Technical Table 3: All Sprinklers
Table 4: Rotors
Valves
Your sprinkler system is only as good as its control valves, which is why they are often likened to the heart of the system. It's important to check they are opening and closing properly as the controller activates and deactivates them. Problems such as opening too quickly or slowly can be down to high or low pressure.
Issues with sprinklers are important to resolve. Depending on the system you have, a problem with one sprinkler can affect all of those in the cable zone, stopping others from working. Checking spray pattern and adjusting the flow control at the valve, and cleaning pop-up heads including dirty filters, will prevent rotary heads from sticking and ensure a smooth rotation, whilst checking the seals and rotation of the sprinkler risers will prevent water damage to the surrounding turf. Table 2 has more.
Sprinklers
From not popping up to ‘sticking up’ after watering, flooding from the sprinkler or water not spraying from the nozzle properly, most of the causes are down to damage, clogging, missing parts or pressure problems. The solutions are usually straightforward once the issue is identified. Table 3 provides a run though of the most commonly found problems, causes and solutions.
Being exposed as they are, sprinklers are subject to a great deal of wear and it is recommended they are replaced every few years. Remarkably, the simple job of renewing an aged sprinkler nozzle alone can increase the efficiency of your system by up to ten percent at the right pressure and flow. With nozzles costing, on average, just £15 per head, this can be a highly cost-effective way of improving your system and is a job easily handled by the greens/grounds teams.
Rotation flaws are likely an indication of debris in the sprinkler head, a pressure problem, improperly adjusted flow-control valve. Damage or normal wear and tear could also be possible culprits. Possible causes and solutions are indicated in table 4.
Remedial work such as this can improve efficiency of your system by around twenty percent, plus, by taking control of your irrigation system, you are eliminating the need to bring in a contractor at an extra cost. This
again comes back to viewing irrigation as you would machinery - most of us wouldn’t bring a mechanic in to advise on problems with a machinery fleet, unless you had some idea of the issues yourself, and the same rules apply to your irrigation system; it’s all about knowing how to identify the issues so you can save bringing in a service engineer or contractor until you need to.
A rapid decline in performance and consistent problems are when the input from a consultant will be essential, and their diagnosis will better help you decide whether to carry out remedial work to salvage an ailing system or bite the bullet and invest in new. But overall, daily, weekly and seasonal checks should become part of the routine, with a service engineer and contractor doing what they do best - an annual full system check, control system/electrical issues, or advising on refits.
Properly maintaining your irrigation system doesn’t have to be costly or time- consuming. Identifying problems and taking control of your club’s irrigation maintenance will keep costs low and your system efficient.
PC APRIL/MAY 2016 I 109
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