A leaking sprinkler costs you money! So, as soon as you suspect that you may be having a problem with any of your sprinkler heads, we urge you to get the issue fixed as soon as possible.

Water may be leaking from your sprinkler head when the system is turned on and also when it’s turned off. Understandably, it will be difficult to know if it’s leaking when it’s turned on because it’s naturally spraying water as it should.

But if you notice that your sprinkler head is leaking when the system is turned off – then there’s a problem somewhere that needs to be fixed.

You may notice a leak coming directly from the sprinkler head but then again, you may also notice that there are certain areas around that sprinkler head that are soggy which means that there’s a leak, probably underground, that you can’t see.

If you are ever faced with a sprinkler leak, it’s important to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Sprinklers use water and can damage your garden if not addressed quickly.

What Is Causing My Sprinkler Head To Leak?

Basically, there are two reasons why your sprinkler head is leaking.

1. Low-head drainage is the most common reason.

2. A problem with one of your zone valves.

Low-head Drainage

Low-head drainage is a necessary aspect of irrigation because it drains excess water from the system so that no one zone can take up more than its fair share.

For example, if there are 2 zones with 3 sprinklers each and you programmed first zone to run for 30 minutes, but didn’t set the timer on second zone at all before running your program – then after 10 minutes into the cycle when only 20% of allotted time has passed in first area (zone), any remaining water will siphon out through other open heads until they’re empty or equilibrium is reached.

A Problem With Zone Valves

A broken or clogged pipe or perhaps a broken or clogged control valve could also be causing your sprinkler head to leak.

Either of these issues would need to first be discovered, meaning going through your sprinkler system to find what is broken and/or clogged and then replacing or fixing the issue.

How Do You Stop A Sprinkler Head From Leaking?

Fix Low-Head Drainage Issues

Usually, the way to fix a low-head drainage problem is by installing drain check valves. Some homeowners can do this themselves but of course, if not, contact a professional to do the work for you.

Drain check valves automatically close when the valve shuts off so there will be no leakages through turned-off heads.

Checking The Sprinkler Head

You can also twist off the sprinkler head to examine if there is some type of debris that is causing a clog or perhaps the sprinkler head got damaged somehow. It may just be that the seal at the bottom of the sprinkler head needs to be replaced.

You can clean the sprinkler head by cleaning it with a small brush. Screw the heads back on properly so that water will not leak or spray out of it.

If you have any questions about leaks in your plumbing or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.