How To Troubleshoot a Commercial Irrigation System

6/20/2018 (Permalink)

Irrigation problems are a surprising source of water damage to commercial buildings. This is due in part to the fact that they usually run at night, so it may be hours before leaks and malfunctions are discovered. In the meantime, water has been flooding inside. After you call a water damage mitigation specialist in Stillwater, OK, to help with the cleanup, you’ll need to figure out what went wrong. Troubleshooting a commercial irrigation system can be tricky, but there are somethings you can look out for.

If some of the zones aren’t turning on or water pressure is low, there are a number of issues that could be causing it. Here is a list of clues to look out for that might help you discover the causes.

1. Check the valves. It may seem obvious, but it never hurts to make sure the valves are open to allow water to flow into a zone. Likewise, if a valve’s manual bleed has been left open, it can cause a big drop in water pressure, even when there’s a lot of water.
2. Is there a patch of tall grass? Look around the property for any small patches where the grass has sprouted up. This can point you to a cut line in the system where water is spilling out, preventing it from getting to the zone in question or sapping pressure for your irrigation system.
3. Look for a big tree. Tree roots can wrap around underground irrigation lines and choke them off. If you have a large tree on your property, there’s a fair chance the roots could be interfering with water flow to the affected zone.
5. It could be electrical. Bad connections can be fairly common in an irrigation system. When connectors get corroded, it can cause problems. Locating electrical problems usually requires specialized equipment, so you may be better off calling in an expert from Stillwater, OK, to help.
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