Tips To Prevent Mower Damage To Your Sprinklers
Posted on: 2 May 2017
Few things are more frustrating in your lawn than ruining a sprinkler head with the lawnmower. Unfortunately, mechanical damage, such as from mowers and other pieces of equipment, is a common destroyers of sprinkler heads. Replacement can be time consuming and costly. Plus, if you don't catch the damage right away, your lawn may dry out. The following tips can help you prevent mechanical damage to your sprinklers.
Tip #1: Skip stationary heads
Stationary or fixed sprinkler heads are always above ground, which means they are more prone to damage. Replace stationary heads with popup heads wherever feasible. These heads drop below the soil surface when there is no water running through them, since it is the water pressure that makes them pop up. This means they drop down and out of the way of any mowers or other equipment when the sprinklers aren't running.
Tip #2: Do pre-work inspections
When you plan to mow or do other yard work, begin by first inspecting your lawn. Sometimes even popup sprinklers won't drop down after use. This usually happens because grass or soil is blocking their way. Know the relative position for all of your sprinkler heads so you can walk around and push down any that have remained above ground. This way you won't accidentally hit them with the mower.
Tip #3: Use flags when necessary
Small lawn flags can go a long way towards protecting your sprinkler heads. They are a necessity if you have stationary sprinklers, since you will want to mark them so you don't accidentally mow over them. You should also use them for any type of sprinkler head whenever you are using equipment that could penetrate the soil, such as a de-thatcher or core aerator. These machines can tear up even a popup sprinkler head since these heads only sit an inch or two below the soil surface.
Tip #4: Do tests runs
It's a wise idea to run your sprinklers when you are home to inspect them at least once a week. Most automatic systems have test modes that will quickly cycle through each sprinkler zone. This way you can catch any damage to your sprinkler heads quickly, before your lawn has a chance to dry out and brown. After your weekly mowing is a good time to check the heads, since damage is more likely to occur at this time. Keep a spare head or two on hand for any last minute repairs.
For more help, contact a sprinkler contractor in your area like Arbor Landscape and Sprinklers.
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