sprinkler heads sticking

[BernSox]

Hello. I've got 2 problems to tackle:

1. I'm having trouble with a handful of my pop-up (4" I believe) sprinkler heads not popping up. When I pull them up they stay up and spray through the cycle, but then they still have trouble popping up the next time it runs. This is true of various heads on different zones. I've wiped down the shafts and even sprayed 3in1 oil, but they're still sticking. They all seem to go back down fine after the cycle completes (albeit a couple with a long delay).

1. Some of the sprinklers are popping up at slight angles, so the spray isn't optimal anymore. Been about 7 years since the system was installed, so I assume the ground has simply settled and moved the underlying piping to this scewed angle. Should I just dig down to the sprinkler base and gently twist the angle back to optimal, or should this be left to a professional?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Water pressure? Yes you can reposition the head after digging up. Try to run the system early in the morning or late in the evening when water pressure will be higher. Mine is set to run in at 5:00 AM. Anyhow pressure here is at least 60 psi. Pressure has to overcome the spring inside to pop the head. If there is a leak it'll be sluggish.

[Alan]

The previous answer is good, but if the pop-ups are really old, why not replace them at the time of digging down to the old pipe? The new gear driven pop-ups are better in many ways than the old pop-ups. I was able to actually reduce the total number of sprinklers in half, as the adjustable gear driven units put out a lot of water, while they turn slowly and quietly. Today's home sprinkler systems are designed for the home owner to install themself, in my opinion. In my case, I even rented a trench digger from Home Depot and completed the digging in day by myself! Then, I put in all new lines and abandoned the old galvanized ones put in 30 years or more ago. Today, everything is plastic with few tools required, and electronic componentry fully explained in user manuals for homeowners.

BernSox wrote: