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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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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

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

Electrical- with field controlled systems

Central

24 voltCommon

120 volt

120 volt

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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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NOTE* Broken underground wires can be located with specialized equipment. There are companies (irrigation contractors etc.) that will locate bad wires.

Ghost starts often due to:Low voltage to from central – most often caused by electrical strikes, vandalism, rodents

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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Small leaks cause:•Wet areas•Erosion•Increased costs•Unplayable conditions•Can and will lead to larger leaks

•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

Irrigation breaks may occur from:

• 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

Pipes breakage may also be due to:

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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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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 Shooting1. 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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2. Runoff

Problem CorrectionCompaction AerateThatch De-thatchSlope Reschedule controllers

Vary nozzles

Low head drainage Checkomatic®heads

3. Overspray and pressure problemsProblem Correction

Poor sprinkler location Relocate and test

Incorrect sprinkler Install proper size sizing nozzle or sprinkler

Improper pressures Flow controlpressure regulation

Pressure problemsLow Pressure

•Large droplet sizes•Throw distance decreases•Heads malfunction •Donut pattern

SLIDE - IRRIGATION ASSOCIATION EDUCATION FOUNDATION

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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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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

• 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

Low pressure

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High Pressure•Use pressure-reducing valves

Problem CorrectionImproper pressures Flow control /

pressure regulation

Incorrect equipment utilize low trajectory nozzles

4. Wind Drift

Rackliffe Photo

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5.Too much water use

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

Problem Correction

Detailed audit --- Hire ConsultantDetailed looks at:

• Water supply/source quality/rechargePumping system

• Flow capacity• Repair history• Operating pressure• Pump sequencing

Auditing (Paul J. Roche, Golf Course Mgt. May 2004)

Piping• Material• Existing sizing• Condition and repair historyValves• Materials• Quality• Degree of system isolationSpecialty valves

Auditing continued:

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Sprinkler • Types• Spacing

Controllers• Control flexibility• Data capabilities• Wire and condition• ET data?• Grounding

Management practicesWater distribution• Actual field testing

Auditing continued: