Your sprinkler system automates the watering and maintenance of your landscape, helping to save time and money. However, like all outdoor installations, a combination of weather exposure and constant use can cause your sprinkler system to degrade over time, leading to reduced effectiveness of your sprinklers and potentially even damage to your landscape. Being conscious of what the most common symptoms associated with sprinkler damage are and what they indicate can help you quickly identify issues as they show up so that you can have a contractor address them before they are able to cause a significant amount of damage.
Standing Water and Flooding
One of the clearest signs that your sprinkler system is no longer fulfilling its function properly is standing water or flooding in any areas of your yard, especially if that occurs when the sprinklers are not even turned on. This can indicate that your sprinklers are distributing too much water into a specific area, which can damage your landscape, or that a leak has developed in the pipes or in one of the sprinkler heads of your system, which can cause erosion and landscape damage in addition to causing your utility bills to increase substantially.
Dead and Dry Grass
Another related sign that there is an issue with your sprinkler system's performance is areas of your yard completely drying out, especially in cases where the grass has completely died. This either indicates that your sprinklers have lost water pressure and are unable to fully cover the area of your lawn or that your sprinkler heads have become clogged with dirt and debris and need to be cleared out to continue to function properly. In rare cases, the pipes themselves may have become clogged, which can require a replacement of the affected piece of plumbing.
Sputtering
You should get in touch with a landscaping contractor as soon as you notice that your sprinkler heads are sputtering when they turn on. This points to air in the pipes, which can either be a pressure issue or can indicate that there is a leak somewhere in the supply lines. In either case, sputtering can affect how well your sprinklers are able to deliver water to the surrounding area, as certain areas may receive more water than others – leading to damage to your landscape and plants.
Learn more about sprinkler systems from a landscaping company such as Estate Landscape.
