Lawn Care Advice & Tips | RainMaster Lawn Systems

6 Common Lawn Sprinkler Problems (and How to Spot Them Early)

Written by Kevin Buck | Feb 3, 2025 4:00:00 PM

When you have free time, do you spend it staring out at your sprinkler system, looking for problems?

Hopefully not. There are lots more interesting things you can be doing. Like, well, just about anything else.

Even if you pay pretty close attention, lawn sprinkler problems can be sneaky. Problems can go unnoticed for days, even weeks.

Meanwhile, your lawn suffers. You waste water. It’s a big bummer.

Whether you’ve noticed a dry patch or a soggy mess, sprinkler system problems often sneak up on you, and can lead to wasted water and costly repairs.

Here are some lawn sprinkler problems that need attention.

1. One Sprinkler Zone Isn’t Working

This is one of the most common lawn sprinkler problems homeowners miss. If a zone fails, you’ll likely see brown grass or dry patches.

Each of your zones should turn on and off and run properly, to make sure every area of your lawn gets the right amount of water.

But things happen, when you don’t even realize it:

  • Lightning may have zapped your system.
  • There may be a leak.
  • An animal might have chewed through the pipe.

2. Sprinkler System Has Low or High Water Pressure

Water pressure issues are a common reason for irrigation system repair. Maybe you’ve noticed brown spots, or it’s obvious the spray isn’t reaching as far as it should.

If the water pressure is too low, water will stream out of the sprinkler instead of forming a spray.

If the pressure is too high, you’ll see mist instead of a nice steady spray.

Any number of issues could be to blame here, from intruding tree roots to a hole in the pipe.
 

3. Your Sprinkler Controller Is Set Incorrectly

Irrigation system troubleshooting often starts with the controller, the brain of the system. If it isn’t set correctly, your sprinklers might be watering your landscaping too much or too little.

Think you have a leak, because you’re using more water than you think you should be? Maybe it’s just your controller, set to turn on too many times.

Make sure it’s set for the right season, too. It might be set to water more often than your property needs for this time of year.

4. Broken or Misaligned Sprinkler Heads

Fixing broken sprinkler heads is a simple but critical repair, and often overlooked until dry spots appear.

Your sprinkler heads are sturdy, but not indestructible. They might get knocked out of alignment by mowers or heavy foot traffic. Or broken by a wayward snowplow.

When that happens, they might not be hitting all areas of your lawn. Or they might be spraying areas they shouldn’t, like your sidewalks, driveway, or the side of your house.

Sprinkler heads can get blocked, too, by tall grass or plants. Sometimes they settle too low into the ground, so they spray into the grass and not up over it.

And the nozzles can get clogged with debris. Residue in the line can flow to the heads once the water is turned on, clogging the head without you even realizing it.


If you’re sensing a lot can go wrong with your sprinkler heads, you’re right. They’re the real workhorses of your sprinkler system.

5. Sprinkler System Still Running in the Rain

This drives you crazy, right? Such an obvious waste of water. 

Could be your controller is set wrong, or the battery in your rain sensor died.

If your sprinklers are running during rain, it’s likely due to a faulty rain sensor or improperly programmed controller.

6. Sprinkler Leak Causing Soggy Lawn Spots

Maybe you notice one spot in your lawn is too soggy. There could be a sprinkler system leak, releasing way more water than that spot needs.

So, a Lot’s Going On Out There

Most homeowners don’t look too closely at their sprinkler systems, so they don’t see the little issues, the warning signs that turn into big lawn sprinkler problems later.

By the time their system needs repair, it’s an emergency. The grass is getting brown. Those expensive plants are dying.

That’s why regular sprinkler system inspections are so important. A quick check from a pro can prevent a small problem from becoming a major repair. 

Obviously, you can’t keep a constant eye on your yard for lawn sprinkler problems. You have to work, cook meals, walk the dog. And tons of new shows are on Netflix.

But somebody needs to keep an eye on things out there.

Ignore lawn sprinkler system maintenance and you could face repairs far more expensive than the cost to pay for maintenance.

Lawn Sprinkler Problems? Trust RainMaster

Thinking about all the things that might be going wrong with your sprinkler system is kind of stressful.

Give yourself a break.

Invest in a sprinkler system maintenance plan and you’ll have peace of mind that a skilled irrigation specialist will discover issues like broken sprinkler heads, soggy spots, or controller problems and fix them.

In addition to catching lawn sprinkler problems early and keeping things running smoothly, professional irrigation specialists offer great advice for saving water and money.

They’ll let you know if you’re watering too much, or too little, and keep you posted on updates that can help your system run more efficiently.
Choose from our three irrigation maintenance programs to make sure everything is running smoothly.

Ready to make your lawn life easier? Request a quote today! We’ll review your options together so you can make a confident decision. Then, you can finally enjoy your well-watered lawn and stop worrying about it.