1. 4/21/2011
Irrigation Trouble Shooting and Problems
Be prepared!!!!
• Before problems occur develop a plan.
• Have an inventory of parts on hand.
Including:
• Electrical from DBY’s to solenoids, fuses,
receivers, wire, etc.
• Piping- couplings, pipe, tees, Teflon tape.
(Include the “big stuff” that is hard to
acquire locally)
• Extra sprinkler heads and nozzles
• Extra electric valves, solenoids and pilot
valves
1. Have a map on hand and highlight isolation
valves. (Can be laminated and placed in the
pump house, office, and club house for
quick retrieval.
2. Have a list available with measurements to
pin point locations in time of crisis.
3. Make sure isolation valves can be seen on
the course. Cut turf away, and install medal
washers in covers to help location with
medal detectors.
4. Take time to train assistants, mechanics
and staff how to read the map and how to
shut down zones.
5. Have the proper tools on hand (Have a tool
box just for irrigation repair)
6. Electrical – volt/ohmmeter, wire stripper
and cutter
7. Pipe saws, screw drivers, valve keys, Allen
wrenches, specialized head tools etc.
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2. 4/21/2011
Simple basics before you begin to
trouble shoot
1. Is the controller turned on or receiving
power?
2. Is water present at the valve?
3. Is the gate valve open?
4. Is sufficient water pressure and flow
available?
5. Is the pump working?
6. Is the flow at the backflow sufficient
Electrical- with field controlled systems
Basics as previously discussed
•Power to main controllers you need 120 volts
•Controller converts main power from 120 to
24 volt by transformer
•Wires from controller to solenoid valves
carry 24 volts
•Solenoid activated with 24 volts
Central
120
volt
120
volt
Common
24 volt
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3. 4/21/2011
Example 1
Head will come only by manual switch or key –evident
that an electrical problem.
1. Check to see if field controller is receiving a signal.
If yes then;
1. Check power at the field controller for 120 volts.
2. If power, then check for 24 volts out to sprinkler
(with volt ohmmeter)
• If less then 24 volts (to wires) then problem at
controller may be:
• Blown fuse (check fuses and breakers)
• Bad transformer
• Bad connection
If station is sending 24 volts to field, then problem is with
wires or solenoid.
•At sprinkler you register 24 volts (from the wire) then
you have a bad solenoid
•At sprinkler you check wires and find you register less
than 24 volts (from the wire before the solenoid). Then
one of three problems may have occurred:
•Shorted wires – two wires come in contact with each
other. This will allow both heads to come on at once
and the short (usually blowing a fuse or tripping a
breaker)
•Bad splices in grounds or commons and moisture.
This can lead to similar results as above make sure to
“seal” all connections with DBY’s or “King Coil
connectors???
•Broken common or control wires
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4. 4/21/2011
Ghost starts often due to:
Low voltage to from central – most often
caused by electrical strikes, vandalism,
rodents
NOTE*
Broken underground wires can be located with
specialized equipment. There are companies
(irrigation contractors etc.) that will locate bad wires.
PIPING
Location of breaks:
• Large leaks will simply show up in the form of
“geysers” or turf raised into a “bubble”
• Monitor the site (i.e. wet areas on slopes,
sandy soil, occurring during drought etc.
• Slight reductions in pressure may be noticed
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5. 4/21/2011
Small leaks cause:
•Wet areas
•Erosion
•Increased costs
•Unplayable conditions
•Can and will lead to larger leaks
Irrigation breaks may occur from:
•Improper winterization
•Lawn mowers
•Age
•Improper assembly or gluing
•Excessive pressures i.e. lack of thrust
blocks
•Vandalism (commercial properties)
•Weeping valves
•Freezing and thawing
•Excessive pressures
Pipes breakage may also be due to:
• Tightening fittings to tight
• Air in system
• Surge or water hammer
• Temperature changes
• Improper pipe alignment
• Excess sealant
• Excess Teflon tape – can put added
stress on the fitting
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6. 4/21/2011
Repairing breaks or fittings:
For PVC
•Use a rated PVC glue
•Be sure to use a primer before
gluing
•Cut PVC evenly
•Remove all burrs
•Use thrust blocks on non-glued
fittings
•Make sure pipe or fittings are dry
and clean before applying glue
•Flush lines after repairs are
made
For Poly Pipe
• Clean all burrs on pipe before
assembling
• Use stainless steal clamps to
hold pipe to fittings
• Flush lines after repairs are
made
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7. 4/21/2011
Trouble shooting and Irrigation Auditing
•Operate your system periodically under your
watchful eye.
