get the water it needs but the rest of the landscaping will suffer due to lack of water. The response is usually increasing the zone run time which helps but now you have to flood the corner and half nozzle areas to apply enough water for the other areas. Unfortunately a vast majority of sprinkler systems are installed in this manner. The other problem is that if you install the proper nozzles you create such an overwhelming flow problem that the heads will not operate. You may need a professional to evaluate the system and try to come up with a more efficient solution.

Rain Sensors: Required by state law on all sprinkler systems. A visual inspection is required to remove any debris or fungus growth depending the type of sensor. Replace the unit if its showing signs of small cracks, worn parts, or you do not hear a click when pushing down on the stem. If you suspect the unit is not working, replace it. The rain sensor is a great device that saves a lot of water during the rainy season saving you money, wear on the landscaping and the sprinkler system, and there fairly cheap. Keep in mind you can upgrade to freeze, wind, or weather stations.

Backflow Preventers:Required on all sprinkler systems using a water meter and must be tested annually by state law. A backflow device may be required even if you have a well on the water meter or even the well itself. Check local codes or with your local water supplier. Reclaim water systems may be exempt so contact your water supplier to verify. Most backflow preventers need little or no maintenance. The annual inspection will detect any problems. During cold days and the possibility of freezing weather you will need to protect the device by wrapping it and the piping with insulation of some kind. Or it will freeze and break.

Pumps: Most above ground sprinkler pumps are very tough and should last about 10 years give or take. Keep the area around the pump clear of debris. The motor needs to fan air in order to stay cool. If possible build a doghouse on stilts over the pump and motor and protect it from the sun and rain. All pumps are designed for outdoor use but they will last longer and give you fewer problems if you protect it for the elements. Keep the cover well ventilated so the motor can cool itself. If freezing weather occurs protect the pump and piping with a blanket or some sort of insulation. However, you must remove the insulation before the next sprinkler cycle to prevent burning up the motor due to a lack of airflow.

For submersible pumps in a well you will need to protect all of the above ground piping and components to prevent them from freezing. As with the above ground pumps all the components of the well such as the tank, pressure switch and such are designed for outdoor use. But if you can cover all the equipment in a shed of some sort protecting it from the rain and elements (including any water treatment equipment) it will last years longer and give you fewer problems. If freezing weather occurs the shed provides additional protection and a simple 100 watt light should provide enough heat to prevent any pipes from freezing up. Very Important: The roof of the shed must have a trap door in the roof about 3 feet square directly over the well should the pump need to be pulled out for repairs or replacement.

Should your pump stop working I would strongly suggest contacting a reputable sprinkler company or pump company to troubleshoot the problem. Pumps are expensive and doing the wrong thing could cause even more damage. Plus, you are dealing with high voltage that could cause severe injury or death.

PVC Pipe Repair:Underground pipe repair use class 200 pipe and above ground pipe use SCH 40 pipe for items like risers, backflow plumbing (check local codes), pump piping, for example. Today’s glues have come a long way. Some claim no need for primer. I prefer to use primer and blue glue on the mainline since the mainline is usually under pressure 24/7 and I use only glue on the lateral lines which is all piping downstream of the valves. Remember to size your pipe based on flow and never ever use smaller pipe to create more pressure. Smaller pipe creates more velocity (speed of water) but robs you of precious pressure.

Flex Pipe: All heads should be on flexible pipe or funny pipe. This 12 to 18 inches of flex pipe allows the head some movement if hit by a person, mower, or some other heavy equipment not breaking the rigid PVC. Flex pipe does require primer and blue glue.

Teflon Tape: Any and all threaded connections need a sealer of some sort. In the good old days pipe dope paste worked well but stained easily and could plug heads. Plus, pipe dope paste has an additive that will dry out and crack a head so never use pipe dope paste for anything on a sprinkler system. Teflon tape works very well when used properly. However, too much tape on the threads can break a fitting or valve and too little could allow a leak. Always apply tape in the direction of screwing on a fitting and never the other way. Otherwise you will remove the tape as you screw on the fitting. Never put tape on the first two or three threads to avoid cross threading. Three to four wraps on small fittings works well and with twice that amount on larger fittings.

Electrical Connections and Wiring:Probably 70% of repair calls are electrical problems. Poor wire connections, bad solenoids, cut wires and the such. If you can clearly see a broken wire or wires reconnect color to color being sure white is connected to white and always use watertight connectors. But unless you are proficient with a multi-meter or valve locater device this is one area best left to the experts. One wrong move could create more problems than solve. If the timer seems to be okay but nothing is happening or the timer is showing some kind of “fault” go through the owners manual for some basic troubleshooting suggestions. If none of those seems to work then contact a reputable sprinkler repair company.

Weather Stations: As technology progresses many devices are evolving and becoming more cost effective. Years ago weather stations cost thousands of dollars and you only saw them on golf courses or high end homes. Now all of the major manufactures have created weather stations that are very cost effective in the range of just a few hundred dollars. Some adapt to existing timers and are as small as a coffee can. The advantages of a weather station is it will read local weather conditions such as rain, temperature, head type, soil type, geographic location, slopes, etc, and the timer will determine the amount of run time per zone based on that information and it will do so everyday. No more guessing how much to set each zones run times or having to remember to increase or decrease every couple of months or so. Rain sensors are a great tool but weather stations take it to the next level.

If you are unsure in any way that you may not be able to perform these suggestions in a safe manner and per local, state, or federal codes then I would strongly recommend hiring a sprinkler system professional. Safety is always first.

Hiring an reputable sprinkler company to perform a sprinkler system tune up on your system keeps your sprinkler system at peak performance. Brand new they work great but over time and as your landscaping grows and matures heads need to be raised, adjusted, or relocated to provide better coverage. The timer needs to be properly adjusted to meet the needs of shadier areas or vice versa. Newer technologies allow timers and heads to operate more efficiently than ever before saving water, wear and tear on your system, and money in the long run. Replacement of old non working heads is beneficial to the landscape.
Then have your system checked out quarterly or at the least once a year to maintain its peak performance. By doing so will maintain a beautiful landscape for years to come at a minimum cost. By waiting until your landscaping looks bad will cost significantly more in the long run then performing the occasional system tune up.

This information is the basics you should need to know for your sprinkler system. If there is something we haven’t covered please call or email and we’ll do our best to answer your questions. Questions we hear over and over will be added to this site as needed so you may want to check back from time to time for updates.

Disclaimer:Due to so many variables and unknowns Waterscape Solutions Inc can not promise or guarantee in any way or form that we can resolve your sprinkler problem through the use of this web site. We can not be held responsible for any damage or injury that may occur and therefore can not be held accountable. This web site service is provided free of charge with the understanding of the user that Waterscape Solutions, Inc. can not be held responsible should our information not resolve the problem, cause damage, injury, or in extreme cases even death.

Water Restrictions for those in the St Johns River Water Management District.  Not sure where you are?  Check out www.sjr.state.fl.us or contact your water supplier. 

Second Sunday in March through first Sunday in November water twice a week:  Residential homes with even numbers are Thursday and Sunday-Odd numbers are Wednesday and Saturday.  Commercial sites are Tuesday and Friday.       First Sunday in November through second Sunday in March water once a week:  Even numbers Sunday only – Odd Numbers Saturday only – commercial is Tuesday only.  You can not water between 10AM and 4PM.  You can not water longer than 1 hour per zone.  These restrictions apply to all water sources including wells, pumps on lakes, public or private utilities with the possible exception of reclaim water.  Some subdivisions may have there own watering schedule due to reclaim water or underground piping infrastructure limit concerns.   Contact your water supplier for exact details.