You are not logged in.

Bad contractor install job - suggestions for fix

Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

  • 1
  • 2

Cacofonix

Active Member

Posts: 7

1

Sunday, June 12th 2005, 6:03pm

Bad contractor install job - suggestions for fix


I had a new irrigation system put in last fall. Went with the cheapest bidder because he was $1000 lower than the next lowest quote and I am regretting it. One of the issues is the the strip past the sidewalk where the guy installed 4" Hunter ProSprays with the RainBird 15SST nozzles. Problem is that the pop up height does not appear to be sufficient to clear the grass (Fescue) and there are significant patches that do not receive any water and are dead now. I hate to have to mow the grass too low since that is not good either. The guy does not return phone calls and I am considering digging up and replacing with the 6" ProSprays. I am no "Tim Allen" but am decently handy with tools. Should I attempt this? Don't know if there are any swing joints etc. in place now. Any other possible solutions?

RidgeRun05

Supreme Member

Posts: 314

Location: USA

2

Sunday, June 12th 2005, 6:59pm

First, are the sprinkler heads just too low, or is the grass too high? The sprinkler heads should be flush with the dirt (ground level). If they are lower than that, you can raise them up with a sprinkler riser. If they are already at grade level, and don't pop up over your grass height, you may want to consider the 6" sprays.
Tony Posey
Ridge Run Landscapes

Cacofonix

Active Member

Posts: 7

3

Monday, June 13th 2005, 5:12am

The heads are flush with the dirt level and I don't think the grass is too high. I know the math does not seem to add up somehow. What is involved in replacing the existing head with the 6" spray head? Thanks!

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

4

Monday, June 13th 2005, 3:09pm

It might be cheaper to mow the grass at 2½ or 3 inches for now. It won't suffer.

RidgeRun05

Supreme Member

Posts: 314

Location: USA

5

Monday, June 13th 2005, 6:22pm

True, I probably would be cheaper to mow the grass a little bit shorter, 3" is an ideal height for fescue, and its not going to hurt it, however, if you do want to replace the sprinkler heads, depending on how many there are, it will be some what of a task. You'll need to dig around the sprinkler head, expose the pipe (be it funny pipe or inline pipe) install your new sprinklers and lower the pipe to the proper height. It could turn into a considerable task.
Tony Posey
Ridge Run Landscapes

bobw

Advanced Member

Posts: 101

Location: Canada

6

Monday, June 13th 2005, 6:28pm

Saw the perfect pop up head for this problem in a vendor seminar this spring. I will try to find the manufacture's name for it. Someone has managed to create a 4" pop up head with a 6" pop. They did a dual stage riser to make this work. I will post again when I can find the info for it. Would be the ideal solution for your problem tho.

Cacofonix

Active Member

Posts: 7

7

Tuesday, June 14th 2005, 4:14am

Thank you all for your responses.

bobw: I will wait for your solution before I jump into anything. In the interim I'll keep the grass mowed low and see if it works OK.

bobw

Advanced Member

Posts: 101

Location: Canada

8

Tuesday, June 14th 2005, 1:44pm

The head that I was thinking about is from HIT products (http://www.hitproductscorp.com/). The part number is 907T, which is not on their website (their site is very poor). The head itself is a 4" head that will pop 7" up. They also make a 6" head that will do 13". This is a new product this year, and my local distributor is STILL waiting for them to arrive, so I can't comment on them other than the bit I saw in demo in the spring. The head seems to work very well, and there is no leaks on the seal on the telescoping part.

RidgeRun05

Supreme Member

Posts: 314

Location: USA

9

Tuesday, June 14th 2005, 7:33pm

Seems like an innovative idea, not sure I would trust a brand new product like that, I would stick with something established and trusted, but might be worth a shot to experiment with 1 head before you replace them all.
Tony Posey
Ridge Run Landscapes

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

10

Wednesday, June 15th 2005, 4:31am

Rainbird had something like that many years ago, so the concept isn't too radical.

Just thinking, if the turf is building up where those popup heads are, a simple riser extender would add some needed height. The 'pro version' of a repair to install a taller head might use four elbow fittings and a bit of swing pipe.
  • 1
  • 2
Rate this thread