SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Dan,

Thank you very much for the quick response. I will buy a nozzle and spray head. Thank you for stressing that I need to buy a new nozzle and not try and reuse the one I have because that is exactly what I was going to do.

This is a great web site. I will tell my neighbors about it.

I have been doing this a pretty long time, and I think I understand your problem. I have never separated a 4 van nozzle top to bottom, but it sounds like you did. If the shaft of the sprinkler head is in tact you can replace the nozzle, usually they are not 3/4". If you can turn a nozzle on to the top of the head clockwise, righty tighty, don't cross thread, you should be o.k.. Also try to run the zone for about 5 or 10 seconds to clean out any dirt that may have entered the line or the head. If you can't thread a new nozzle on there, you will have to change the head( spray heads are usually 1/2 inch thread.

Don't try to salvage the nozzle? get a new 1 they are cheap a couple of bucks. Get the exact same one. Just do it.

Good Luck!!!

Dan

While adjusting the sprinkler heads on a zone (all Rainbird yellow 4 VAN-the zone is for a narrow side yard), the nozzle for the last sprinkler head popped off and the water shoots up 10' -12'. I found the 3/4" nozzle the top is yellow with arrows showing direction to increase along with 4 VAN. The bottom (black pvc) looks fine the theads are in tact and the silver phillips screw is in place.

I'm hoping I can dig out the spot and screw the nozzle back on or will I need to replace nozzle, sprinkler head?

Thank you

Hey Ray, the flooding sounds like a problem to me. I'd check and see if the valve is the problem. Put your ear to the valve if you can. If that valve has a slow leak then it would flood at the lowest head/heads much like you've described. If the sprinklers are draining 24 hours a day then it's the valve and not the sprinklers.

Quoted from "drpete"

Just curious, why is this a problem?

It is a problem because all of the water from the entire circuit floods the area where the lowest head is. It usually creates a large pool of water and the ground around the head stays very soggy for days. Then the circuit is turned back on and the cycle repeats. The area around the head, nothing grows because it is flooded.

Just curious, why is this a problem?

You can change just one or as many as you wish. The only problem I've ran across with these is the spring is much stronger than the regular 1800's. So if you're borderline with the pressure then the SAM's might not pop up. That usually doesn't happen though. If it does you could always switch springs with regular 1800. Careful not to void any warranties.

I have a piece of property that is mostly flat, but in some places the elevation changes by a foot and in the worst case I have an 18" drop. The heads that are lower in these circuits drain all of the water from the circuit pipe and I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the rainbird seal-a-matic heads?

Do I have to replace all of the heads in a circuit for them to work correctly, or can I simply replace the lower heads in the circuit?

Thanks in advance