This Page Contains Educational Material And Actual Video From Our Daily Inspections

Enjoy!

There are a great number of irrigation system failures which often go undetected and can cause brown patches in your lawn.

The following images and descriptions are among the most common lawn sprinkler system failures:

Sunken lawn sprinkler head

irrigation system common failures

This sunken rotor head is causing very poor area coverage, it is likely that heavy equipment has caused this problem over years of service.  Poor coverage is not only going to cause brown patches but is also a waste of water resource.

a lawn sprinkler head which is off angle

Lawn Sprinkler System Failures

Here is a great example of a rotor head which has become off pitch.  The rotor is on a bad angle which is causing flooding in close proximity to the rotor body.  Further from the rotor head, the lawn will be moisture starved.  Another great reason to purchase the Thirsty Turf irrigation system audit.

lawn sprinkler system with poor coverage

Lawn Sprinkler System Failures

Here is a great example of a lawn sprinkler system in the middle of a very dry period.  It clearly shows very poor coverage.  The rotor heads are likely sunken or out of adjustment and or have the incorrect nozzle type installed.  Some contractors may use whichever nozzles they have just to get the job done, however, each area has specific  requirements and should be looked at individually.  Many people believe that once a sprinkler head is up and water is shooting out, that in fact it is functioning properly.

This is a very good truth that a running system is not always a functional system.

a clogged lawn sprinkler head

Lawn Sprinkler System Failures

Many sprinkler heads along boulevards and sidewalk areas have silt filters or strainers in them which can clog.  This is a great image of a non working, clogged head which can cause brown out in the surrounding area.

a damaged leaking lawn sprinkler head

Lawn Sprinkler System Failures

Here is a rotor that has either a cracked connection or internal damage.  It is leaking badly and causing flooding nearby to the head.  Imagine the water waste if your system is running during the night and this goes undetected each time!

Misting sprays:

If your system is running too high pressure, this can result in misting  / fogging which reduces overall efficiency greatly.

The Rain Bird PRS (pressure regulating stem) rotors and spray heads can solve this.

See the video below for reference.

Low head drainage:

 

When a rotor or spray head is located on a slope or in a lower area than surrounding heads / rotors, it can leak badly even when the system is shut down.

We recommend installing Rain Bird SAM (Seal a Matic) type heads and rotors to eliminate low head drainage.

See the video below for more:

 

 

Incorrect nozzle type selection:

It is true that some installation contractors will run out of components part way through a job, this sometimes will allow for the use of “whatever works” strategy, just to finish the job and get paid.

 

However, each area, whether it be a wide open space or more confined, requires it properly selected nozzle type to be installed in its selected rotor / spray head.

 

See the below video for information on nozzles.

The following are some videos that we have taken during site inspections or of jobsites that seemed suspect.

 

These are for your educational purposes only.

Now here is a plumbing fitting that no irrigation contractor should ever use.They might save time during installation but do not save money on repairs afterward.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, August 8, 2019

Well here’s a job site in La Salle at a brand new build.I caught a glimpse of the contractor working there this morning.I know who installed this but I will refrain from mentioning that contractors name.You will see a sign in the landscaping area for DT landscaping which is not the sprinkler installer. DT actually does very nice work.This sprinkler job was subcontracted.This is got to be one of the most wasteful set ups I have ever seen.It would likely pain me to see what else has been installed on the lot.In this video there are Twice as many spray bodies as required on this side strip of grass and half of them should be on the other side of that strip so we could achieve a nice even overlap.Unnecessary use of cable, pipe, valves and a waste of water send big waste of money here.This is what I mean when I say it doesn’t matter if it’s a brand new system it can still be junk.Forget Holmes on homes it should be Holmes on sprinklers ????

