How To Troubleshoot Sprinkler System Pressure Problems

[@tfjlcf]

My girlfriend was quoted $7500 for a new sprinkler system. The problem was low water pressure in every zone. After watching this video I checked the gate valve and found that it was only partially open. I opened the valve all the way and all of the zones work perfectly now. Thank you so much!

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Great! Thanks for the comment!

[@spuddy_bud]

Thank you for being clear and explaining this subject. I have an automatic sprinkler system with 4 zones and my water source is ditch water and is supplied from my HOA. My annual HOA fees pay for the use of this ditch water. The HOA supplies ditch water to each property that is pressurized and each property has a brass shut-off valve to turn water off to the property. This brass shut-off valve is located in the front yard and in the corner of the property where the phone pedestal, cable pedestal, etc. are located. This brass shut-off valve is the point of where the responsibility of the HOA ends and the responsibility of the home owner begins. From this brass shut-off valve my water is carried into my property in a 1 1/4 inch PVC line and before my manifold I have a hose faucet followed by a brass gate valve and then the inline "Y" filter. On the discharge side of the filter this 1 1/4 inch PVC line is reduced to 1 inch and this goes into my manifold. All four valves are 1 inch and the water line coming out of each valve is 1 inch. Since there are numerous properties "sharing" this water at any given time the flow rate and pressure can fluctuate throughout the day. I have my timer set to start watering at 8 pm as this is the time when no one else near me is using water. My flow rate is 6 GPM and the pressure is 20 PSI. As a result, my sprinklers underperform and are anemic in their water distribution on the lawn. Each zone has between 6 and 8 sprinklers. I have determined that the piping in each zone is working properly and that there are no brakes in the piping. The 1 1/4 inch line may or may-not have a brake in the line. I have yet to determine what the status of this line is. My house is on a cul-de-sac and all my neighbors have thick lush green lawns. My lawn is not in the same league as my neighbors. Therefore, my problem seems to be with my system and not with the HOA water. The brass shut-off valve at the front of the property does open and close as I have tested this. This valve is open as far as it can open. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this issue?

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

As much as we'd like to be able to give you a definitive answer, our advice would be to contact a qualified irrigation technician to audit the system. If you have a Ewing branch in your area, you can contact them for a referral. Thanks for watching! www.ewingoutdoorsupply.com/locations

[@sdm011360]

good video, nice to see some more technical problems being addressed.

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

We appreciate the comment! Thanks for watching!

[@millrdge3]

Thanks, this is a very useful and educational video clip to get a fundamental understanding of a irrigation system.

[@walkertongdee]

What he is describing as a pressure problem is NOT a pressure problem but a flow problem. The gate valve was allowing pressure, but it was partially closed not allowing enough flow to feed the system.

[@doug2993]

good point. probably using layman's terms for the average joe.

[@knighttrain7916]

Flow and pressure are related. If there is a restriction in the system it will not only reduce the flow but it will also reveal itself in the form of additional friction loss. That is what the pressure gauge is telling us.

[@irrigationdynamics]

Good stuff, Jeffrey. I once had a double check that was losing 30 psi from one end to the other.

[@NASICKK]

Thank you so so much you just saved me money of sprinklers tech. The issue was my main line was on %70 lol. I just turned it full.

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

You are welcome!

[@wstt4]

I asked this in another video too. How do I test the water pressure going to my irrigation system and its water flow? Testing at the spigot wouldn’t be accurate as the spigot is connected to my house and likely after a regulator, and my irrigation line branches directly off the main water supply line before it comes to the house.

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

If you have a backflow device installed, you can test the pressure as we did in this video. You can also take pressure readings at the last head in each line to see if its sufficient to operate that head as show in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGS2o4Bpatycmq8 This article from Rain Bird should help you with testing water flow. Good luck! www.rainbird.com/irrigation-design-tip-water-supply

[@biggus6633]

Do all pressure gauges fit those test cocks or do we need different adapters for different test cocks/pressure gauges?

[@zacjesgarz5275]

What is the purpose of the backfill device? Do most people’s inground irrigation systems have something comparable?

