Daily maintenance methods for buried lawn sprinklers

In order to ensure the normal operation of the sprinkler system, the lawn sprinkler needs to be regularly inspected and maintained. As long as the management and maintenance personnel carefully follow the correct steps and use appropriate tools for operation, the maintenance of the buried rotating lawn sprinkler is not difficult. In cold northern regions, due to the longer non irrigation period, it is generally sufficient to inspect the irrigation system once a year before starting irrigation in spring. In the southern region, due to the long irrigation period and even the need for irrigation throughout the year, it is usually required to inspect the irrigation system at least twice a year.
When inspecting the irrigation system, the main focus should be on checking whether the spraying angle of each nozzle is set correctly, whether the rotation of the nozzle is normal, whether there are debris such as grass leaves and roots that affect the normal operation of the nozzle, whether the nozzle is worn, whether there is water leakage at the sealing ring, etc. Sometimes, it may also be found that the nozzle shell is broken and the built-in filter of the nozzle is blocked. As long as maintenance personnel carefully observe the operation of each nozzle, most of the above problems are not difficult to detect and solve.
(1) Adjustment of spraying angle
Confirm that the spraying angle of each adjustable angle nozzle is set within the correct range. Sometimes children, curious individuals, or intentional individuals may change the spraying angle of the previously set nozzle. In this case, it is necessary to readjust the spraying angle to the correct position according to the manufacturer's requirements.
(2) Rotation of the nozzle
It is also very important to check whether each nozzle rotates properly while observing and adjusting the spraying angle. If it is found that some nozzles cannot rotate, they should be replaced in a timely manner with nozzles of the same model or with similar performance.
(3) Removal of debris
As the lawn grows, more and more debris will accumulate at the nozzle installation site. These miscellaneous items are mostly organic matter such as rotten grass leaves and roots. If the leaves and debris on the lawn have affected the water flow from the nozzle, it is necessary to mow the lawn or remove debris from the nozzle. For systems with longer nozzle installation times, nozzle settling may occur, making it easier for debris to accumulate. At this point, it is necessary to excavate the nozzle, add a connecting pipe, and adjust the nozzle to the appropriate height.
(4) Nozzle wear
If the nozzle is severely worn, it will significantly reduce the range of the nozzle and the sprayed water flow will not be smooth enough. This situation often occurs in old systems, systems with impurities in the pipeline network, or systems with high sand content in the water source. When a nozzle with severe wear is found, it needs to be replaced with a nozzle of the same model.
(5) Sealing ring wear
When water flow is found between the nozzle lifting column and the top cover, it should be considered that the sealing ring may have worn out. But sometimes the water flow between the lifting column and the top cover is not very obvious, but only a slight leakage. At this point, it is necessary to replace the sealing ring or the entire top cover. Some nozzles can have their sealing ring replaced separately, while others require the entire top cover to be replaced when the sealing ring is worn out, as the sealing ring is integrated with the top cover.
(6) Shell rupture
If the cracks on the nozzle housing are not large, they may not be easily detected. Generally, when the nozzle shell ruptures, abnormal moist areas may appear near the nozzle. The rupture of the shell mostly occurs at the edge of the lawn near the road, and the main reason is that vehicles that accidentally enter the lawn are prone to damage to the nozzle. In cold northern regions, sometimes improper management of irrigation systems during winter can lead to the rupture of nozzle shells. The only solution when the nozzle housing is found to be broken is to replace the housing. However, it should be noted that when the shell ruptures, it is likely that the lifting column of the nozzle or its internal driving mechanism will also be damaged. In this case, the entire nozzle needs to be replaced.
(7) Filter clogged
Buried rotary lawn nozzles are generally equipped with filters to reduce the possibility of impurities blocking the nozzle and damaging the internal mechanism. When there are many impurities blocked by the filter, it will cause the filter to block, resulting in low pressure at the nozzle, reduced flow rate and range. The reasons for clogging of the nozzle filter are mainly due to poor water quality of the water source, as well as the entry of more impurities into the pipeline when the system pipeline network ruptures, or the accumulation of organic substances such as algae at the filter. To solve the problem of clogging of the filter, first remove the lifting column of the nozzle and clean the filter thoroughly; Then, the pipeline with impurities should be flushed, but special attention should be paid to preventing new impurities from entering the pipeline during the flushing process.
In the case of poor water quality in the water source, it is necessary to add a filtration system at the head of the system. For example, a lawn sprinkler irrigation project with an investment of hundreds of thousands of yuan in a factory in Shandong, covering an area of over 30000 square meters, was built because the water source used contained too many impurities and did not have a filtering device installed. Within a month of the system being put into use, most of the nozzles were blocked, quickly causing rotation failure and resulting in the entire system being paralyzed.
(8) Summary
The maintenance of buried rotary lawn nozzles should be an important part of the daily maintenance work of the entire irrigation system. Undoubtedly, timely and careful inspection, adjustment, and maintenance of the sprinkler head play an important role in ensuring the good operation of the irrigation system, extending the service life of the system, and maintaining the robustness and aesthetics of the lawn.