Design Guide

Troubleshooting Checklists
Excessively Wet Soil Areas
■ Determine if the wet area is caused by damaged dripline. Carefully
dig up the area and expose the dripline. Make a clean cut when
cutting through the damaged area. If the system is a subsurface
grid system, water will flow from both sides of the cut,
automatically flushing any debris that may have worked its way
into the dripline. While the water is running, flush both sides of
the cut and repair it with the appropriate coupling.
■ If the wet area is at the low side of a slope or mound and a leak is
not found, the wet area is probably caused by subsurface runoff.
To remedy the problem, expose the lowest line in the area. Cut
the line and plug it off at both the inlet and flush manifolds.
■ Localized wet areas are sometimes caused by differences in soil
depth or uneven dripline depths. If uneven dripline depth is the
problem, the line must be excavated and re-installed at a uniform
depth. If it is caused by shallow soil conditions, it will be necessary
to correct the shallow condition or wrap some of the dripper
outlets in the area with electrical tape to cut off flow.
■ Localized wet areas also can be caused by leaky fittings. If this is
the case, the fittings are either the incorrect size or not properly
secured.
■ Area-wide wet areas are probably due to improper scheduling. Set
the controller to apply water at rates that correspond to local
evapotranspiration data. Use the Application Rate Table and the
Scheduling Form provided in this manual.
Excessively Dry Soils
■ Check system flows and pressures to determine if the system is
operating at designed pressures. If excessively low pressures are
detected, follow the standard procedures for determining the
cause of a pressure drop (i.e., a clogged filter).
■ Localized dry soil conditions are sometimes caused by kinked or
pinched dripline, or upstream leaks. Dig up the dry area and
correct the situation.
■ Massive dry areas can be caused by improper scheduling. Set the
controller to provide the application rate that corresponds to the
local evapotranspiration data. Use the Application Rate Table and
Scheduling Form provided in this manual.
_____________________________________________________________Landscape Dripline Design
■ Routine Preventative Maintenance
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