Las Vegas sprinkler repair

Las Vegas sprinkler repair

Why Las Vegas sprinkler repair?

Doing your own Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Las Vegas sprinkler repair can sometimes be handled by homeowners themselves. If you have a drip system for your landscape, invariably you will have to make repairs to it. Sprinkler repair for drip lines is not complicated as you don’t need pipe glue at all. It is all held in place with barbed fittings which works due to a pressure reducer at the beginning of the system.

Most of the Las Vegas sprinkler repair you will see will be when a drip line blows off of the larger hose. If the drip emitter or line has blown off of the hose, the hole is likely frayed and I wouldn’t use it again. Instead, use a goof plug to plug the hole and poke a new hole into the tube and reinstall the drip line. This is just part of sprinkler repair Las Vegas.

If a drip emitter has blown off of a micro tube, you may be able to push the emitter back in, or if the tube is stretched out a bit, you may have to trim the tube slightly before pushing the emitter back in.

Occasionally, a ½” fitting will separate and leak. I see this with “T” fittings more often than straight fittings. The barbed sleeve will separate from the fitting and leak. I would replace the fitting. You will need to remove the broken fitting from the tubing by pulling as you twist it off of the pipe. There really isn’t a lot of options here as there is not much play in the tubing for you to cut it and hope that it will still be long enough to connect.

If you have a patch of dry brown grass, you probably need some Las Vegas sprinkler repair. If your grass was green and lush previously, you need to figure out what happened to make it turn brown. Start off checking the sprinkler system.

Turn on the sprinkler valve (either manually or by the automatic irrigation timer) that controls that section of grass. Check to see that the sprinkler heads all pop up and spray correctly. In many cases the sprinkler head is clogged with debris and although it stands up, it doesn’t spray. It may also be that that the riser (the threaded nipple that connects the sprinkler head to the PVC elbow) is cracked and causing a puddle when you turn the sprinklers on. If this is the case, the sprinkler head will usually wobble when you try to move it around. If you find this difficult, contact Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Depending on the type of sprinkler head, you may be able to unscrew the top and turn the water back on to blow out the debris, without calling Las Vegas sprinkler repair You may also need to pick out the debris from the spray opening. Otherwise, unscrew the entire sprinkler head and turn the water on to blow out any debris in the line. Clean out the head and screw it back on and test it.

If the riser is broken, you will need to replace it after you remove the broken one. You may be able to grab it with pliers, or you may have to use an extractor. Cut the new one to length and screw it in.

When you have the sprinkler head and riser out, be careful not to let dirt and debris enter the system from the surrounding turf.

If you lift up the cover to your sprinkler valves and they are covered with water you likely have a leak at a sprinkler valve, or maybe a fitting. If this sprinkler repair is at the sprinkler valve, it typically will be in the top of the valve. This is where the mechanics of the valve are. The bottom of the valve is just housing, but the top contains the diaphragm, solenoid, wiring and screws.

If you can isolate which valve is the problem, without calling Las Vegas sprinkler repair, rather than replacing the entire valve, buy a exact replacement for that valve and just replace the top half of it. This will save lots of gluing and problems due to the cramped area you are working in. The valves are usually placed so close together that you can’t replace one without disturbing the others. So by just replacing the top of the valve, you are basically getting a new valve (at least the mechanics) without the hassle of actually digging and cutting.

Make sure after you replace to top half that you tighten all of the screws to the same torque. In many cases, it will create a pressure imbalance that will prohibit the diaphragm from sealing and stopping the flow of water.

Before you call Las Vegas sprinkler repair, isolate where the leak is. This might require a little bit of digging, often where the water is coming out of the ground is not always the source of the leak. Once you have isolated the leak, turn off the water to that line, or area. Make sure you buy the correct diameter repair pipe and couplers. PVC pipe often has information about size and test-strength printed up and down the sides.

