I haven't posted anything for way too long, so I'm putting a stop to that right now. I'm giving myself 15 minutes [CORRECTION hit the opposite of snooze and reset timer three times so an hour, then I really have to get to work] to jot down some thoughts that may or may not make it into a more polished piece.
Unless you are living under a well, you know that experts say that California is experiencing a drought. Prompted by the prospect of even more restrictive water use restrictions, I dusted off my honey do list perfectly timed for Orchard Supply Hardware's they pay the sales tax sale so I could tackle my sprinklers. They've been trouble and I usually operate them manually which means their operation is sporadic -- it's hard to do during the times and days that we're 'supposed to.'
The problem when you get interrupted by more taxing things than sprinkler check-ups is that time goes by and you forget that the reason valve number three keeps throwing an error is...BECAUSE YOU REPLACED IT WITH A MANUAL VALVE WHEN THE AUTOMATIC VALVE KEPT FAILING. I remembered this this time around and thankfully didn't waste half an hour on a pointless mission. In any case, I was going to focus on the backyard sprinklers first this time.
Previously, the water pressure was so high sprinkler valves were frequently blowing out. The old house needed re-piping. My trusty plumber explained that the clogged pipes caused extra pressure to build up. Re-piping is a big deal and expensive and before that project was underway a pressure regulator was installed on the dedicated sprinkler supply line with modest success.
Fast forward post re-pipe, the sprinklers just weren't right afterwards. The pressure was TOO LOW now! Puzzling this mystery out was added to the list, which brings me back to this weekend and this morning. One station in particular had dribbly, sputtery pressure. While the rest still need some attention this by far was the worst performing line. I can't even get to adjusting and tweaking sprinkler heads for optimal efficiency until they are getting enough water to do more than drool.
This station had water coming from the anti-siphon portion of the fixture when it ran. So before I replaced the entire brass anti-siphon part, I checked the stem and washer that rests hidden inside. Sure enough, the washer was out of whack and clearly needed replacing. I was fully prepared for the need to go to the store.
I will revisit the journey for the washer that took me to three stores, at least three zip codes and possibly three hours at another time. In short, I had to buy an Anti-Siphon Repair Kit with about a dozen washers and thing-a-ma-bobs when I only needed one. that's one specific washer. I spent $7 PLUS tax because I bought this at Home Depot. It took me less that three minutes to replace the washer. Turned the water back on and tested the station. Viola no more anti-siphon spillage. I eagerly watched the sprinkler heads for signs of life. There was sputtering, there was water, but the quantity was still insufficient. While the anti-siphon stem washer needed to be replaced THAT was not the causing the sub-par sprinkling performance.
I hatched a theory that there surely was a break in the sprinkler line somewhere causing a volume drop in water reaching the sprinkler heads. This could get messy.
I consulted with my father, a master of irrigation science. His theory was slightly different than mine. It was possible, he posited, that something was blocking individual sprinkler heads and that could be causing the problem. I should start my trouble-shooting by removing the sprinkler heads one at a time, starting with the one closest to the supply. This made sense and that's where I started. Donned in work pants I got at OSH, Nitrile gloves, and armed with a blue handled groove-lock wrench and a four-in-one screwdriver I began the painstaking sprinkler trouble-shooting process.
Sprinkler head one removed. Trudge back to the auto controller, set to manual, adjust to the troublesome station, set for a couple of minutes, set to 'Run.' Wait. I listen carefully. Everything is still. I am inspired by the little click as the solenoid engages. Gurgle gurgle gurgle. I train my eyes on the headless sprinkler hoping for a geyser. Sputter, sputter, hiss. I hear similar noises down the rest of the line. First a small spit-take of water then a modest bubbling. Nothing more. No geyser. No change. Sprinkler head one, check. Not the problem.
I add a hand trowel to my arsenal to clear around sprinkler heads two and three. I get the same results. Sprinkler head three is a different model. One that sits so low on the ground that it had been covered by bricks. Could it be as simple as removing the old brick blocking that head? Of course not. The different style is one my gardener installed, no doubt after weed-whacking or mowing over the previous one. This style has an in-head filter. I didn't really expect that cleaning the sprinkler head filter would solve all my backyard irrigation woes, and it didn't. However, at least the filter was clean.
I skipped heads number four and five, jumping to sprinkler head six. There was a time, several years ago, that I believe this particular sprinkler head or another one nearby was partially buried. It seemed a good candidate to sort out, plus this one was more bubble than other ones. Problem child from the beginning. The sprinkler head was attached to the stem so tightly that the stem came off with it. There was a pebble wedged in the bottom of the sprinkler head. Ah Ha! This might be the culprit. Good thing I skipped to number six. Cleared everything out of the sprinkler head. Dug around the sprinkler location so that dirt wouldn't get in the line. Changed the stem too. Time for a test. See above gurgle gurgle gurgle section. No change in water volume. Let's repeat. Again came the stem and with the water and mud I couldn't see the connection, though I could feel it. I dug more dirt and mud away until I could see the white PVC pipe. I'm feeling a lot of gravelly material in the line. Ah Ha! That can't be a good thing. I need a less obstructed view. More digging. And more digging. It's time for a long handled shovel. I now have a gaping hole in my questionable lawn between two fruit trees. I have exposed maybe half a foot of PVC sprinkler pipe. It's muddy. I'm on the fourth set of Nitrile gloves. The strange thing is there is PVC pipe heading south. Uh oh. That doesn't make any sense. Sprinkler head six is that last one in the line. There is possibly a buried head east, but not south.
I run a quick test for all three stations. I inventory the sprinkler heads. Sprinkler head six, second station is the last visible sprinkler head on that line. Questions swirl around my head. Where is this PVC pipe going? How far does it go? Where did all this debris in the line come from? I don't have time to solve this mystery today. It's probably a good thing I'm not digging through a pile of manure certain that with all this sh#t there's got to the pony somewhere. I'd probably still be digging in the heat of the day, in that case. I am completely uncertain what I will find and how far I will need to dig to find it. I am now embarking on an Indian Jones-like quest for the lost sprinkler head. It is fraught with peril as even an excavation endpoint is merely the beginning of another troubled tale of sprinkler trouble-shooting.
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