Hurst Lawn Care: Sprinkler Issues & Quick Fixes
A healthy, vibrant lawn is the pride of many homeowners—and keeping it that way often depends on a well-maintained sprinkler system. At Hurst Sprinkler Repair, we understand how crucial your automatic sprinkler is for keeping your grass lush and green. When your system isn’t working right, it can quickly lead to brown patches, wasted water, and high utility bills. That’s where our expertise comes in: we’re dedicated to making sure your sprinklers run efficiently and your lawn looks its best.
Understanding the common problems that can affect your sprinkler system helps you spot trouble early. At Hurst Sprinkler Repair, we’re here to help you identify and address four frequent issues: worn-out seals, cracked pipes, electrical failures, and timer malfunctions. We’ll explain why these problems happen, how they impact your system, and what you can do to fix them—with expert support from our team—so your lawn stays beautiful all season long.
Worn-Out Seals: The Silent Leakers
Every sprinkler head contains seals and O-rings that prevent water from leaking out when the system is not in use. Over time, these small but crucial components can degrade due to constant pressure, sun exposure, and general wear and tear.
How They Affect Your System
When a seal wears out, it creates an opening for water to escape. You might notice this as a constant puddle of water around a specific sprinkler head long after the system has shut off. This is often called “low-head drainage.” While it might seem like a minor drip, it can have significant consequences.
The constant leaking wastes a surprising amount of water, which directly impacts your monthly water bill. Furthermore, the area around the leaking head becomes oversaturated. This can lead to fungal growth, root rot, and an unhealthy patch of lawn. It can also reduce the overall pressure in your system, causing other sprinkler heads to perform poorly.
Why Prompt Repair is Essential
Ignoring a worn-out seal is like letting a leaky faucet drip—it adds up. Addressing this issue promptly saves water, prevents damage to your lawn, and ensures your system operates at peak efficiency. Replacing a seal is often a quick and inexpensive fix, but it makes a big difference in the health of your landscape and your wallet.
Cracked Pipes: The Hidden Problem
Your sprinkler system relies on a network of underground pipes to deliver water to each zone. These pipes are typically made of PVC or poly and are quite durable. However, they are not invincible. Cracks can develop for several reasons, and since the pipes are buried, the problem isn’t always immediately obvious.
What Causes Pipes to Crack?
- Freezing Weather: If water is left in the pipes during a hard freeze, it expands and can easily crack the PVC. This is why winterizing your system is so important.
- Root Intrusion: Tree and shrub roots are naturally drawn to water sources. They can wrap around pipes and, as they grow, exert enough pressure to crush or crack them.
- Ground Shifting: Soil can shift and settle over time, putting stress on the underground pipes and causing them to break.
- Accidental Damage: Shovels, tillers, and other landscaping equipment can accidentally strike and damage a shallow pipe.
The Impact of a Cracked Pipe
A cracked underground pipe can cause major problems. You might notice a sudden drop in water pressure, meaning your sprinklers don’t pop up fully or spray as far as they should. You may also see unusually green or soggy patches in your lawn, sinkholes, or even bubbling water coming up from the ground. A significant crack can waste thousands of gallons of water in a short time, leading to a shocking water bill.
Promptly repairing a cracked pipe is critical to prevent extensive water loss and potential damage to your lawn’s root system and even your home’s foundation. Locating and repairing an underground leak requires expertise and the right tools to minimize disruption to your yard.
Electrical Failures: The Communication Breakdown
Modern sprinkler systems are a blend of plumbing and low-voltage electrical components. The controller, or timer, sends electrical signals through wires to the solenoid on each valve, telling it when to open and close. If any part of this electrical pathway fails, the system stops working as intended.
Common Electrical Issues
Electrical problems can be tricky to diagnose. The issue could be a faulty controller, a bad solenoid, or a cut or damaged wire somewhere in your yard. Wires can be accidentally cut during digging, chewed by pests, or corrode over time at connection points. Power surges can also damage the delicate circuitry inside the controller.
When an electrical failure occurs, one or more zones might not turn on at all. In other cases, a zone might not shut off, leading to severe overwatering. You might have a perfectly functional controller, but if the signal can’t reach the valve, nothing will happen.
Why You Need a Professional
Troubleshooting electrical issues in a sprinkler system requires a multimeter and a solid understanding of low-voltage systems. Guesswork can lead to more damage or unnecessary replacement of parts. A professional technician can quickly trace the wiring, test the solenoids, and pinpoint the exact source of the failure, ensuring a safe and effective repair.
Timer Malfunctions: The Brain of the Operation
The sprinkler timer, or controller, is the brain of your entire irrigation system. It stores your watering schedules and ensures each zone gets the right amount of water at the right time. When the timer malfunctions, your entire watering strategy falls apart.
What Goes Wrong with Timers?
Timers can fail for several reasons. Older models may simply wear out. Power surges from lightning strikes are a common cause of controller failure, frying the internal components. Sometimes, the issue is not a broken timer but incorrect programming. It’s easy to accidentally set the wrong start times, run times, or watering days, especially with more complex modern controllers.
A malfunctioning timer can cause your sprinklers to run at odd hours, water on the wrong days, or not run at all. One of the worst-case scenarios is when a timer gets stuck in a loop, causing one zone to run continuously until it’s manually shut off. This not only floods your lawn but can also result in an astronomical water bill.
Getting Your Schedule Back on Track
If your watering schedule seems off, first double-check the programming on your controller. Refer to your user manual to ensure all settings are correct. If the display is blank, it won’t respond to commands, or it behaves erratically despite correct programming, the unit likely needs to be repaired or replaced. A professional can help you select and install a new, efficient controller that fits your needs and program it for optimal water conservation.
Don’t Let Sprinkler Problems Ruin Your Lawn
A well-maintained sprinkler system is a key investment in your home’s curb appeal and value. When issues like worn seals, cracked pipes, electrical faults, or timer malfunctions arise, addressing them quickly is the best way to save water, money, and your beautiful lawn.
While some minor fixes can be a DIY project, most sprinkler repairs require specialized knowledge and tools. If you’re facing a sprinkler issue you can’t solve, don’t hesitate to call in the experts.
Is your sprinkler system acting up? Contact Hurst Sprinkler Repair today. Our experienced technicians can diagnose and fix any problem, ensuring your system runs efficiently and your lawn stays healthy and green. Schedule your service call now!