Dig a reasonable work space around and under the break, as you will want a bit of “play” or movement in the PVC in order to achieve a rock-solid tight fit with your repair. Clean out as much water, mud and dirt as possible. Approximately 4 to 6 inches on each side of the break, cut the pipe with a PVC cutter and be sure to wipe both ends clean of any mud (outside and inside). Paper towel can be stuffed into the end of the pipe to prevent dirt/mud from re-entering. If the pipe cracks when trying to cut it, place a small amount of PVC primer to the spot where the blade touches the pipe and let it sit for a couple of seconds before applying pressure to the cutter. This will soften the pipe and make it easier to cut without cracking. Remove the broken pipe but save for future subsequent steps, in case you need some professional Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Using purple primer and the brush that comes with it, prime the outside of both of the remaining sprinkler pipe ends by painting a 1-2 inch wide strip around the outside of each pipe end starting at the lip/edge. Prime the inside of 2 straight couplers. Attach a coupler to each pipe end by applying a coat of glue on outside of the pipe end and also to the inside of a coupler. Working quickly, firmly slide the coupler onto the pipe edge using a twisting motion, pushing hard until the pipe hits the lip inside the center of the coupler. Hold the coupler in place with pressure for 30-60 seconds. The clear glue dries in approximately 10 seconds and the blue glue in approximately 20 seconds so you must work quickly. Repeat for the other pipe end, before calling Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Cut a piece of repair pipe to fit the length of the cut you made in the sprinkler line, minus approximately 1/2″ or more for each straight coupler used (the coupler adds approximately 1/2 inch to the length of the finished pipe). To determine the length of the repair pipe, measure from the middle of one straight coupler to the other using a tape measure. If you don’t have a tape measure, lay a piece of pipe down into the trench and measure it by eye, marking with a pen or pencil for your cut.

Fit the cut piece into the couplers dry, to be sure that the fit is correct and that the resulting pipe is not bowed, from the replacement piece being too long.

Take apart  and make any necessary adjustments, until the resulting fit is perfect. If not, call Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Prime both ends of your cut piece, wait 5 seconds, then apply a light layer of glue to one end of the replacement piece and inside one of the straight couplers. Twist pipe hard into coupler until you feel it stop. Wait at least a full minute for that to dry then apply glue to the remaining pipe-end and coupler. With your final fitting, you may have to pull hard on the sprinkler-line pipe, either to the side or up, in order to get the replacement pipe to slip into the coupler. Don’t worry, PVC is strong. Allow all fittings and joints to dry completely (3-5 minutes) before turning water back on in that line. If it does not work, call Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

With the heat of summer approaching, people in Nevada are doing Las Vegas sprinkler repair more often. You can see issues develop quickly when part of the lawn in brown and the rest is green. There are many times a handyman will see sprinkler heads that have popped up but are not spraying. This tells me that the water pressure is there to force the sprinklers up but that something is obstructing the water from actually spraying.

In this case, you can turn the sprinklers off and inspect the heads for debris. You may be able just to unscrew the sprinkler head from the riser and tap out the debris, or you may be able to poke it out of the orifice with a small paper clip, if not call Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

Other sprinkler heads are adjustable for spray pattern and distance. You can open the spray head wider to allow water to blow out the debris. If that doesn’t work, open the small screw on the top of the sprayer head to allow a higher volume of water through the head, once you have a normal flow, you can re-adjust the sprinkler head.

If you had to remove the sprinkler head from the riser, screw it back on and align it toward the area you want watered.

It may be that debris entered your system through a break in a water line and when the pressure stops, it allows small amounts of sand and debris into the system. If the above approachs do not work, call Las Vegas sprinkler repair

Las Vegas Sprinkler Repair is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Las Vegas Sprinkler System Repair

Las Vegas sprinkler system repair tips

Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas NV Nevada is critical due to the mild climate and long growing season. Because sprinkler systems consist of moving parts, and sprinkler systems in Las Vegas run most of the year, these sprinkler parts will wear out.

Now is the time to think about “tuning up” your sprinkler system as the hot, dry spring is almost upon us. April, May and June have the highest evapo-transpiration rates in the West, and require the most supplemental irrigation. Here is the quick sprinkler repair Las Vegas “tune-up” checklist…

1. Make sure your timer is set to the correct time/day. If you experienced a power interruption during the Winter, your sprinkler timer may have returned to the

default program which is generally 10 minutes per lawn sprinkler zone, set to run every day. Not only is watering every day bad for your plants, wallet and the planet in general, it also violates watering restrictions in many municipalities.  If this has happened to your controller, you need to change the backup battery in the sprinkler controller. Be sure to check if your sprinkler timer requires a rechargeable battery. If it does. and you replace it with a regular battery you can harm the controller circuitry.