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Friday, July 5, 2019

With all the recent MNSI and Bell fibre optic cable installations we have numerous reports of sprinkler system damage.If you have not yet checked your system for proper function now is the time.If you are in need of repairs give us a call 226-350-TURF

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, June 27, 2019

 

 

If you’re having problems with dying landscape this may be one of your first areas to look for trouble.This customer has been losing vegetation for years.Their system has been looked after by a local reputable company.However… results may varyGet a professional irrigation expert to evaluate your system.There are many out there that have been in business for a very long time but overlook everything critical.Trust me when I say we are the efficiency experts.Give us a call and you will begin to understand.226-350-8873

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, May 23, 2019

This is a great way to see first hand why Rain Bird VAN series nozzles have had their day!Installation contractors are still using these on brand new installs to create larger margins for themselves.If you’re looking for an efficient way to use water you do not want to see these nozzles anywhere in your system.We use only RVAN rotary nozzles which are high efficiency no mist, no drift, all droplets get to the soil.Just remember no matter how long a competitor has been in the business be sure to ask which components they will be installing, might mean that difference between you getting a run-of-the-mill system and a top-notch energy conserving system.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Friday, May 3, 2019

Heres a great lesson on why you should have SAM (seal-a-matic) equipped spray bodies and rotors installed on slopes.Conserve = $ saved people.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Friday, May 3, 2019

Guys heres a little fungus preventative 101Great educational material and also a great indication of the negative effects a low efficiency sprinkler nozzle can have on your lawn.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Saturday, April 27, 2019

When you see wet spots like this one, it is obvious there is a device failure or plumbing failure.In this case we frequent this property for turf treatments and thus we have known how long this has been there.All summer long……….

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Monday, September 17, 2018

Heres a home that we presented an offer of inspection to this spring. We were not contacted to perform the inspection because a competitor was to take care of the spring tune up.These properties remain under the care of a competitor to our knowledge and have been in this condition for months!We should know…we cut their lawns once per week.I cannot stress enough to you all how over looked 90% of the most critical issues concerning waste water are.Thirsty Turf diagnoses these issues and performs corrective actions to save you $$$Call for your system inspection if you see these issues on your property.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Heres a little educational video about nozzles and what you need to know about your system components and their efficiency.Contractors install these nozzles regularly because of their added profit margin.We however do not use these type of nozzles. The waste water percentage is much too high.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Guys please be aware of value added system components such as the ones in this video.These are not only the wrong type of nozzle for this location but they are about the most inefficient choice available.I will be adding videos to demonstrate the difference between a high-efficiency rotary nozzle and these very inefficient ineffective nozzles.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Wednesday, September 5, 2018

These are the kind of things we see every day.A Thorough spring check up or tuneup from Thirsty Turf would address these issues before it’s too late.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Friday, June 15, 2018

Heres a simple fix that can Prevent intermittent electrical failures within your sprinkler system in the middle of the night when everyone is asleep.You may have a zone that is not functioning or has not been for quite some time and be completely unaware of it.If you do not have a Wi-Fi compatible controller there is additionally no way you would know this especially if you were on vacation somewhere else.This wiring was done improperly at the time of system installation.Thanks for watching!

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Sunday, June 10, 2018

Heres a great way to water your trees without having to water your lawn!Always get a spring sprinkler tune up to prevent waste water, not only that but to be sure the water is targeting the right vegetation ????

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, June 7, 2018

 

Yet another lawn sprinkler system which was said to be just tuned up by a local competitor.The system was running when we drove by so we had a peek to see what we could uncover!Enjoy

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Wednesday, June 6, 2018

This is what happens when the township decides to start drilling holes in your Boulevard and planting trees!Much more common issue than you realize.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Tuesday, June 5, 2018

 

You can find evidence of a lawn sprinkler rotor failing even without the system running.Pay close attention to the detail I go into during my inspections,Book a system audit today!

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Wednesday, May 16, 2018

And here’s me thinking out loud again in preparation for a system retrofit!

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, February 20, 2020

Sometimes during the design process companies will take shortcuts and they will forget to pre-plan the system properly based on available pressure and volume.That was the case at this particular inspection site we went through.Not Good ????

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, February 20, 2020

 

This is just me thinking out loud during my design process ????

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, February 20, 2020

A little more education on valve boxes and manifolds.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, February 20, 2020

 

Just scrolling through some of last summer‘s inspection videos.For your educational purposes only.

Posted by Thirsty Turf Lawn Sprinklers on Thursday, February 20, 2020