•Don’t water by time alone know your
precipitation rates!!! Not 20 minutes a night for
everything!!
Trouble Shooting
1. Dry or wet areas may be the result of any of
the following not operating correctly (some
information below derived from Kah and Willig golf course irrigation Jan-Feb 1994)
Problem Correction
•Improper pressures Adjust flow or pressure regulation
•Poor sprinkler spacing Replace or re-space heads
•Mixed equipment Standardize equipment
•Be sure heads and zones pop up Observation
•Nozzles clearing obstructions? Clear obstructions/raise heads
•Are heads rotating? Check rotation and arc.
•Shut down time Observation
•Nozzle operation is correct Observation
Operation of a sprinkler or valve may be O.K. and
a simple nozzle change can correct the problem.
Often resizing may be done to offset problems
resulting from:
•Soil type
•Slope
•Wind
•Grass species etc.
•Different microclimates
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8. 4/21/2011
2. Runoff
Problem Correction
Compaction Aerate
Thatch De-thatch
Slope Reschedule controllers
Vary nozzles
Low head drainage Checkomatic®
heads
3. Overspray and pressure problems
Problem Correction
Poor sprinkler location Relocate and test
Incorrect sprinkler Install proper size
sizing nozzle or sprinkler
Improper pressures Flow control
pressure regulation
Pressure problems
Low Pressure
•Large droplet sizes
•Throw distance decreases
•Heads malfunction
•Donut pattern
SLIDE - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
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9. 4/21/2011
SLIDE - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
SLIDE - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
High Pressure
• Harder to detect than lower pressures
• Spay breaks up
• Smaller droplets (fogging)
SLIDE - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
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10. 4/21/2011
SLIDES - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Test operating not static pressure
•Use a Pitot tube inserted into the nozzle
stream
IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
EWING
Low pressure
• Check valves to make sure fully open
• Test backflow equipment
• If pressure reducing valves in system make
sure they are not set to low or are malfunctioning
• Water meter is not restricting flow
• Is booster pump needed
• If pumping, is suction line restricted? Are all
valves at pump fully operational?
• Redistribute flows for smaller pressure losses
• Designed properly? Remember elevation 1 psi
per 2.31 ft
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11. 4/21/2011
High Pressure
•Use pressure-reducing valves
4. Wind Drift
Problem Correction
Improper pressures Flow control /
pressure regulation
Incorrect equipment utilize low
trajectory nozzles
Rackliffe Photo
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12. 4/21/2011
5.Too much water use
Problem Correction
Poor practices Knowledge of plant needs
Improper scheduling re-set schedules
Controller failure Check timing mechanisms
Incorrect equipment install correct equipment
Poor design Audit irrigation system
Auditing (Paul J. Roche, Golf Course Mgt. May 2004)
Detailed audit --- Hire Consultant
Detailed looks at:
• Water supply/source quality/recharge
Pumping system
• Flow capacity
• Repair history
• Operating pressure
• Pump sequencing
Auditing continued:
Piping
• Material
• Existing sizing
• Condition and repair history
Valves
• Materials
• Quality
• Degree of system isolation
Specialty valves
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13. 4/21/2011
Auditing continued:
Sprinkler
• Types
• Spacing
Controllers
• Control flexibility
• Data capabilities
• Wire and condition
• ET data?
• Grounding
Management practices
Water distribution
• Actual field testing
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