5 Common Irrigation System Problems and How To Avoid Them

Are you considering installing a lawn irrigation system, or perhaps you've purchased a new home with an existing system and are curious about the common problems and how to avoid them?  In this article, we discuss the five most common problems we encounter and provide guidance on how to avoid or remedy them.

Dry Spots – Causes and Solutions

Imagine this—you just spent thousands of dollars on your new irrigation system, but you have areas in your lawn that are turning brown from a lack of water! No bueno! So what can you do?

Before installing your sprinkler system, ask to see a copy of the irrigation system design to ensure that heads are spaced for double coverage, meaning that each head reaches to the next and all areas of your lawn are covered by at least two sprinkler heads. This will help distribute water more evenly and prevent dry spots.

If you inherited a system that leaves you with dry areas in the lawn, there are a couple of things you can do to correct this issue. One might be to simply replace the existing sprinkler near the problem areas with a larger one that sprays farther or puts out more water. The next best is to add a new sprinkler that will cover the stressed area and provide additional water.

Low-Pressure Issues and How to Address Them

Sometimes a system can have low pressure in one or more zones, causing “crop circles” in your lawn or other dry areas due to a lack of coverage or improper breakup of the water stream. This can be caused by multiple factors, such as too many heads on one zone, improper pipe sizing, or zone valve failure. Here’s how to avoid or address these problems:

• Clarify with your installer that the gallons per minute of water of your water source (meter or private well) exceeds that of the usage of your largest irrigation zone by at least 25% to ensure that all zones receive adequate pressure.
• Retrofit the problem zone with more water-efficient sprinkler heads to reduce the gallons per minute needed to operate the zone and thereby increase the pressure.
• If retrofitting isn’t an option, then you are left with the solution of adding another zone valve and splitting off a portion of the zone and making another zone.

Wasted Water: Prevention and Maintenance Tips

This problem can affect even a properly installed irrigation system if not inspected regularly and maintained properly. This occurs when sprinklers are not adjusted properly or when watering too fast/long for too long, allowing the soil to absorb the water, creating runoff.

• Installing the system with high-efficiency nozzles or upgrading spray heads to matched precipitation nozzles that more closely match the rate at which the soil can absorb water will minimize runoff and ensure that more of the water that you irrigate with is available to your lawn and landscape.
• Perform regular inspections to verify that sprinklers have not gotten out of adjustment.

Low or Crooked Sprinkler Heads

This problem can affect both new and old systems and can cause major problems with the coverage and efficiency of the irrigation system. If you are seeing flattened grass around your sprinkler heads after watering or circles of dark green grass surrounded by a dry ring, you might have this issue.

What you can do:

• Request taller heads be installed. For many years, the standard pop-up height of a sprinkler head was only 2”. Then the standard was raised to 4” and has remained there for many installers. However, if you mow your fescue at 4” in the summer, a sprinkler head that only pops up 4” will be too short! 6” pop-up sprinklers have extra height to get over the tops of your lawn, even if you haven’t mowed for several days.
• Raise your sprinkler heads. Over time, the soil level in your lawn can rise due to the decomposition of plant material or the accumulation of dirt/dust. Eventually, this will cause your sprinkler heads to become buried deeper and unable to reach above the blades of grass. Raising your sprinkler heads can get them reset at the proper level to improve coverage. Just be careful not to raise them so much that they are in danger of being hit by your lawnmower!

Watering During or After Rainfall: Smart Solutions

One of the most common problems we see is irrigation systems running in the rain or immediately after significant rainfall. This is not only an irresponsible use of a precious resource, but too much water can be harmful to your lawn!

What you can do:

• Install a Smart controller. It has now become very cost-effective to install smart, Wi-Fi-based controllers that can make automatic adjustments to your watering schedule based on the weather conditions. These controllers essentially become a virtual weather station and have been found to save an average of 30%-50% of your water without sacrificing the health of your lawn simply by making those real-time adjustments. However, most of these controllers only update once per day, leaving some room for error, especially in Kansas with our rapidly changing weather.
• Install a physical rain sensor. A physical rain sensor will provide a real-time fail-safe that will mechanically interrupt your irrigation system in the event of rainfall of ⅛ inches or more, based on your settings. These may require some minimal maintenance to ensure functionality from year to year.

Final Thoughts: Maintain a Full Lawn with Proper Irrigation Care

Maintaining a healthy, well-watered lawn starts with a properly designed and maintained irrigation system. By understanding common issues—like dry spots, low pressure, wasted water, low or crooked heads, and overwatering—you can take proactive steps to prevent costly problems and keep your lawn looking its best.

Whether you’re planning a new installation or need help optimizing an existing system, our Sprinkler & Irrigation Services team can design, repair, or maintain a system tailored to your lawn. With the right expertise and regular maintenance, your irrigation system will conserve water, prevent common issues, and ensure a lush, green lawn that you can enjoy all season long.