[Paper1]

I’ve had a sprinkler head plugging with sand for years now. Decided today I was going to find problem and discovered a baby sinkhole about 8’ away from this head. Long story short found a leak in line suppling that head where hole was. My question is has anyone had this kind of problem and could sand get in line from puncture. Found rock caused hole in line.

[retiredguy123]

Yes, sand can get in the line. If you can, I would repair the leak, remove the sprinkler head, and let it flush out for awhile. Sometimes, when I have a sprinkler head where the small plastic filter continually gets clogged, I just remove the filter and operate the head without it. The filters don't really seem to do much.

[villagetinker]

My neighbor had a filter installed right before the irrigation control valves. It has a clear case, so you can see the trapped sand and debris. No idea who did it or the cost, but this should stop sand from the water supply, not what happened in your case.

[Paper1]

Thanks for replies. I patched hole and flushed line and everything looks good. We will see if it was a permanent fix.

[Ozzello]

The filters help keep the junk from destroying the actual sprinkler. Also, they allow you to adjust the distance the water is spraying.
I hate trying to tune someone's irrigation system and finding a previous technician (using the term loosely) has removed all or some of the filters. Often the same 'tech' disabled the rain gauge or solar sync as well, because "it doesn't do anything". Beware of anyone using this language, as they probably don't know much more than you do about your system.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Ozzello

The filters help keep the junk from destroying the actual sprinkler. Also, they allow you to adjust the distance the water is spraying.
I hate trying to tune someone's irrigation system and finding a previous technician (using the term loosely) has removed all or some of the filters. Often the same 'tech' disabled the rain gauge or solar sync as well, because "it doesn't do anything". Beware of anyone using this language, as they probably don't know much more than you do about your system.

Not sure I understand. I have Hunter sprinkler heads, and the screw on heads only cost $1.50 each. So, why would you need to protect them? Most of my sprinklers have the filter installed, but I did remove a few to improve the water flow. They work just fine without the filter. My sprinklers are color coded based on how far they spray, and there doesn't seem to be any way to use the filter to adjust the water throw distance. Both the ACE Hardware guy and the Massey technician have confirmed this, and told me that the sprinkler filters have little or no function as part of the system. I agree that the rain gauge has a useful function, but the solar sync system is pretty much worthless. Most people don't even have it set to the proper region, and I have never found a technician who could accurately explain how the system is supposed to work. I even spoke with 2 technicians in the Hunter home office and neither one could really defend the value of their solar sync product. One Hunter technician told me that the best way to operate the system is to manually set the sprinklers for a fixed amount of time based on the condition of your lawn.

[Ozzello]

Hunter makes several types of heads. If you don't know how to adjust the flow on the head and how the filter is needed in place to do so, your friends are right. Having started irrigation work 40 years ago, and having commercial , golf and home system experience since that day... I want the filters IN. They aren't making those filters for no reason.

[NoMoSno]

Having been in irrigation work for 45 years, I want the filters OUT for "spray" heads, they serve no purpose other than call backs for clogging.

[Topspinmo]

Getting back to the subject of the sand in the head. The ruptured line cause high pressure water to bore the soil causing the mini ground collapse under ground. Now with cavity and fine sand when the pressure dropped the sand worked it’s way into the irrigation line. The next time it came on the sand gets pushed up into the sprinkler head.

My yard is rock, I shut off most pop ups and replaced the line spray nozzles with drippers ( 6 port type ) so I actually water the plants and not the rocks and street. I have no run off, don’t every get street wet, let alone run to street drain. IMO most water too long and most the water runs down the street into drain. I have also noticed over time the heads work loose and leak.

[Paper1]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Getting back to the subject of the sand in the head. The ruptured line cause high pressure water to bore the soil causing the mini ground collapse under ground. Now with cavity and fine sand when the pressure dropped the sand worked it’s way into the irrigation line. The next time it came on the sand gets pushed up into the sprinkler head.

My yard is rock, I shut off most pop ups and replaced the line spray nozzles with drippers ( 6 port type ) so I actually water the plants and not the rocks and street. I have no run off, don’t every get street wet, let alone run to street drain. IMO most water too long and most the water runs down the street into drain. I have also noticed over time the heads work loose and leak.

Your explanation makes a great deal of sense, thanks for posting it.

[Ozzello]

Originally Posted by NoMoSno

Having been in irrigation work for 45 years, I want the filters OUT for "spray" heads, they serve no purpose other than call backs for clogging.

And allowing the adjusting screw to do what it was designed to do.. adjust the flow at the individual head , as well as keeping some of the larger debris from clogging the spray slot and messing up the desired pattern.

If you have different distances at some heads on the same zone, you need to adjust your flow rate to have a properly tuned system. I would speak with the manufacturer, or one of the experts at Site 1, or Central Pump and Irrigation if you are serious about getting to the truth about your sprinklers.

Though most everyone gets by with a less than perfectly designed and tuned irrigation system, if you are having reoccurring fungus, dry spots or mold on your home , driveway. constant clogging Or a large water bill, find a real expert, like Fertigator (the absolute best tuner of irrig. systems in TV) that isn't disagreeing with the manufacturer by removing parts or turning off your rain gauge.