Partially blocked lawn sprinkler line -- how to unblock and how to prevent in future

Our sprinkler system has many daisy-chained sprinklers -- not the way to do it, I understand, but that's the way they were.

A week or two ago I managed to chew up a sprinkler with the mower, and when I unscrewed the damaged sprinkler dirt and stones fell into the Tee. I cleared away all I could reach, then turned on the water to blow out the rest. Unfortunately, it seems as though some continued straight on -- toward the next sprinkler -- instead of blowing out from the one I was working on. Now there is barely a trickle from that next sprinkler.

What would be the best way to clear the line? It's 3/4-in poly pipe. I've thought of unscrewing that next sprinkler and trying to push stiff wire back along the pipe, but is there a better way?

And is there a good way to prevent the problem in future? How does one stop dirt and stones falling into the open line?

Perce

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy
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I'd try removing the offending head, then turn the water on briefly. The heads typically have a screen at the entrance, that could be the problem too. Some heads, eg rotor type, you can unscrew the head from the shell, remove it, without removing the shell from the ground. That can help avoid getting new dirt in there. It's always a problem when you have a hole and are working on the pipes and wind up with water filling the hole.

Reply to
trader_4

Drag a hose out there and blow back the other way. You might have to break the line to clear it and put it back together. It might just be one big rock.

Reply to
gfretwell

I just tried blowing water back, but without success.

And when I said in the original message, "Now there is barely a trickle from that next sprinkler." I should have said, "There is barely a trickle from the next sprinkler body even when the popup is removed."

Perce

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy

Do you have an electrical fish wire/tape (or whatever they are called these days)?

Reply to
Taxed and Spent

If normal water turned on won't clear it and blowing it won't I guess it's time for a small snake.

Reply to
trader_4

If its a popup, you should be able to just remove the head or cap. Then just turn the sprinklers on and take a spring clamp to the pop up sleeve so that it doesn't retract when you turn the water off, then replace the head after you've blown it out

Reply to
ChairMan

I do have an electrician's fish tape, but the folded-back end is too large to get round the corner of the Tee. I was able to poke a piece of

10-ga wire around the bend and the problem at that location is solved. But then the next sprinkler after that was not working either; it's at the end of the "daisy chain" and is fed through the side, which has a smaller opening: From the inside -- after unscrewing the MaxiPaw mechanism -- I could feel a pebble wedged against it, but I was able to undo the side connection and unblock the line.

Perce

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy

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