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks for watching Zac! We have a video about backflow devices that should answer your questions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pX6upZque8uiqNU&ab_channel=EwingIrrigation%26LandscapeSupply

[@traceyerway6134]

Really helpful and well organized video

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!

[@joseph-ine452]

Interesting. I’m having issues with most stations comes low at most of times.

[@mykimikes]

What about too much pressure. Seeing water hammer when sprinklers turn on. Would closing the gate valve help slow it down?

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

If you close down the gate valve you will also reduce the flow of water. This may result in a zone that doesn't have sufficient flow to operate the heads properly. This blog post has some information that may be useful to you. blog.ewingirrigation.com/how-to-shield-irrigation-systems-from-water-hammer Thanks for watching!

[@irrigationedu904]

Great video Jeffrey.

[@jodyblanton7606]

Any thoughts about pressure loss when water is supplied by a private well? System worked fine for 13 years and last season not all heads were popping up to water sufficiently.

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

You can contact our Pump Pro hotline at 1-844-PUMP-PRO to see if they can help you. If you have a Ewing branch near you, you can also contact them for a contractor referral to diagnose the problem. www.ewingirrigation.com/locations Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@josevelez7539]

Very good and useful information!

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Glad it was helpful!

[@andytang5187]

Hello there. Just want to share my problem with my sprinkler now. I have a multiple-zone sprinkler and every station is working properly except one. This station will works when you run it manually for “second time”. For example, if you run that station manually the first time, heads will not pop out. Then turn it off and run second time, it will start working. Then, if you turn off it and try to run third time, not working. Basically it’s like one time working and the other will not, looping… Do you have any thoughts what will be problem?

[@kazamical]

I have this same problem on multiple zones. did you ever figure it out?

[@doug2993]

If the diaphram hole is white plastic, this enlarges over time and has the valve caught between being on and trying to turn off. They now make the diaphram hole out of metal to prevent this. So the problem could be as simple as replacing the diaphram.

[@Diycanada560]

The sprinkler head does pop up just a little bit. I have to push down on the head twice so it can pop up completely and start watering. It was working fine last summer and the pressure looks fine. I have air pressed the tubing to prevent bursting during the winter. Is it the sprinkler who might be broken?

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

You can remove the cap and internals to inspect for debris that may be obstructing movement. You can also just replace the internals with those from a new head of the same model to see if that solves the problem. It's also a good idea to flush the zone first before replacing the internal components. Thanks for watching!

[@rajivsingh1999]

Thank you, this was very informative and educational along with being hands on. Just what I needed to know

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks for watching!

[@HeavyHookSet14]

Doesnt the pressure loss vary upon the size of the valve? If so what is the amount of loss for a 3/4 inch dual check valve backflow preventer?

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Yes, the pressure can vary depending on valve type, size and flow. Check out the flow charts at the bottom of this document from Watts for details. You can also take pressure readings at the first and last test cocks on the backflow to determine the actual loss for the valve you are working with. Thanks for the question! media.wattswater.com/c-febco.pdf

[@OGRH]

@@ewingoutdoorsupply since he didn’t like your reply I’ll do it for him! People can be selfish! Don’t let that stop your sharing!

[@singhdhami7053]

Thanks for info. Good video

[@Jshuang2000]

The rule of thumb for pressure lost really help!

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Glad we could help!

[@Jake98Cob]

Fantastic video! Thank you for sharing

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks for watching! We appreciate the comment!

[@johnsheley7770]

Excellent video.

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks for watching!

[@Ernie23777]

Great video, thank you

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks for watching!

[@swimbait1]

Good video thanks

[@bianettelacreme5435]

Great inside thanks

[@saeed6811]

You forgot to mention the friction loss due to pipe length, diameter etc. Friction loss in a 1 inch line is not similar to that in a 2 inch line at the same given head pressure.

[@robertdobbin3343]

Great sight

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Thanks Robert!

[@gergelyszabo9225]

1 font = 0,06 BAR???

[@mikes6301]

Can I hire you to check my system out?😁

[@ewingoutdoorsupply]

Haha! Thanks for watching , Mike!