5 Signs You Need a New Sprinkler System

We all strive for a healthy, vibrant green lawn every summer. It boosts curb appeal, provides a safe landing space for your kids’ summer games, and helps contribute to the overall wellbeing of your home. The key to a healthy lawn is a well-functioning irrigation system.

To keep it in optimal operating condition, your sprinkler system should receive the same treatment as any other home system or appliance—routine maintenance, repairs, and replacement when performance starts to decline. You wouldn’t expect your washing machine to give you more than 10 or so good years, and your sprinkler system isn’t any different.

5 Signs Its Time to Replace Your Sprinkler System

  1. Frequent leaks. Small leaks in your sprinkler heads can be repaired. However, if your sprinkler heads continue to spring leaks after repeated repairs or the leaks become more frequent, it’s probably time to forgo the repairs and admit the time has come for a system upgrade.
  2. Low water pressure. You may begin to notice that your sprinkler isn’t able to project water as far or as efficiently as it used to. This is a sign of age and wear. The problem could be caused by chips or cracks in the sprinkler head, or it may be time to replace the system altogether.
  3. Growing water bills. Have you started to notice that your water bills seem to increase with each passing summer? Sprinkler systems become less efficient as they age, requiring more and more water to get the job done. Call a plumber to determine whether the problem can be isolated to one section of the system, or if it’s time for a replacement.
  4. Poor design. Especially if you are not the first owner of your house, it may be the case that your sprinkler system is simply poorly designed for your lawn. If your sprinkler heads overshoot your lawn or you find large dry spots where water isn’t reaching, these can be signs of poor design. Work with a plumber to figure out which type of sprinkler system will best meet the needs of your lawn, and create an efficient new design plan that will allow you to save money and minimize water waste.
  5. Your system is 25+ years old. Every home system has a lifespan. The older your system is, the more likely it will be to break down. Even if your current system is still operating as well as it ever did, upgrading your system sooner rather than later could be in your best interest. Thanks to advancements in technology, newer sprinkler systems are much more cost-effective and energy-efficient than older systems. What you spend on a replacement, you’ll save through years of energy-efficient irrigation.

Think it might be time for a sprinkler system upgrade? Call Bonfe to schedule a consultation with one of our expert plumbers.

13 thoughts on “5 Signs You Need a New Sprinkler System

  1. I have noticed a dead spot in my lawn, and I am pretty sure that it is from my sprinklers. It’s interesting that you should get a new system if you notice that your sprinklers were designed poorly. I will have to go out and take a look the next time I have them on, and see if it is the design.

  2. My wife and I moved into a new home in the winter and have started to water out lawn this summer. You mentioned that if your sprinkler heads overshoot your lawn or you find large dry spots where water isn’t reaching, these can be signs of poor design. Do most companies offer different kinds of systems depending on the climate or type of grass? Hiring a sprinkler professional to come and inspect the lawn might be a good idea.

    1. Congratulations on your new home, Derek! Yes – there are many types of heads that can be used depending on the situation. We agree that hiring a professional to start up, maintain and blow out your system (if you live in a colder climate) is the way to go!

  3. Thank you for talking about how having low pressure can help you determine when to change your sprinkler system. It makes sense that if this happens it could mean that the system has a plug or a leak that needs to be attended to. I would want to hire the right people to help me with this, getting the job done is essential to having a working system.

  4. That’s interesting that sprinkler systems become less efficient as they age, which requires more and more water to get the job done. I’ve heard that an effective sprinkler system will be able to maintain the health of your lawn with just 2 cycles of watering during the day. Is that true? I’ll have to check my system to make sure I’m not due for a sprinkler repair.

  5. That’s a good tip to seek sprinkler repair if your system has low water pressure. Low water pressure is a sign of age and wear. I’ll have to make sure to compare my water pressure every use my sprinklers get.

  6. It’s hard to tell if your sprinkler system is leaking or not because water is coming out of it usually so I get confused whether it’s a leak or just doing it’s job! But my system is 20 years old so it’s probably leak. Regardless, I think it’s time to get a new sprinkler system!

  7. You said that finding dry spots on our lines shows that we don’t have the best irrigation design. If I was going to buy a new house I would want to know that the irrigation wouldn’t be a problem that I have to deal with. Maybe getting a professional inspection could help with learning about the condition of the lawn.

  8. I noticed there were some dry spots in my yard and had heard that this could be a sign that my sprinkler system has low water pressure. According to the article, a sprinkler system that doesn’t project water as well as it used to could be a candidate for a system replacement. I noticed the incidence is isolated to one spot of my yard, so would you say it could be beneficial to have a sprinkler repair specialist to look at it before deciding to replace the entire system?

  9. It makes sense that dry spots in your lawn may be signs that the sprinkler system needs to be replaced. I’ve noticed that we need to use an extra amount of water to keep our lawn nice and green throughout the summer. I definitely think that we should find a professional that could repair in order to make it much more efficient.

  10. I have noticed that my water bills have been steadily growing for the past couple of years. It’s good to know that this could be a result of a bad irrigation system that needs replacing. When would be the best time to look at getting a new irrigation system installed?

  11. My husband and I have been experiencing some issues with our sprinkler system and we have been wondering if it might be time for an upgrade. So I appreciate you mentioning that if the unit isn’t able to project as much water, it’s a sign that it is experiencing some wear and tear. We will definitely have to get an upgrade to our sprinkler system since we’ve noticed out unit isn’t covering as much of our yard as before.

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