Irrigation System Slime Cancel The title field is required!

1. Chad Thummel

   

   0 posts
   
   6/20/2012 2:06 PM

   Does anyone else get this stuff in irrigation heads, we are having it on a regular basis. The picture is from the bottom of a Rain Bird Eagle 700. We just flush the lines and clean it out then put it back in, and usually make it a about 3 days before we have to do it again.
   I do not know what to do about it, I have tried copper sulfate in the water source, and chlorine and a few other products to treat the lake with little success, the heads I have the most trouble with are on the end of the main lines.
   
   Thanks in advance.
   
   Chad Thummel
   Ward County Golf Course
   Monahans, Tx
   432-448-4686

   
   
   
   
2. William Heaslip

   

   0 posts
   
   6/20/2012 4:06 PM

   Chad-
   
   We have used copper sulfate and citric acid and injected into lines to help keep clean (300# copper sulfate and 100# citric acid in 400-500 gallons H2O). If the protoza gets too bad, then potassium permanganante will be your best bet. Guys I know, who have been dealing with this issue have gotten it down to a science for a very un-scientific procedure. Basically, PP comes in small mini-barrels (I forget how much), and guys dump into wet well and begin running their irrigation heads at the furthest point on the course from station. Once you see purple, run all stations to get lines charged. It may take a few barrels to get enough product in the system. Once you've got pink in the lines, shut it down over night and let the permanganate burn the protoza. You will still need to clean screens but it should buy you more time in between treatments. Water quality will dictate how often you treat. Some guys I know in AZ may have to treat 3-4 times per summer.
   
   Bill Heaslip
   Las Vegas

   
   
   
   
3. Larry Allan

   

   0 posts
   
   6/21/2012 11:06 AM

   Chad Thummel said: Does anyone else get this stuff in irrigation heads, we are having it on a regular basis. The picture is from the bottom of a Rain Bird Eagle 700. We just flush the lines and clean it out then put it back in, and usually make it a about 3 days before we have to do it again.
   I do not know what to do about it, I have tried copper sulfate in the water source, and chlorine and a few other products to treat the lake with little success, the heads I have the most trouble with are on the end of the main lines.
   
   Thanks in advance.
   
   Chad Thummel
   Ward County Golf Course
   Monahans, Tx
   432-448-4686

   
   
   It looks a lot like the last dinner my wife served, before she left me

   
   
   
   
4. Chad Thummel

   

   0 posts
   
   6/21/2012 4:06 PM

   Bill
   
   The amount of Citric Acid and Copper Sulfate you are talking about, it is enough do any damage to bent grass greens? I have used copper sulfate but in small amounts and only in the water sources not injected in to the lines.
   What is the time span you have injected it, do I want to do it slow over a week or heavy in 1 or 2 nights?
   The potassium permanganate, does it have any adverse effect on bent grass or any other grasses, is this something I might want to do in the off season? I do have a considerable amount of this coating all of my irrigation lines.
   
   
   Chad Thummel

   
   
   
   
5. Brett Morris

   

   0 posts
   
   6/21/2012 4:06 PM

   Chad,
   
   I had the exact same problem at my last course a couple of years ago, also with Eagle 700s. We were using recycled water but had no aeration in the storage lake, so when the temperatures rose the algae started to bloom and block heads. At its worst we spent 6 weeks cleaning heads everyday before the owner finally agreed to install 3 new aerators in the lake. I was also adding copper sulphate into the wet well and as soon as the aerators went in the problem stopped. You need to reduce the nutrient load in the storage lake.
   
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