2. Visually inspect each sprinkler zone. Starting with the first “zone” or section, look for:

A.  Leaking seals on worn out sprinklers. Old leaking sprinklers can not only waste a lot of water and raise your utility bill; they can steal pressure from your zones leading to a lack of proper coverage.

B. Rotors not turning. Rotors, the heads that move and throw a long distance, will eventually stop turning. Rotor heads need to turn in order to provide head to head coverage. When closed case rotors stop turning, for example Hunter PGP’s, they need to be replaced. Impact rotors like the Rain Bird Mini-Paw sometimes stop turning due to some debris in the spring mechanism. Often times this can be solved by a simple cleaning.

C. Heads to low in the turf.  This is one of the most common problems seen in St. Augustine, Bermuda or other grass types that produce thatch. As the thatch layer grows higher it begins to disrupt the spray pattern of the sprinkler head. If the spray head seems significantly low, you can replace it with a taller head. For example you can change a 4″ pop up to a 6″ pop up. If the head is only slightly lower than it needs to be you can raise it with a “riser extension” which are commonly available in all hardware stores.

D. Plants blocking spray heads.  As the landscape matures, often the sprinkler system needs to change along with it. Before drip irrigation became more common in residential sprinkler systems, a row of PVC pipes with sprinklers on top behind the shrubs was used to water both the lawn and the shrubs. In this type of irrigation design the shrubs will continue to grow higher and end up blocking the water from reaching the grass. With PVC couplings and pipe you could just raise the sprinklers, but there is a better approach. Using flexible PVC hose or “funny pipe” you can move the sprinklers in front of the shrubs into the turf. Then you can install adjustable sprinkler nozzles to throw some water back into the shrubs which are now behind the spray heads. Don’t worry if the shrubs do not receive as much water as the turf. Established shrubbery does not require as much water as does turf due to their deep root growth.

E. Clogged spray nozzles. It takes only a tiny amount of debris to clog a sprinkler nozzle. When that happens coverage suffers. If it appears to only be a slight clog it is often possible to tap on the nozzle with a screw driver handle to clear the obstruction. If this does not work then the nozzle needs to be replaced. Some spray heads come with built in nozzles that cannot be replaced such as the Hunter PS. In this case, open the adjustable nozzle all the way to a 36o degree pattern. This will sometimes flush the obstruction. If it does not, the entire spray head must be replaced.

F. Misaligned sprinkler heads. Sprinklers get out of adjustment as do most things with moving parts. Make sure that you are only watering the landscape, not the road or your patio. Straighten any lawn sprinkler heads that have tilted and are no longer straight.

3. Set individual zone run times. When discussing  Las Vegas sprinkler systems, there is no “one size fits all” equation for setting zone run times. There are to many variables such as soil conditions, sun or shade areas, and sprinkler system design efficiencies. There are some basics that we can use to determine sprinkler run times. First, rotors and sprays have different run times due to their precipitation rates. In general, rotors must run three times as long as spray heads to deliver the same amount of water over their given area. So if the spray heads run for 10 minutes then the  rotors need to run for 30 minutes. However, applying the needed amount  of water all at once can lead to other problems. If you have a dense clay soil the amount of water required by the plants will run off if applied in one application due to the poor percolation properties of clay. So rather than apply 12 minutes all at once, it would be more beneficial to apply three separate applications of four minutes each. This is accomplished by setting the controller to three separate starts times spaced closely apart. If you have four zones consisting of two spray and two rotor zones, the settings would be as follows for the above clay soil example. the spray zones would run for four minutes and the rotors for twelve minutes. This is a total system run time for all zones of  32 minutes. We can then set the sprinkler controller to start every 45 minutes in succession. We would want the last start time to finish near daybreak so our start times would be 3:30, 4;15 and 5:00 AM. This will cut down on your Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

4. Turn your controller to off.  Watering your yard with a “set it and forget” approach is not the wisest course. Water your yard only when you see signs of wilt or stress. This will promote deeper root growth and healthier turf. Over watering your landscape also promotes a variety of pest and turf diseases. More is definitely not better when it comes to Las Vegas sprinkler repair.

