Does This Happen to You - Broken Sprinkler Heads

Started by RayM6 • 6 replies • 1720 views

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RayM6 (Virginia)
Posts: 40

Posted:

For the 2nd year in a row, our HOA received a report from our irrigation company (subbed through the landscaping co) indicating over $4000 in needed repairs to our irrigation system. Almost all of it is broken sprinkler heads. The areas needing repair are located on common area near a busy road - no people, vehicles or equipment go on that area except for the landscaper - to mow, weed and aerate the property. Others on the Board say it is normal and happens each year. The number of broken heads represents over 10% of the total. Even though they are used very frequently, I find it hard to believe that normal wear and tear in a year will result in such a large number of broken heads. I think the landscaper didn't want to spend the time up front to mark the sprinkler heads when they aerate in the fall, and we pay the price each spring when we inspect the system.

Is it just us, or is this a common thing?

BruceF1 (Connecticut)
Posts: 2,535

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By RayM6 on 05/02/2013 2:43 PM
For the 2nd year in a row, our HOA received a report from our irrigation company (subbed through the landscaping co) indicating over $4000 in needed repairs to our irrigation system. Almost all of it is broken sprinkler heads. The areas needing repair are located on common area near a busy road - no people, vehicles or equipment go on that area except for the landscaper - to mow, weed and aerate the property. Others on the Board say it is normal and happens each year. The number of broken heads represents over 10% of the total. Even though they are used very frequently, I find it hard to believe that normal wear and tear in a year will result in such a large number of broken heads. I think the landscaper didn't want to spend the time up front to mark the sprinkler heads when they aerate in the fall, and we pay the price each spring when we inspect the system.

Is it just us, or is this a common thing?

Happens all the time.

I lived in one development when it was not uncommon to walk down a street (I used to walk several miles a day around the development) and see sections being tested and water shooting up in a stream completely across to the other side of the street from a broken sprinkler head.

I had an irrigation system installed in a home I once owned and my experience has been that over time grass growth and dirt around the sprinkler head prevents it from being fully retracted after the water flow to the head has stopped. The result is that the sprinkler head gets chopped of the next time the lawn is mowed. I learned to inspect the heads and push them back into the ground before mowing my lawn.

AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287

Posted:

Yes..this is common... the irrigation company(landscapers) want to make extra money so when they mow or use the weed whacker, they do a lot of damage to the sprinkler heads.... then tell the HOA to pay for it. Here at our place... we make the landscape company
pay for the damages.....it is called corruption

RayM6 (Virginia)
Posts: 40

Posted:

Thanks for the input.

BruceF1 (Connecticut)
Posts: 2,535

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AlexM1 on 05/02/2013 6:23 PM
Yes..this is common... the irrigation company(landscapers) want to make extra money so when they mow or use the weed whacker, they do a lot of damage to the sprinkler heads.... then tell the HOA to pay for it. Here at our place... we make the landscape company
pay for the damages.....it is called corruption

Now that's a conspiracy theory comment!

I've owned a home (not in an HOA) where I had an irrigation system installed. From personal experience I learned that over time lawn growth and dirt prevents some sprinkler heads from fully retracting after watering the lawn. The sprinkler heads are of light, plastic material. Water pressure forces them up, but only gravity (on heads that weigh only a few ounces) retracts them. It doesn't take much friction from grass or dirt to prevent that from happening.

The individuals that operate the lawn mowers are laborers. They have nothing to gain by purposely destroying sprinkler heads. Careless? Maybe. But no one is out to "get you" by purposely destroying sprinkler heads.

AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287

Posted:

You said the laborers have NOTHING to gain by breaking the srinkler heads... Here, we just happen to have the same company for irrigation and landscape... when the heavy tractor mowers mow the grass, they chop off the top of the pop up irrigation outlets... then they have to be repaired so the landscape company repairs them...... AFTER, of course, they have broken them.. so HERE at our place, laborers have everything to gain.

BruceF1 (Connecticut)
Posts: 2,535

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AlexM1 on 05/04/2013 2:35 PM
You said the laborers have NOTHING to gain by breaking the srinkler heads... Here, we just happen to have the same company for irrigation and landscape... when the heavy tractor mowers mow the grass, they chop off the top of the pop up irrigation outlets... then they have to be repaired so the landscape company repairs them...... AFTER, of course, they have broken them.. so HERE at our place, laborers have everything to gain.

Really? How?

Do they get a percentage of the profits? Do they get paid a bonus for every head they break? Are they told to purposely break the heads for fear of losing their jobs?

The laborers do not own the landscape company. Most likely, they do not share in the profits of the company. Their job - mow the lawn from 8 to 5. Get paid $$ per hour. Get paid for the number of hours they work. No bonus for breaking sprinkler heads. Ergo, nothing to gain or lose.

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