Leak Locations

• Leaks commonly spring from damaged sprinkler heads, fitting connections and broken irrigation pipes. Broken irrigation pipes are easy to identify. When soil or a lawn appears to gush or bubble with water, a break in a buried sprinkler line is usually the culprit. Alternatively, slow dripping or seeping leaks often occur at the joints between threaded or glued plumbing components, called fittings, or from the top of a damaged sprinkler head. To determine a leak's point of origin, you can wipe existing water from the sprinkler head and fittings and watch the components until a new dribble develops.
  
  

Temporary Solutions

• Pipe clamps, pipe wraps and repair epoxy are the most common temporary solutions to a sprinkler leak. In most cases, plumbers must shut off the sprinkler system's water supply prior to applying a temporary fix. Pipe clamps consists of a set of hinged, metal or plastic plates that fold across broken pipes or fittings. The separate sides of the repair clamp connect and tightly clamp over the leak to temporarily seal punctures. Essentially a waterproof tape, plumbers simply wind a thick layer of the tape around punctures, holes or leaks. Repair epoxy consists of a thick paste that hardens over punctures and seals leaks.
  
  

Replacing Pipes

• Replacing broken pipes is the most permanent and trustworthy solution to a puncture break. The most common types of irrigation pipes are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene, which applies to both above and below ground drip systems. Whereas PVC pipes are typically white and rigid, polyethylene are usually black and flexible. To replace both types of irrigation lines, plumbers typically use PVC cutters or saws to remove the broken portion of pipe. To attach new pipe to the existing irrigation lines, plumbers apply PVC repair couplings with solvent cement or pressure activated polyethylene compression couplings.
  
  

Standard Sprinkler Heads and Risers

• Commonly damaged by misled lawnmowers and trimmers, sprinkler heads and risers compose the uppermost, exposed portion of a standard sprinkler system. Both risers and sprinkler heads typically connect via threaded fittings. If threads break or crack, the damaged component, whether riser or sprinkler head, requires replacement. However, if loose connections or worn thread sealant cause the leaks, plumbers can simply dismantle the riser and sprinkler head assembly, clean the components' threads and apply a fresh layer of thread seal tape or pipe dope.