5. Don’t obsess over having a perfect lawn. When it comes to the national obsession over having perfect lush grass and, I believe this mentality is in need of change. We pour billions of pounds of pesticide and fertilizer on our yards every year. All of this toxic goo eventually winds up in our drinking water. I personally believe it is okay to have a weed or two in the grass. At my home I have non-irrigated buffalo grass. It thrives naturally in Nevada without any assistance from me. When it rains it’s green. When it doesn’t rain it’s brown but that’s okay. It will be green when it rains again. I do have a drip irrigation system on my flowers that I turn on occasionally when they need it. I never water my shrubs and they do just fine. Most of my plant material is either native to the State or drought tolerant. That way I have time for Las Vegas sprinkler repair

Las Vegas Sprinkler System Repair Tips is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Las Vegas sprinkler repair contractors are numerous. Due to the amount of St. Augustine turf and mild climate, sprinkler repair work abounds, which draws a lot of people into the sprinkler system business.

So, how do you know who to trust? Well, there are some indicators that you can use. Completing a lawn sprinkler county license test in Las Vegas is not that difficult. Have you taken a drivers license test in Nevada? Enough said. Look for contractors who have taken more difficult certification testing. More on this below…

The next qualification to look at is “Will the person who is certified show up to work on my sprinkler system, or will an employee of the certified person show up?” This is where the competition gets very narrow.

The “big full color whole page” companies in the Yellow phone books generally pay their “employee’s” a %25 commission to look for sprinkler system problems. This changes the employee status to an Ad Hoc “salesman” position because the more the “employee” can get out of you, the fatter their pay check. To my knowledge there are only a few Las Vegas certified sprinkler contractors in the area that meets these requirements. Hmmm, who would that be?

Here is another great question to ask; “Is your free estimate really free?” The unfortunate answer is, no. The “estimate” is “free” if you sign to do the proposed repairs on the spot. If not, you will be asked for a $75-$85 service call fee. Quite honestly, this is fair. No company can pay for trucks, wages and gas for “free”. Irrigation repair is different than fence installation. A new fence or roof will cost thousands of dollars.  Las Vegas sprinkler repair may only run $95.00. A home repair in the thousands requires an estimate, whereas a repair under $100 hardly covers the overhead. Adding a pool and need a re-design of your sprinkler system? Yes, get an estimate. If you only have a broken sprinkler head, any honest sprinkler contractor in Las Vegas can give you his price over the phone. If they can’t, keep dialing.

Check your contractor out at these links. They are national organizations that require far more education than Nevada counties require. If you can’t find their name, keep dialing.

1. Irrigation Association certification. This is a far more difficult program to complete. Those with I.A. certification have proven their commitment to the physics and science of irrigation design and water savings.
2. EPA Water Sense Partner certification.  This is an even more rigorous program. Those that are accepted are few.

Look for these indicators and you will find the Las Vegas sprinkler repair company that can meet the challenges of saving water on your sprinkler system.

Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas – Choosing Las Vegas Sprinkler Repair Contractors is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

The small garden design begins and ends with thoughtful, precise planning. However, small does not mean limited. A small garden design can still deliver a huge “wow” factor.

A small garden design comes with big challenges. Perhaps your property abuts the two-story blank wall of a neighbor’s townhouse. Maybe the space is all straight lines and right angles. Or you’ve remodeled your home, changed the elevation, added a new room and reduced the size of your backyard, all of which affect the relationship to the existing landscape.

With small garden design, as with all landscape design, the goal is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with the yard and surrounding area. First, consider the big picture-your assets and liabilities. Begin by looking at the large, possibly immoveable factors, such as trees, a long fence-line or pool equipment, and decide if they are liabilities or assets. In this way, you test the viability and capacity of the site, a determination that will help clarify your landscape design options. Landscape designers or landscape architects can bring expertise and experience to this process.

