How To Replace A Damaged Sprinkler Head

Your yard's sprinkler system is designed to continually and effectively water your grass and plants. A damaged or worn out sprinkler head will no longer allow water to flow at the rate it is designed to, or it may not function at all. This can hurt the health and appearance of your yard if left unchecked. Thankfully, the process to replace a damaged sprinkler head is a fairly simple one that you can do fairly easily with the right tools.

What You'll Need

Before you get started, you should gather all the tools and materials that you'll be using. You'll need a replacement sprinkler head for every damaged sprinkler head in your system – check the top of the already installed heads to find a model number and manufacturer to purchase an identical head. You'll also need a shovel, a small trowel or hand shovel, and plumber's tape. All of these items can be found at most hardware and yard supply stores.

Replacing a Damaged Sprinkler Head

First, you should dig around the damaged sprinkler head in question. You'll want to dig a shallow hole roughly six inches around the head with the shovel, but take care to only expose the head and to not dig too deeply, as you can cut or damage the water line, which is a much more complex and expensive fix.

If you have sod installed on your yard, simply cut away the section around the sprinkler and lift it to the side.

Then, use the trowel or hand shovel to scoop away any loose dirt that may have accumulated around the sprinkler head. Unscrew the head by turning counterclockwise (turning leftwards).

Once the old head has been removed, you can screw in the replacement head, turning clockwise. To help prevent leaks, wrap the plumber's tape around the male part of the connection (the part of the screw that goes inside the other).

Take care to prevent any dirt from getting into the connection, as this can obstruct the flow of water and cause damage to your new sprinkler head (if you do get dirt in there, you can simply wash it out with water).

You can then replace the sod or dirt that sits around the sprinkler head, ensuring that the nozzle is unobstructed. Turn on your sprinkler system to ensure that the head is functioning properly – if not, remove the sod again and double check the connection, tightening as necessary.

For more information, contact local professionals like those found at Krupske Sprinkler Systems.