Sprinkler head problem

[44Apple]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?

[JohnN]

sometimes dirt, leaves, grass and/or rocks get jammed around the head.
clean out around it and it should pop right down.

When I'm lazy, I just tap it with my foot and it goes right down.

[camelbob]

Spray the shaft with WD40 and then push it down. Should resolve the issue.

[retiredguy123]

It's a common problem with no permanent solution.

[44Apple]

Just went out and pushed it from the top. Went down fast, fast. Thanks for the reponses.

[tophcfa]

Clean the dirt/sand off the shaft that goes up and down and spray it with silicone spray.

[bowlingal]

step on it

[Neils]

Silicon spray will fix it

[thevillagernie]

I would call someone,for very little they will go over all of them and clean if needed

[Cassieb]

You should be able to just tap it with your foot and it should pop back down. You might want to spray the pop up part with your hose to clean any debris that might be stopping it from popping down by itself.

[Petersweeney]

Blame the squirrel

[Gunny2403]

Just push it down with your foot. Clear any debris around it.

[willbush]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?
Spray it with silicone or WD 40....it will then pop down - after you clean out around it, if needed

[wirenail444]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?
Tap it with your foot.

[RICH1]

If I had a dollar every time I saw a sprinkler head not drop down , well let's say I could buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks! Next time your wife takes you to Home Depot or Lowe's wander off to the Sprinkler aisle and observe how inexpensive the parts are! My IQ is less than room temperature and I can repair my system! You will get a nice tan repairing your system, and She'll like it too

[Skip]

Spray it with silicone or WD 40....it will then pop down - after you clean out around it, if needed

NOT WD-40! That's part petroleum product that will decay the plastic. Never use an oil or grease on plastic. Pull up the head, wipe it with a paper towel and spray a very little Silicone spray. My old lawn guy used to sprinkle clean sand over it. Never made sense to me but he had 30 years experience doing that. I like the clean and spray better.

Sprinkler heads wear out and eventually it'll need to be replaced and adjusted. They are designed to fail (called "mean time to failure") just like light bulbs.

Skip

[Freeman4163]

Sticking shaft, lube or replace. If lucky, replace the inside. Won’t have to dig up. Just suggestion.

[Annie66]

If you live south of CR466, I recommend you turn on the sprinkler system every other month, and inspect each pop-up sprinkler head. Observe the flow out of each head. If each pop-up has a good and strong spray pattern, there's nothing else to do. However, if the flow is weak or intermittent, you should remove the top of the affected pop-up, replace the internal filter with a clean one and then reinstall the sprayer top.

The irrigation water has been really gritty of late and the filters get partially or fully clogged. You can buy a small bag of extra filters at Lowes. Once you've replaced the dirty filters, they can be cleaned with your garden hose.

The only downside of doing this yourself is you must get down on the ground and then get up at each sprinkler head.

[Freeman4163]

Don’t get too excited. It WILL happen again. Personally I repair or replace. Easier before it gets broken off.

[retiredguy123]

If you live south of CR466, I recommend you turn on the sprinkler system every other month, and inspect each pop-up sprinkler head. Observe the flow out of each head. If each pop-up has a good and strong spray pattern, there's nothing else to do. However, if the flow is weak or intermittent, you should remove the top of the affected pop-up, replace the internal filter with a clean one and then reinstall the sprayer top.

The irrigation water has been really gritty of late and the filters get partially or fully clogged. You can buy a small bag of extra filters at Lowes. Once you've replaced the dirty filters, they can be cleaned with your garden hose.

The only downside of doing this yourself is you must get down on the ground and then get up at each sprinkler head.
The filter has nothing to do with the OP's problem.

[DanBrew]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?

Give it a light tap on top with your foot. It will go back down. Many times a grain or two of sand gets caught up in them. No need to call anyone.

[DAVES]

Give it a light tap on top with your foot. It will go back down. Many times a grain or two of sand gets caught up in them. No need to call anyone.

No shortage of suggestions here. WD40 people seem to spray everything with it.
It was invented as a mold release compound as in casting not fungus. It is more of a cleaner than a lubricant. Try putting some on glass, you will be surprised a few days it is gone. Not an issue here in the wilds of Florida but people used to spray it into locks, it freezes at a fairly high temperature, as opposed to below zero and people wonder why their lock will not open.

Silicone is actually a wax. When the solvent evaporates, a wax film is left behind. May of the lube sprays we all buy are oil and or ???? You do not want to put oil on your sprinkler heads as it may damage the parts and it will cause sand to stick to the parts

[rfc171]

Massey does everything for us!
Good people!

[jimlambert]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?
Dig down around it until you reach the connection. Unscrew it. Take it apart to clean it. Screw it back on. Test to see if it’s spraying the right way. Refill hole. Done. If you don’t like doing stuff like that then call someone who does. Lots of options.

[fishers of men]

Happened to three of mine also. I sprayed WD40 around the area that slides down and that was six months ago. Working perfectly. Hope it works for,you as well.

[mark100]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?

You have a build up of dirt in the slide. Remove the cilinder and turn on that zone to flush the dirt out. Bring the head in and rinse it off in the sink in your home or garage.

