# Sprinkler System Question



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Wondering if any of you can share some advice on a problem I am having:

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On only one of my stations, my sprinkler heads will only pop up half way when activated. They act as though I dont have enough water pressure to push them up. But if I pull one of the heads up all the way with my hand, the other heads will all suddenly fully pressurize and start spraying normally. What the heck? 

Problem is: I dont run this station until late at night after I go to bed and I cant check on it to make sure it is running. But if I turn it on in the evening, my dog plays in it and then runs through my garden and gets muddy.... so I dont have an easy solution to just turn it on in the evenings and watch for that station 

Any ideas?


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## lobowatch (Apr 23, 2011)

Sounds like a dynamic pressure problem there Bax*, which will more than likely come from one of two places. Your valve for that station isn't opening enough to give full water pressure to the system (ie, something internally is wrong, diaphram cracked, solidnoid holes plugged, etc), or you have a broken popup head or two, ususally from the mower. If the nipple is broken where the head attaches to the lateral water line, it will gush under ground and lose pressure. Check all the sprinklers really carefully while the system is running to see if they are leaking bad. That's ususally what causes what you are describing. Look close and good luck.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks for the advice! My heads are pretty deep in the ground so my mower likely couldnt hit it with the blade, but maybe the wheel hit it hard?

Maybe I will take a look at the valve too.... I didnt think it was that just because they were working once I pulled the head up


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## lobowatch (Apr 23, 2011)

Yep, understood. Wheels can smack the spriklers hard enough to break or crack the body or the riser at the bottom, hard to see the water if they are deep. by pulling the sprikler nozzle up you are relieving the pressure the water needs to push it up allowing the rest to pop up. so probably just a single one leaking.


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