Some farmers may wonder why their sprinkler systems keep breaking down. Such breakdowns may cause sprinkler maintenance costs to go up because service personnel are called to the farm frequently. This article discusses some measures that you can take to ensure that you get optimum performance from your sprinkler system.

Watch Out for Foreign Bodies

Contaminants such as pebbles can get into your sprinkler system and block the nozzles. Such a blockage can deny your crops needed moisture and nutrients if the problem is not quickly rectified. The best way to prevent this problem is to ensure that you have an effective filtering system at the point where water gets into the irrigation system. Suppliers of sprinkler systems normally provide information on the best type of filter to use. Consult them in case your filter lets foreign objects to get into the water.

Maintain Optimum Water Pressure

Sprinkler systems rely on water pressure to rotate and deliver water to the desired radius within your farm. When the pressure is very high, the water may turn into a mist. That water mist can be easily blown away from the target irrigation zone by the wind. When the pressure is very low, the sprinkler system may fail to rotate. The water may also be delivered to a very narrow radius if water pressure is low. Some farmers call service personnel when they observe such problems with their sprinklers. A simple remedy is to ensure that the water pressure is within the recommended level for that sprinkler system. You can buy a pressure regulator and install it (based on the installation instructions provided with the pack) so that the water pressure within your sprinkler system remains constant.

Be Careful When Buying Replacement Parts

Some sprinkler parts may fit on your system but they may not be the right components for that system. For instance, some replacement nozzles may require a higher water pressure than the pipes in your system can tolerate. It is therefore advisable that you avoid buying parts that are not recommended for use on your system. This will prevent the sprinkler system from having parts that are mismatched. Mismatched parts can cause some parts to overwork and wear out quickly.

Keep the tips above in mind and you will need fewer professional sprinkler system maintenance visits. You should also ask your maintenance technician for additional measures that you can take to get the best performance from the system installed.

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