Replacing A Broken Sprinkler Pipe Yourself

By Scott Rodgers

A leak in your sprinkler system line affects the normal operation of the sprinkler setup to a large extent. It weakens the water pressure on which the sprinkler system relies heavily. In addition, your monthly water bills drive you crazy because you actually have to pay for something you did not use at all.

Make sure that the examination and the necessary repair job is carried out under the supervision of an expert.

To handle the project successfully, you would need a properly arranged set of plumbing tools. These would include the screwdrivers, a pair of channel lock pliers, a hacksaw, a roll of Teflon tape, PVC primer (in case of PVC pipe), PVC glue etc. In case of copper pipes, go for the metal primer and glue.

Initialize the project by shutting off the water supply to the home from the main water valve. Generally the main water valve lies adjacent to the water meter in the garage or on the sidewalk of the home. If however your sprinkler system is a bit isolated or detached from the rest of the plumbing setup then an individual sprinkler valve can be located on your sprinkler system only.

Walk down to the concerned site to explore the crack in the sprinkler line. Observe the size of the crack and mark down a tag line on each side of the crack leaving a margin of about two or three inches on either side. Use a tape to do so as a typical marker pen would not be visible on the pipe.

Once the pipe is tagged, start cutting it from the depicted position with the help of a hacksaw such that the excess water drips down into a large container or bucket placed under the fixture. Dissociate the pipe completely from the setup and buy a new one of essentially the same length and quality. Also the connectors that would help the new pipe adjust to the old setup, are purchased as well.

Match the length of the new pipe with that of the old pipe and make way for any alteration if required. Apply some PVC glue underside the connectors and on the edges of the new pipe making sure that both the components bind well to each other.

Insert the new length of pipe into the original sprinkler setup and finish off the task by applying some PVC primer on the joints. Be generous in the application of the primer and let it dry off completely. Once the primer has dried, cover the setup with the regular arrangements and restore the normal functioning of your sprinkler system. - 30517

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here