[Guitarman1951]

Go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a new fixed head pop up sprinkler unless its a rotator, then get a rotator. I use Orbit because they are easy to adjust, especially the rotators, and I buy multiples cause u never know when one will go out. Sprinkler heads are fairly cheap.
Take a small hand garden shovel and dig up the dirt all around the sprinkler head about a 6" diameter hole(if you have an empty bucket you can put the dirt in it ready for easy replacement. Dig until you are an inch or so below where the sprinkler head screws onto the source pipe. Unscrew the old head and then hand screw the new one on. Do not over tighten. They don't need to be too tight. Replace the dirt all around the sprinkler. With a small screw driver, pull up the pop up part of the of the head and hold it with one hand while you look to see where the opening is set and which direction. Usually there will be one side marked on top with a little knob indicating that is one side of the opening. Turn the top of the very top of the head adjusting it to the width you need. You can turn the sprinkler shaft with your hand to adjust the direction. You will hear it snap or pop, but that is normal.
Sounds involved, but it really isn't and it gets much easier to do once you've done it.

[Topspinmo]

Sticking shaft, lube or replace. If lucky, replace the inside. Won’t have to dig up. Just suggestion.

IMO the sticking shafts have scratches or groove that cause them to stick. Something I’d not too bad I just unscrew the top, pull it down on the shaft and scotch brute the shaft removing any defects.

[Pairadocs]

It looks like one of my pop up sprinklers did not go all the way back down. It is two or three inches above ground, perfect to be tripped over or destroyed by a mower. Is there an easy fix, or do I have to call someone?

EASY! Usually unscrew, clean WELL of grit and dirt, little wd40 spray, done. While out, check and clean little screen filter ! No much to this no talent needed. If you decide to replace the entire head any employee at Ace will give you all instruction you need. I of F ag dept. at Sumter Annex also a LOT of FREE help with this!

[Pairadocs]

[QUOTE=Pairadocs;1924907]EASY! Usually unscrew, clean WELL of grit and dirt, little wd40 spray, done. While out, check and clean little screen filter ! No much to this no talent needed. If you decide to replace the entire head any employee at Ace will give you all instruction you need. I of F ag dept. at Sumter Annex also a LOT of FREE help with this! Calling someone for something like this will be expensive ... Lots of FREE help, advice, here, take advantage of it.

[Pairadocs]

NOT WD-40! That's part petroleum product that will decay the plastic. Never use an oil or grease on plastic. Pull up the head, wipe it with a paper towel and spray a very little Silicone spray. My old lawn guy used to sprinkle clean sand over it. Never mad


e sense to me but he had 30 years experience doing that. I like the clean and spray better.

Sprinkler heads wear out and eventually it'll need to be replaced and adjusted. They are designed to fail (called "mean time to failure") just like light bulbs.

Skip

Not WD40....ha ha ha, has worked more than fantastic for most of our neighborhood for about 17 years now, sure finally a new head is the best solution.

[Annie66]

The filter has nothing to do with the OP's problem.

You are correct. I was simply giving some additional information for a person who appeared to not understand their sprinkler system.

[RICH1]

Astro-glide the shaft!

[Tomptomp]

They are very easy to replace and very inexpensive.

[GOLFER54]

Consider moving 😀

[tophcfa]

Astro-glide the shaft!

And treat yourself to a couple scoobie snacks when you finish.

[Curtisbwp]

Dig up around it. Clean it up. Test the spring

[joelfmi]

QUOTE=camelbob;1924148]Spray the shaft with WD40 and then push it down. Should resolve the issue.[/QUOTE]

[Topspinmo]

After they are In use for while the fine dirt doesn’t get washed out when the pop up pops down the seal get contaminated and causes it to stick in up position. Most sticking ones you can hold the base and unscrew the top cap and the whole guts will come. Now you can get to seal and shaft to clean it. I would also look at shaft for deep scratches or groove worn. Sometimes you can scotch bite the grooves and scratches out. Or just buy the same type, Unscrew the top of the new one and put the guts in the old outer housing. That way you don’t have to dig it up to replace it.

[Topspinmo]

If you live south of CR466, I recommend you turn on the sprinkler system every other month, and inspect each pop-up sprinkler head. Observe the flow out of each head. If each pop-up has a good and strong spray pattern, there's nothing else to do. However, if the flow is weak or intermittent, you should remove the top of the affected pop-up, replace the internal filter with a clean one and then reinstall the sprayer top.

The irrigation water has been really gritty of late and the filters get partially or fully clogged. You can buy a small bag of extra filters at Lowes. Once you've replaced the dirty filters, they can be cleaned with your garden hose.

The only downside of doing this yourself is you must get down on the ground and then get up at each sprinkler head.

I just clean the filter when plugged up.

[retiredguy123]

I just clean the filter when plugged up.
I just throw the filter away. I have never understood what purpose the filter serves. It may rarely protect the plastic nozzle from getting damaged, but a new nozzle only costs about $1.50. It seems to me that the filter can only serve to restrict water flow from the nozzle. It think the system works better without filters.

[Topspinmo]

Astro-glide the shaft!

Or can use the old Ky jelly laying around that’s not being used. :faint::)