Repairing a sprinkler system can be very fun but also it is sometimes very challenging.
Troubleshooting a sprinkler system was not always a straightforward as it seems. Although sprinkler systems do not have very many parts, It can still sometimes be very tricky to find the problem. When it comes to irrigation Tulsa components there can be multiple things that could go wrong.
Sometimes you’ll realize that one thing is not working but the Sprinkler Repair Tulsa cause is something else entirely. For example, you may notice that a valve or zone is not working and assume that there’s a problem with the valve. Once you start to look at the valve you may find that there’s nothing wrong with it and start to wonder.
If there is no problem with the actual valve would probably check the solenoid and see that it appears to be dead. After you replace the solenoid you see that it’s still working and realize that solenoid isn’t getting power. Then, the home owner decides to tell you they forgot that they had some landscaping done recently and you realize that there is probably a break in the wire that runs from the controller to each zone valve.
Finding this break can be hard at times. Sometime you will get lucky and there will be extra wires left from the wire run in the controller.
Assuming that these extra wires aren’t broken too, this allows you to replace the old broken wire with the new unused one and just connect or to the valve and back to the controller in the corresponding zone port. Sometimes a Sprinkler Repair Tulsa customer will call and report that their whole system or zone seems to have lost some or most of the pressure.
Again there could be several different things to cause this issue. I would first run through the whole system paying attention to each zone taking note of which one aren’t working or performing poorly. As you walk around look at each head. Make sure that the heads all work the way they should. If the heads are the style that pop up with a spray nozzles or maybe MP rotators, make sure they full pop up.
This sounds simple but you also need to make sure they slip up and down easily. Meaning, sometimes they are just stuck due to not being used in a while.
Sometimes, these heads will slide right up but some times they are hard to pull up and also hard to press down. This could mean that there is a bad seal in the head and that the head should be replaced. Another sign that the head is bad is there could be a lot of water leaking from the head.
This is another sign the seal is bad. If these things aren’t the cause or even if it is, continue walk the system as it runs and charco all the heads and look for pools of water.
It’s a good idea to run through all the zones more than one time if you’re having trouble locating issues. The longer the system or zone runs the better chances you have to show a leak If there is one. If you can narrow the issues down to one or two zones, be sure to check the valves to make sure they are fully opening and closing. It’s Important to always start with the most simple sprinkler repair Tulsa fix possible to save time and also money!
To Install or to Repair?
There are a lot of things to know and consider when deciding whether you should install an irrigation system to supply water more efficiently to your lawn and garden or flower bed. Trying to figure these things out on your own can be incredibly difficult and confusing to even an experienced irrigation technician.
Overall the short answer is yes, you should definitely install an automated system simply because it saves so much time and money. Stop dragging hoses all over the yard and wasting all your time and money. The study’s actually says that almost half of the water used when watering by hand is actually wasted and lost to evaporation and runoff. Also, the average person choosing to hand water will more often over water or underwater, causing you to waste your time or money and even both.
Underwatering is obviously an issue because the time spent was wasted, and in some sense, the water was wasted cause you didn’t apply enough water to do the job anyways. Overwatering is terrible as well, and maybe worse for a few reasons. Overwatering is a massive waste of water, and in some places in the US, there are laws and regulations dealing with water conservation. Also, overwatering can kill the plants or grass by flooding, which actually suffocates and prevents grass from getting the amount of oxygen needed.
When speaking of over-watering, we mentioned runoff; in runoff, the surplus of water not only floods the area but also washes away vital nutrients that are in the soil that is needed to plant or grass health. There are some plants that benefit from hand watering; however, it’s essential to know what you are doing to be effective and avoiding these mistakes. Squash plants are one of these plants. However, an automatic drip irrigation system will work great for these plants; it is vital to know that squash plants, like many others, that shouldn’t be watered from above.
Meaning if their leaves get soaked, they drop and lay down, growing fungus and diseases. There are several different types of grass, and with that, there are additional watering requirements needed. Another factor is the type of soil the grass is rooted in. Knowing the kind of dirt or soil is a very important factor to understand due to a thing called capillary action. Capillary action is described as the horizontal movement of the water applied to the area. For example, there are specific areas where the soil is very sandy.
Sandy soil will absorb the water much faster and deeper. This can cause issues that we spoke of earlier. Over-watering this type of soil can cause there to be a significant loss of washed out nutrients. On the other hand, if under watering, the water will absorb much deeper than the active root zone, which is the depth at which the plants extracts the water that is needed causing the plants not to get enough water. Clay soil, on the other hand, is very different.
If you are curious if your system is over or under watering, you can call one of our sprinkler repair Tulsa techs to come out and check for you.
The absorption rate of clay is much slower than sandy soil, and if too much water is applied at one time, the water is quickly lost to runoff and or evaporation. Calling a professional to get an automated system is the easiest way to avoid these mistakes, as automated systems can be programmed and designed specifically for your watering needs.
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Installing an automated irrigation system
Installing an automated irrigation system Tulsa can be simple when talking about the initial construction and components. However, there is so much more to it. The design process is the most important part if the installation. There so so many faction to consider when trying to design and figure out the best way to install and layout a sprinkler system.
It’s highly advised to hire a professional sprinkler repair Tulsa tech. Some states or cities often require permits to begin digging. When hiring a professional, you avoid liability of any mistakes that could be made which will save you so much time money and avoid the headaches of the consequences that can follow. The design process will take in account of all the important factors that many people do not think about or consider.
Some of these factors are the type of grass, the type of grass matters because different species of grass need different amounts of water to live. Also, things like the type of soil; this matter because not all dirt has the same absorption rate. Absorption rate factors how much time it takes the the applied water to actually soak into the ground.
This is important to know so that you can determine how often to water and how much to water at one time to avoid over and under watering. Under and over watering is a common problem; under watering is exactly just that, not supplying enough water to the area, which causes areas to die and ultimately leads to a waste of money and water.
Over watering is more than just over watering. Over watering is also a waste of water because much of the water is either lost to evaporation or in the form of run off. Run off also will was away the vital nutrients 
that the area needs to survive while also suffocating grass by restricting the supply of oxygen needed.
These are all things that a professional sprinkler repair Tulsa will consider for you. Once the design process is completed and approved, your contractor will contact the city to have all the buried utilities marked before they begin to dig anything. Most of the time a home’s important utilities, such as water sewer and electric, will be much deeper than the irrigation system, most cities will require it.
Things like phone, cable and internet will be the utilities that are in the way because they are usually very shallow. Once all this is marked the contractor will begin trenching for all the pipes to the areas or zones they belong, starting from the water meter. A well designed sprinkler repair Tulsa system will be six to 12 inches deep and will include a manual shut of valve to assist in maintenance of the system in the future as well as being able to properly winterize the system. This is extremely important in most all systems but especially in colder climates like the northern US.
From the after meter to the shut of valve the system should be ran to a backflow. The backflow device prevents the water that has made it to the system from making its way back into the drinking water. Water that makes it into the system can become contaminated with fertilizers or other bacteria that is not safe to drink.
Many states make this a requirement as well as requires special percents to even perform maintenance. After the backflow the system will be ran to all the different control valves. Each ares that is to be watered are typically referred to as a zone. Each zone will have its own valves that allows or restricts the water to the sprinkler heads.
This is important because different areas can require different amounts of water. A general rule is that flower beds and lawn zones should be separated for this reason. Also to make sure there is enough water pressure to effectively supply water to and through the sprinkler heads.