I have this type of sprinker in my backyard. A pop-up impulse sprinkler.
Its by the back fence and sweeps 90 degrees. The grass has receded somewhat because of the shade of my 20+ year old oak trees and my neighbors trees. I keep mine professionally trimmed but my neighbor has not ever had his trimmed in the 20 years I've been here.
The problem is that the sprinker is level with the soil and its mostly dirt around the sprinkler. Although the top closes when its off. It apparently is not tight enough to keep out silt that washes over it when it rains heavily as it is wont to do here in Houston. The upshot is that after a period of time (many months) the sprinkler will jam with the cover up and the impulse not turning. Inspection will show that its half full of mud - the silt having built up and the water draining out through the weep holes in the bottom.
Now the way I fix this is to get a hose with a hand sprayer attachment and a wet-dry vac with a thin nozzle. Stick the nozzle into the sprinkler and shoot the spray full jets on to stir up the mud while the vac sucks it up. takes several repeated blasts of water with the vac running 100%. Eventually the can is clear to the bottom and my shop vac is 1/4 full of muddy water.
I really hate this because my oldest shop vac is permanently attached to the drill press and band saw. I have to empty it and clean out the fine dust, take off the dust filter (messy) and run a 50 foot extension cord to the head. THen I have to run the hose 50 feet. Suck everything out. THen I have to clean the vac hose. Clean the vac of all the muddy water, dry the vac, rewind the cord, reinstall the filter after teh vac dries, and put away the hose. All in all a real pain.
any better ideas? I tried once putting a ring around the sprinkler head to make a small dam, it didn't help much. I wish I cuold get the grass to grow thickly again so it wouldn't be a problem but I've resodded several times and it won't take.
Its by the back fence and sweeps 90 degrees. The grass has receded somewhat because of the shade of my 20+ year old oak trees and my neighbors trees. I keep mine professionally trimmed but my neighbor has not ever had his trimmed in the 20 years I've been here.
The problem is that the sprinker is level with the soil and its mostly dirt around the sprinkler. Although the top closes when its off. It apparently is not tight enough to keep out silt that washes over it when it rains heavily as it is wont to do here in Houston. The upshot is that after a period of time (many months) the sprinkler will jam with the cover up and the impulse not turning. Inspection will show that its half full of mud - the silt having built up and the water draining out through the weep holes in the bottom.
Now the way I fix this is to get a hose with a hand sprayer attachment and a wet-dry vac with a thin nozzle. Stick the nozzle into the sprinkler and shoot the spray full jets on to stir up the mud while the vac sucks it up. takes several repeated blasts of water with the vac running 100%. Eventually the can is clear to the bottom and my shop vac is 1/4 full of muddy water.
I really hate this because my oldest shop vac is permanently attached to the drill press and band saw. I have to empty it and clean out the fine dust, take off the dust filter (messy) and run a 50 foot extension cord to the head. THen I have to run the hose 50 feet. Suck everything out. THen I have to clean the vac hose. Clean the vac of all the muddy water, dry the vac, rewind the cord, reinstall the filter after teh vac dries, and put away the hose. All in all a real pain.
any better ideas? I tried once putting a ring around the sprinkler head to make a small dam, it didn't help much. I wish I cuold get the grass to grow thickly again so it wouldn't be a problem but I've resodded several times and it won't take.
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