As pop-up plastic sprinklers get older, they tend to get stuck in the up position, leaving them vulnerable to lawnmowers. A chopped or broken head will result in a water-wasting geyser, high water bills and eventually dead grass in your yard. Replacing a pop-up sprinkler is easy; just follow these simple steps and keep your yard looking green.
Step 1
Cut through the lawn surrounding the sprinkler head, about 6 inches all the way around, using a serrated knife or dirt shovel with a point on the end. (Be cautious not to dig too deep so as not to puncture the water line.) Please note that if you have a 6 inch pop-up or greater, there is a good chance that the piping has been run to the side inlet of your head (only a few inches underground). Pay special attention to avoid slicing the tubing to this side inlet.
Step 2
Pry up the section of turf using a hand trowel or small shovel (about 2-3 inches thick) and set the turf aside to replace later.
Step 3
Carefully dig away the dirt surrounding the sprinkler head. Set the dirt in a pile nearby; you'll need it later to refill the hole. Dig down carefully until you reach the water-supply pipe (about 6-8 inches below the grass).
Step 4
Once you have cleared all the way down to the riser (a short vertical pipe connected to the water-supply pipe), unscrew the old sprinkler body and remove it. Be careful not to let too much dirt fall into the opening of the riser (plug it with a small piece of cloth). The riser may become unscrewed from the supply pipe while remaining attached to the sprinkler. Simply unscrew it from the sprinkler being careful not to damage the threads at either end. It is sometimes helpful to shove a sharp hunting knife into the end of the riser, and twist to remove the riser from the sprinkler. The edges of the knife dig just slightly into the riser, allowing you enough contact to twist and remove the riser.
Step 5
Take the old sprinkler body to the store, and buy a new sprinkler body that is the same size as the old one. The foolproof way is to buy exactly the same brand and model as the old. If not, be sure that the new one matches the old in 2 ways: (1) same diameter female opening at the bottom, and (2) same overall length. Different brands are different lengths, and if you get one that is too long, it will stick out of the grass after you install it. Another consideration: if possible, buy a sprinkler body that has an orange flush-plug top instead of a nozzle, which will make it easy to flush dirt from the line after installation.
Step 6
Wrap a thin coating of teflon tape around the threaded male end of the riser (teflon tape is available in the plumbing section of any home-improvement store). Screw in the new sprinkler body until it is hand-tight.
Step 7
Turn on the sprinkler line for just a moment to blow out any dirt that may have fallen into the line.
Step 8
Turn off the sprinklers, then using the flush-plug ring, pull up the riser, unscrew the flush-plug, put in the plastic filter screen and screw on the nozzle.
Step 9
Twist the nozzle to align the spray pattern so it sprays onto the lawn, not the surrounding area.
Step 10
Replace the dirt back into the hole, packing it down around the sprinkler body.
Step 11
Replace the turf and push it down around the sprinkler head.
Step 12
Turn on the sprinklers to check that everything is spraying correctly. You may need to twist the nozzle slightly to adjust the pattern.
