Drip Irrigation Sprinkler Head Common Problems with Solutions

Drip irrigation has brought a lot of convenience to our gardens from agriculture to the present day when it is found in the gardens of many homes. Drip irrigation delivers water through hoses to individual sprinklers, and different sprinklers use different methods to deliver water to the plants. Previous articles have talked about how there are many different types of sprinkler heads, and you can choose different sprinkler heads depending on the water needs of your plants. Also, over time, due to environmental and other factors, these sprinkler heads can clog, leak or even break. Here are some common problems with sprinkler heads and the solutions.

Clogged nozzles

The most common problem with sprinkler heads over time is clogging. Due to environmental influences, sand, dirt and some plant debris from the land can get into the upper sprinkler head and cause clogging. The clogged nozzle is unable to deliver a stream of water, and if not cleared in time, the nozzle may become damaged and unusable.

Clean the nozzle regularly by twisting the nozzle open during cleaning, clearing out the blockage with a small clean needle, rinsing the nozzle with a clean water source, wiping it dry and putting it back into the pipework.

Sprinkler head leaks

After the initial installation of the drip irrigation system, all was well with the sprinkler heads. Over time, the sprinkler heads may have been damaged or some parts may have come loose causing the sprinkler heads to leak.

Regularly check the condition of the sprinkler heads to see if there is any leakage, and torque the sprinkler heads or maintain them in a timely manner to conserve water. Be careful not to twist too tightly, over-torquing may cause the nozzle to crack or break.

Uneven distribution of water resources

After long-term use, the drip head material (e.g. plastic) is aging due to UV irradiation and chemical corrosion (e.g. acidic fertiliser), which leads to deformation of the flow channel, enlargement of the aperture, and an abnormal increase or decrease in flow rate. It is also possible that the water distribution is uneven due to clogged drip tips.

When encountering uneven distribution of water resources, you can give priority to checking the clogging of the drip head (randomly dismantle and check a few drip heads), measuring the pressure in each area (using a pressure gauge to detect the pressure difference between the first and last ends of the branch pipe) Regular flushing of the pipeline and cleaning of the filter are required in daily maintenance.

Drip irrigation systems, like any other garden tool, require custom inspection and maintenance, and when troubleshooting common problems with drip irrigation sprinklers, understanding the root cause will allow us to perform better maintenance.