Spring signals garden and lawn maintenance for most home owners.
While your irrigation isn’t in use during the cold season your sprinkler nozzles can become blocked with dirt. Blocked nozzles not only water inefficiently and waste water, but they also cause dry and patchy spots on your lawn. It’s a common occurrence for nozzles to become damaged due to foot or vehicle traffic and replacing these is a necessity before setting up your warm weather watering schedule.
STEP 1: Inspect your risers and nozzles
- Clear the sprinkler surround with a trowel or sprinkler surround cutter
- Inspect the sprinkler body for damage
- Lift the sprinkler riser and inspect it for damage
- Unscrew the old nozzle
- Inspect the inside for debris or damage
- Undo the filter basket and rinse it under the tap. Before you replace the filter basket make sure you flush the system (Step 2)
STEP 2: Flush the system
- Use a flush cap to flush the system from debris. A flush cap maintains pressure in the irrigation system
- It’s easier to pull the riser up before refitting your nozzle/flush cap
- Screw on the flush cap
- Run for 15-20 seconds
- Flush all of your other sprinklers one by one, or with multiple flush caps at one time
- If flush cap is not available, flush without any nozzle or filter basket attached to the riser
- Run for 5-10 seconds
STEP 3: Replacing pop up nozzles
- Pull up the riser before fitting new nozzle
- If you used a flush cap, unscrew it first
- Screw in the new nozzle and filter basket
- Use ratcheting riser to align spray pattern
- Fit a variety of nozzles options to suit your lawn
Types of replacement nozzles
- Fixed spray pattern – these nozzles are manufactured to only water at ¼, ½, ¾ or full circle
- Adjustable – these nozzles allow you to adjust the spray pattern depending on where your sprinkler is located on your lawn. Adjustable nozzles give you great flexibility to choose spray patterns especially for odd arcs.
- Rotary – these nozzles rotate the stream of water to ensure even and consistent watering. Rotary nozzles come in fixed arc configurations or an adjustable arc configurations due to the finger spray they are ideal for windy locations.
Related products:
Pop up Sprinklers and Nozzles
Raise your watering to professional standards. Even water distribution and automated scheduling are common benefits of fixed irrigation.
Gear Drive Sprinklers
Packed with innovative features and patented, water efficient options, they have every application covered from residential to commercial.
Irrigation Control
Check out our variety of Bluetooth programmable, residential and light commercial irrigation controllers for a level of control that is second to none.
Solenoid Valves
We manufacture heavy duty, corrosion and UV resistant solenoid valves. Choose between jartop or screwdown valves, suitable for residential or commercial applications.
Love this! Great tips on how to do Sprinkler Repair, I appreciate it!
Thanks Miama, we are glad it was of help to you!
I want to install a straight line pop up system in an established garden bed. On sand. I have worked out the design but which size pipe is required please? Running from garden taps with a manual timer and will manually turn it on for now..Would 13mm same as garden hose work?
Hi Sue, for a straight run with pop-ups, we would recommend 19mm poly pipe. All 19mm poly pipe fittings for your project will be available in this size. Please be aware that you will need to do your bucket test from the tap once the timer is installed so you can get an accurate flow rate (do not do it before the timer is installed) If you need anything further with this, please give us a call on 1300 716 188 for assistance. Thank you!
The 40mm tap red butterfly wings recently snapped off as a result of very sticky ball joint. I purchased this Holman 40mm PVC Solvent Weld Ball Valve from Bunnings about 4 years ago. Imaging how disappointing this breakage is. AND the work to replace it in the underground pipe. The tap was not buried but housed in a box with a lid in the ground. Now to find a brass gate valve???
Hi James, we are sorry to hear that your ball valve has failed in this way. These are a PVC valve and non-pressure rated so they are limited for what they would be ideally used for. We would recommend Philmac if you were looking for a replacement ball valve for this situation. Thank you for your feedback.
Thank you for the great information. Where can the flush cap be purchased? Thank you.
Hi Faye,
Thanks for getting in touch! The flush caps are available at Bunnings Warehouse, here. For more info on these, you can visit our sister brand, K-Rain, for a wide range of professional landscaper products, including these flush caps. Hope that helps!
Nathan