Irrigation Troubles! Cancel The title field is required!

1. Brian Barnes

   

   0 posts
   
   3/30/2012 3:03 PM

   This is my second season as a superintendent and whenever I came to this course I have had nothing but problems with my irrigation system. It is an old rainbird system with Nimbus central control and mostly 51DR and 91Dr impact heads. The problem I have faced since I have been here is every time I run the system I have a minimum of 20 leaking heads and heads that will not turn off. I have removed the foot valves and cleaned out the pilot valves and blown out the lines the best I can to remove any debris but that will fix the problem for only a day or so. I realize there is debris in my irrigation lines and every head I clean, I valve it on when the foot valve is out to try to remove any debris that is in the lines. I pump out of a creek and last year I pumped out and cleaned out the pits where the pumps pull from. My question is, have any of you have this problem? Any time I run my system, it takes 2 guys to check every head and get them to quit weeping (aprox. half a day), only to have it happen again the next time. What is the best way to clean out my system? Any help would be appreciated!
   Thanks,
   Brian Barnes
   Mattoon Golf and Country Club
   Mattoon, IL

   
   
   
   
2. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   3/30/2012 3:03 PM

   Brian, I don't quite have that problem as bad as you, but I am guessing it is debris related? We do have that problem with our system which is mostly 51's. Ran the entire program last night for the first time this season and had 7 weeping heads, luckily it only took me about a half hour to fix, only had to cycle on and off.

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
3. Dalton Andrew

   
   3/30/2012 5:03 PM

   I started at a course last year that had the same problem and it was debris related, rust actually. We replaced all 3 intake lines that were rusted steel with HDPE pipe and the problem went away. We still get the occasional weeping or stuck head, but it's minimal compared to the horror stories I kept hearing about. The superintendent that was there before me actually got that ball rolling. Does your club know about this type of problem?
   
   Andy

   
   
   
   
4. Brian Barnes

   

   0 posts
   
   4/4/2012 7:04 AM

   Yes, my board is aware of our problem. All our inlet pipes are PVC, so we are not getting any rust there. I guess my plan of attack is going to be to flush out all the lines the best I can and go around the course and clean out each head with compressed air. One of our inlet pipes seems to be near the bottom of the creek that we pump out of, so I am going to put a 45 on it to angle it up slightly to try and prevent any debris being sucked off the bottom. Thanks for the replies and I will continue working on the debris issue to try and resolve the problem.

   
   
   
   
5. James Rauhuff

   

   0 posts
   
   4/4/2012 10:04 AM

   Do you have any type of screen on your intake line / lines? I understand that you are having trouble with smaller debris, but it could be bigger pieces that are being sucked in and then torn up when going through your pumps. Also, if you can get to your inlet, make sure that it is pointed downstream when you do your 90, so the current of the creek "washes" it clean each time. Just some thoughts...

   
   
   
   
6. Wydra David A

   
   4/4/2012 12:04 PM

   Had the same issue at a course I was at. Pulled out of a slough which was river fed. Our 51/47dr's and 91/95dr's would stick on at random times and places. Even brand new heads right out of the box would be stuck on the next morning. Extremely frustrating. We had two 12' x 14" dragon filters next to the pumphouse which had 1/16" mesh. I had checked our water in random places by running a few gallons into a white bucket, only to find nothing obvious - no sediment, algae, sand. The inside of our PVC pipes really had no excessive build-up of algae. I had a hard time believing that the pilot valving in a brand-new 91DR could foul up in less that 24 hours. I even went so far as to totally disect a couple of our heads, cutting the pilot tubing open, tearing apart the foot valves, etc, etc. Found nothing. All looked clean. I was baffled. In hind-sight; one thing I never tried was a head from another manufacturer. For s#*%'s and giggles, buy a new Toro head and install it. I eventually began to wonder if the design of the Rain Bird valving systems simply did not work well with the quality of water we were using. I know what you're going through - no fun. Maybe it would help to keep a pint of whiskey in your tool box =~)
   Good luck

   
   
   
   
7. Nowakowski Michael J

   
   4/4/2012 12:04 PM

   Have you opened up the selector switch? In the past I have found the spring that holds the solenoid would slip off completely or a little bit and not allow the solenoid to close completely. Would stretch the spring slightly, then reinstall it. As well, the old 91's used to use 3 O-rings that would get chipped slightly, but enough to allow water to keep passing through. The newer versions had a one piece O-ring kit that was easier to change out. Still miss those heads now though, as they were the only ones I could get my hand in all the way to the bottom.

   
   
   
   
8. Jack Tripp

   

   3 posts
   
   4/4/2012 6:04 PM

   Brian,
   
   You might try checking with Sports Turf Irrigation for some different foot valves. I am not very well versed with Rainbird because 95% of our heads are Toro, but we do have some Rainbird 95's. The 95's come with a all plastic foot valve from Rainbird and when we installed these heads they would stick on 50% of the time. I don't know if Sports Turf makes them or where they get them from, but they have some foot valves that are made of 50% plastic and 50% metal. Once we changed the foot valves the 95's never stick on.
   
   Like I said I am not very familiar with Rainbird and don't know if the 95's foot valves will fit your heads.
   
   Jack Tripp
   La Crosse Country Club
   Onalaska, WI

   
   
   
   
9. Darden Nicks

   

   0 posts
   
   4/5/2012 10:04 PM

   Agh, the ole great big head with a pilot valve? Was it converted from hydraulic to electric? Is the foot valve piston or daiphram? Should be diaphram if rainbird, toro usually has piston with spring. If hydraulic (piston) you can drill a hole in the bottom of foot valve between pie wedges and head will never come on again as an immediate fix. But will not solve problem, only if in hurry etc.
   Are they the old Griswald brass valves underneath the head? I may be dating my age here but I remember having to water a night with quick coupler heads. Then the four foot deep Griswald valve with brass under each head was latest and greatest, with presssure regulators on each valve. But it sounds like you are referring to a basic pilot valve on a huge PVC Shell? Seemed more simplilar in those days, at least you saw it work or felt it. IF the valves are under the head, they are probably brass, which I would replace one by one and salvage brass (comodity use funds to buy new heads)
   Have you been able to collect any water comming out of head to see what it is etc????? If hydraulic you may need add two pool filters to city line, but it sounds as if you are referring to intake from lake. Any lake valves to open to flush lines?
   Rainbird GURU in Florida is Bob Garrison 312-322-8547. Very nice, can lead you to and through right direction over phone. Yes, other entities that other folks mentioned are good. Either way that is a lot of pressure of H20 for a pilot valve to shut off, it would be slow, and not a snap. Without knowing all the ins and outs you almost have to go back to Pavlovs Physics of Pressure.. IE Field pressure on irrigation pipe going out = ? Then the pilot valve pressure rating is only good for X amount to turn off. Many variables, if system is complete loop and all gate valves are open you may be able to run the water through system and dump back in to wet well, almost a reverse flush. Good Luck, you can tell Bob I said to call him, very nice guy. He was with rain bird in beginning. way back last century.
   Blessings
   Darden