Leaking Rotary or Popup Heads

Where is the sprinkler head?

Often times, sprinkler systems on a slope have a leaking sprinkler head at the bottom part of the slope*.  This is due to the inordinate amount of water pressure that is on that lowest head, causing the seal to leak.  Other problems exist when heads are placed too high or too close to heavy traffic and are broken (this could mean that you need to bury the head deeper), causing water to be wasted, puddling, algae, or depressurizing the zone on which it is attached.  This depressurization can cause lack of coverage and lead to the decline of your lawn due to lack of sufficient moisture.

Leaky sprinkler nozzle?

Another common problem is a leaky nozzle which would call for a simple replacement of the nozzle.  Any of these problems can cause a soggy lawn, which will eventually lead to bare spots.

How to replace sprinkler heads that leak

To replace a leaking sprinkler head, you must first make sure that the control panel is in the "off" position.  Once the timer is off, you can then remove the head by turning it counter clockwise, loosening it from the elbow fitting below the ground.  Remove the old head and replace with a new head turning the new head clockwise and tightening it slightly.  You will then need to turn the head to align it with whichever side is fixed (Rainbird's fixed position is the left side but Hunter Brand is fixed to the right side) and in the direction you want the fixed side to spray.  Once the fixed side is aligned, you can then set the adjustable or variable side of the spray path to the desired angle.

*Note: if attempting to fix a problem as described above, you may need to insert a special gasket in the head which prevents the excess pressure from opening the seal.

Need help?

We are professionals at fixing leaking rotary or popup sprinkler heads.  Give us a call at 803-331-5351 and we can take care of all of this for you!