"How to Fix a Sprinker" by Ivan L

            Have you ever been mowing your lawn when suddenly you hear a large crack? You then proceed to turn off your lawn mower and investigate what has occurred. To your surprise, you just hit a sprinkler and now you must fix it before the scheduled sprinkler activation. Do not fear, these instructions will teach you how to repair any sprinkler regardless of where it is located on the lawn.

           

            First, you must isolate your house from the water supply that runs underground. To do this, simply locate a green plastic cover on your lawn labeled “irrigation control valve” or something similar to “master valve.” Pull off the cover and there should be a red lever. Turn the lever counter-clockwise until it stops. Congratulations! You have successfully cut water flow to the sprinkler system. (Bonus: you now know what one of the underground boxes at your house does, even though it has been there the whole time you have occupied the house.)

           

Now it is time to remove the broken sprinkler. Grab some garden gloves or other thick gloves that provide both protection while still allowing enough mobility of your hand. If the cap of the sprinkler is still in one piece, unscrew it. The nozzle spring and check valve should all come out with the cap if they are still there. If the cap is not present, remove any of the parts inside the body and then proceed to the next instruction.  Now, grasp the body of the sprinkler and twist counter-clockwise until the entire unit comes out. (Warning: If you do not have gloves, you risk cutting your palms on the threads of the top of the body. This step can be done without gloves, but any cuts received will be like long papercuts.) (Note: It helps to squeeze the sprinkler while you twist as this deforms the sprinkler giving you more grip, so your hand does not slide around the sprinkler.) (Note:  If you are unable to grasp the sprinkler firmly, try using a small shovel to remove dirt from around the sprinkler. This allows you to grab more of the sprinkler. Feel free to dig as far as you want keeping in mind that any mess you make, you need to clean up.)

After you pull the sprinkler unit out, check around the body to see if the label is still in one piece. If you are still able to read the label, it should tell you the height of the sprinkler and the angle of the spray. Now you just need to go to your nearest home improvement store and purchase a sprinkler that matches these dimensions. If the label is not legible, because the sprinkler is old or because you chopped it off, you must take extra steps to ensure you purchase or have the right replacement. To determine the height of the replacement, simply compare your broken sprinkler to potential replacements. To determine the angle of the spray, look on the top of the nozzle of the sprinkler. There should be indents along the circumference of the nozzle indicating where the water comes out. (Example: If the indents are formed so that they cover half of the circumference, this represents a 180-degree spray angle.) It helps to take the sprinkler with you before throwing it away so that you do not need to memorize its dimensions when you shop for the replacement.

After you successfully purchase or find a replacement, it is time to put the sprinkler back in its place. This part will be easier if two people are present. (Note: At least one of you must know how to manually turn on the specific sprinkler zone that the broken sprinkler was in.) (Warning: The person who does not know how to activate the sprinkler manually will most likely get very, very wet in this next step.) First turn the irrigation control valve back on so that the sprinklers can turn on. The person who is activating the sprinklers must be on stand-by while the other mentally prepares themselves to get hit in the face with the pressurized water. (Optional: Wear a bathing suit.) The person who is screwing the sprinkler back into place must signal the other to activate the sprinklers. This will send a jet of water into the air. The sprinkler must be screwed in while the water is running. (Note: Be sure to screw clockwise as you can get disoriented when getting hit in the face with an unrelenting stream of water) This may take a few tries but eventually you will be able to screw the sprinkler back on. The purpose of this step is to flush out any dirt or contaminants out of the piping so that no clogging occurs in the future. (Note: If only one person will perform this step, they must both activate the sprinkler and replace the broken one.)

When you are sure the sprinkler is attached correctly, turn the water off. Remember the indents on the cap must be aimed in the proper direction so the water hits the lawn. (Note: Unless of course, the angle is 360 degrees. If so, skip this step) To reorient the sprinkler so it is aimed in the correct direction, get a flat head screwdriver (Note: it looks like a minus sign, not a plus sign), wedge it in between the nozzle and the cap and push on the handle of the screwdriver so that it lifts the nozzle up, grasp the nozzle with your hand and turn it so that the indents are pointed in the direction you wish the water to go. When you have finished, activate the sprinklers to check the functionality of everything. Now you can go do whatever else is on your agenda.