When I run my lawn sprinklers automatically, they turn on and off while they are running ...?

Question

First the sprinklers would pop out, then a few minutes after they go back down again and not run, then go back on again. Also I could actually hear like a gurgling/coughing sound of water going through the water pipes and rocks up literally the whole house. Now it takes a longer time for the timed schedule to run because of this on-off activity. HELP!

Answer 1

Most likely the fact there is air in the pipes.

Answer 2

There is no simple answer to your problem since it could be a number of things. There are a few steps you can take to diagnose the problem.

1. Go to where the valves are and manually turn each sprinkler station on. This can be done by turning the solenoid a 1/4 of a turn. If the sprinklers stay on without the interruption problem then it is probably a timer or electrical problem.

2. If the sprinklers go on and off after manually being turned on, then there is probably a break in the pipe. Finding it will take some time since you have to start at one end of the irrigation line and work your way down the line. I DOUBT, GIVEN YOUR DISCRIPTION, THAT IT IS A COMPROMISED PIPE. Sprinklers will usually still run even if there is a break in the pipe, just not at full volume.

3. Check the electrical wires at the valves. Make sure they are not broken or exposed

4. Finally, check your timer. Quite frankly the problem you described sounds like a timer problem. Either the timer is malfunctioning or it is programmed wrong. Reprogram it first to see if it resolves the problem. If it is an old timer replace it with a newer model. The newer ones work great and are easy to use.  I recommend Rainbird timers.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

It sounds like air in the pipes.