Small Garden Design is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Garden studios and garden offices are lifestyle buildings or offices that are set up in the garden. This is generally targeted towards those who wish to work out of their home but not in their home, at their own convenience.

There are multiple benefits of Garden Studios or Garden lodges. Besides the fact that it allows you to work from the comfort of your home, you also get to work in a very beautiful place as the office is built after a careful site survey. The garden surrounding your office offers you a spectacular view, as the company building your garden office will also help you design your garden as well. The garden studios can be personalized according to your needs. You can set it up in such a manner that you enter your garden office by walking through a winding walkway. The serene, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere at your garden studio will be absolutely amazing. A little bit of customization can turn your studio into a guest room or even an extra bedroom. You won’t feel the need to return to your home.

Stunning Contemporary Garden Studios is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

It was observed that the sprinkler irrigation was popular among the small land holding farmers, because of higher amount as subsidy, convenience of operation of system and its utility in saving water and unleveled land.  Mainly  Mahaveer and Jindal makes of sprinkler were popular among the farmers.  Farmers were using 7.5 hp and 10 hp pumps.  It was observed that due to higher suction and delivery heads most of the available head was consumed in lifting the water.  Therefore, the farmers were operating their systems at low pressure.  About 60 percent farmers were using the operating pressure less than 1 Kg/cm2.  Others were using their systems at an operating pressure up to 2.11 Kg/cm2 .

It was observed that due to friction with water containing some amount of sand particles, there was a wear in nozzle orifice.  This resulted in variation of radius of coverage from the rated one, some variation was also done due to incompatible nozzle sizes used by the farmers.  Jet break up index of sprinklers was compared with the calculated jet break up index., from the manufacturers performance charts.  It was found to increase with pressure.  There existed a difference between observed and expected jet break up index because of nozzle wear and improper nozzle size by the farmers.

Sprinkler Irrigation is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Most fixed garden sprinklers spray water through a pattern of holes in the top of the sprinkler. The size, shape and pattern of these holes, and water pressure, determine the area covered. Generally, they are the lowest priced sprinklers. Smaller lawn or garden areas in Orlando are watered quickly and effectively by stationary sprinklers.

Oscillating sprinklers spray multiple streams of water out of openings in a spray tube that “oscillates” back and forth, watering a rectangular pattern. Oscillators water medium to large areas and are one of the most popular designs. They are widely promoted throughout the Orlando area and, as a result, prices vary greatly.

Pulsating garden sprinklers are the most efficient and versatile because they operate on lower pressure, yet will discharge more water in a given period of time and cover a greater area than other garden sprinklers. The spray is strong and close to the ground, making it wind-resistant…this is very important in the Orlando area.

Garden Sprinklers is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Garden offices are specially designed offices set up in a person’s garden. It provides a very convenient work atmosphere for people who want to work from home. With your home just a stone’s throw away you get to experience the same comfort as working from home without the usual distractions. New mothers, a person suffering from disability, a person whose main office is very far away or even a person who just wants to work from home would be benefited from having a garden studio at home. A Garden office or lodge blends in beautifully with the garden and actually makes it more attractive. Even the materials used are eco-friendly. Not only can you use the garden office for work, but can also convert it into a guest room or an extra bedroom as and when required.

Why you Need a Professional and Secure Garden Office is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.

Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.

Make Gardening a Family Event is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas

Planning a water wise garden or landscape is as easy and fun-as planning any type of garden. Talk to the professionals at your local center/landscape firm to see which plants will do well in your area. You may be surprised to find that some very beautiful, colorful plants are low on water consumption-and they may fit into your landscape perfectly.

Group together plants that require the same amount of water. Plant trees and shrubs to provide shade to cool buildings, air conditioning units, patios, decks, and other landscape features.  Shelter container plants by moving them to shady areas. Spike or aerate lawns to insure maximum water ***********. Control weeds which compete with useful plants for water.

Grow a Beautiful Garden the Water Wise Way is a post from: Sprinkler Repair Las Vegas