Irrigation Dripline Repair

Irrigation dripline repair is a process that requires a few basic tools, and is within the abilities of any homeowner.

As they have no moving parts aside from the timer, drip irrigation systems generally need little maintenance or repair. Filters need to be examined and replaced on occasion, and homeowners should take a walk along the driplines to look for leaks every month or so.

If the mesh filters have been in place, there should be no reason for blockage to any of the driplines, so if water isn't getting to some of the lines, a kinked hose is usually the culprit.

Sometimes birds or other garden pests will chew holes in driplines, and these are easily repaired with tape or by cutting the affected area of hose and attaching a coupler. With a PVC pipe system, the repairs could be more complicated, particularly if the pipe is buried underground.

Once its been established exactly where a break in the PVC dripline has occurred, you'll need to dig down to the affected area. This, however, isn't as straightforward as it sounds – it's easy to make a simple repair job more complicated by carelessly digging without checking for the pipe as you go, thus causing even more damage. The best methods is to dig slowly, probing the area as you go. Be awarre of how your excavation will affect your lawn – dig a good-sized hole, but try to avoid destroying your landscaping in the process.

Luckily, there are a number of products on the markey designed to make irrigation dripline repair easy. Patching products made from fiberglass or resin can even work on leaking pipes. In the case where it may not be possible to wrap the line with a patch, kneadable, steel-reinforced epoxy putty can be molded to leaky pipes.

Irrigation dripline repairs will be necessary as your irrigation system ages – but it's simple to do yourself without consulting a professional.