If your sprinkler casing keeps breaking, find out what the problem might be.
Does your sprinkler casing keep breaking? Have you tried to discover the reason, but for some reason are still a bit stumped? If you answered yes to either of these questions, discover why your sprinkler casing might continue to break.
Top Reasons Why Sprinkler Casings Break
There are several reasons why a sprinkler casing could break. The two most common reasons sprinkler casings break are freezing and mechanical damage. High water pressure is seldom the reason for casing failure.
- If you live in an area of the country that has severe winter weather conditions, then the most likely culprit is freezing. Damage from freezing can be prevented by having your sprinkler system winterized when you shut it down in the fall. To have your system winterized, contact a local irrigation contractor, many offer this as a service and combine it with a system start-up in the spring. To winterize the sprinkler system, the contractor will blow compressed air through the system to remove any water that is left in the pipes. This should be done by a professional, as damage to your sprinkler system could occur if this procedure is done incorrectly.
- Mechanical damage is the most common cause for sprinkler casing breakage. Mechanical damage occurs when lawn mowers and/or vehicles come in contact with sprinklers. Most lawn mower damage occurs when sprinkler heads are not set at the proper grade. If the sprinkler head is set in the ground too high it can be damaged by the lawn mower blades or a riding lawn mower wheel. Sprinkler heads that are set along driveways or too near roadways can be damaged by vehicular traffic.
- To prevent mechanical damage, make sure your sprinkler heads are installed on a flexible connection such as Swing Pipe or use a triple swing joint and are set at the proper grade. There are also protection devices such as sprinkler donuts that can be used to protect sprinklers from vehicular traffic.
Final Thoughts
The good news is that almost all sprinkler casing damage is preventable, but occasionally the errant sprinkler head will meet the lawn mower blade. Unfortunately the lawn mower blade always wins. When this is the case, go to Irrigation Outlet to find a complete inventory of replacement sprinkler parts and accessories.
