Sprinkler System Mystery

[Stephen13]

There's probably a simple and logical answer to my situation. I'm expanding my concrete patio (all permits and approvals are done) but there is a sprinkler head that needs to be removed. So I dug it out, capped the one waterline, and now a head in the same zone doesn't pop up when the zone is turned on. I believe there's 3 heads in the zone; one works, one doesn't, and is removed. It doesn't make sense to me.

[Dana1963]

Mr obvious if you cut the line and capped it was this the supply to the now non working sprinkler head?

[retiredguy123]

Unscrew the sprinkler head and see if you get water to that area. It could be that most of the pressure is going to the other sprinkler and there is not enough pressure for the other sprinkler to pop up.

[Stephen13]

Mr obvious if you cut the line and capped it was this the supply to the now non working sprinkler head?

Not to sound like a DB, but if it's one line in supplying water to one sprinkler head, explain how that line is supplying the other head in the zone?

[John Mayes]

Not to sound like a DB, but if it's one line in supplying water to one sprinkler head, explain how that line is supplying the other head in the zone?

They run in series. Example - head 1 and then head 2 and finally to head 3. If you capped off before head 2, head 3 cannot get water.

[Stephen13]

Unscrew the sprinkler head and see if you get water to that area. It could be that most of the pressure is going to the other sprinkler and there is not enough pressure for the other sprinkler to pop up.

No water is getting to the head. I don't know how the zone was designed, but would they have designed a zone with the heads in series? I've always designed them in T and H patterns.

[Stephen13]

They run in series. Example - head 1 and then head 2 and finally to head 3. If you capped off before head 2, head 3 cannot get water.

There's one line in. Once I cut off the head, there's only one piece of black pipe - not two. If it was in series, there would be two ends and I would connect those (minus the head).

[ton80]

There's probably a simple and logical answer to my situation. I'm expanding my concrete patio (all permits and approvals are done) but there is a sprinkler head that needs to be removed. So I dug it out, capped the one waterline, and now a head in the same zone doesn't pop up when the zone is turned on. I believe there's 3 heads in the zone; one works, one doesn't, and is removed. It doesn't make sense to me.
The main distribution pipes for irrigation usually are purple color since that is the designated color for non-potable water. Black flexible pipe that looks corrugated is used to connect the spray head with the irrigation headers. This done so that t he heads can be adjusted as the sod layer gets thicker. Sometimes this flexible pipe is used to locate a spray head further from the others in a particular zone. Sometimes spray heads near each other can be on different zones. I suggest that you manually run through all zones to see if the mystery spray head pops up when a different zone is turned on.
The modification that you described should not have cut water supply to that spray head since you only worked on a "dead end".

[retiredguy123]

No water is getting to the head. I don't know how the zone was designed, but would they have designed a zone with the heads in series? I've always designed them in T and H patterns.
If you capped off a dead end pipe, you should still get water to the other sprinklers in the zone. If the 3 sprinklers are all in the same zone, it sounds like you may have a clog in the line. Is it possible that you allowed dirt to get into the pipe when you capped it off? Also, it would be unusual to have only 3 sprinklers on a zone.

[rsmurano]

If you just wanted to cap off 1 sprinkler head, all you had to do is unscrew the head and lowes sells a pvc bolt/or cap that would screw into were you just removed the head. This doesn’t impact anything else on the line.
A bigger concern is the head your want capped off, how will your lawn around the patio get watered? Will the existing heads cover all your lawn/shrubs or will you have gaps?
In the past, when I added a concrete pad/hot tub/fence that would disrupt the flow of the sprinklers, I would have to reroute the pipe or sprinkler head to conform to the new layout. This is also easy to do with sprinkler extension pipe sold at lowes

[Stephen13]

The main distribution pipes for irrigation usually are purple color since that is the designated color for non-potable water. Black flexible pipe that looks corrugated is used to connect the spray head with the irrigation headers. This done so that t he heads can be adjusted as the sod layer gets thicker. Sometimes this flexible pipe is used to locate a spray head further from the others in a particular zone. Sometimes spray heads near each other can be on different zones. I suggest that you manually run through all zones to see if the mystery spray head pops up when a different zone is turned on.
The modification that you described should not have cut water supply to that spray head since you only worked on a "dead end".

Your answer is accurate and I'll continue to play with this a bit more.

[Stephen13]

If you just wanted to cap off 1 sprinkler head, all you had to do is unscrew the head and lowes sells a pvc bolt/or cap that would screw into were you just removed the head. This doesn’t impact anything else on the line.
A bigger concern is the head your want capped off, how will your lawn around the patio get watered? Will the existing heads cover all your lawn/shrubs or will you have gaps?
In the past, when I added a concrete pad/hot tub/fence that would disrupt the flow of the sprinklers, I would have to reroute the pipe or sprinkler head to conform to the new layout. This is also easy to do with sprinkler extension pipe sold at lowes

Once it's all installed I'll address this. Thanks and Merry Christmas!

[flusher]

could it be attached to another zone ?

[jarodrig]

Merry Christmas !

[JoelJohnson]

I removed all the water lines where I was going to have cement poured. I never want a water line under cement, in case it ever leaks.

[retiredguy123]

I removed all the water lines where I was going to have cement poured. I never want a water line under cement, in case it ever leaks.
Unfortunately, most Villages houses have almost all of the potable water lines buried under the concrete floor slab.

[RICH1]

Mud in the hole… clean your sprinkler head plastic filter ….

[retiredguy123]

Mud in the hole… clean your sprinkler head plastic filter ….
I throw my filters away. I never understood why you would need a filter to prevent damage to a 2 dollar plastic sprinkler nozzle.