Troy, MI Sprinkler System Rebuild: Fixing Low Pressure, Rebuilding the Valve Manifold & Upgrading Rachio

When Hunter HydroTech takes over maintenance of an existing sprinkler system, we do not assume that previous modifications were performed correctly.

We recently began servicing a property in Troy, Michigan where portions of the irrigation system were performing poorly. Once we started investigating, we found that the problem was not simply a bad sprinkler head, valve, or controller setting.

Several previous modifications had changed the way the irrigation system was designed to operate, resulting in low pressure, poor spray performance, unnecessary piping, and a valve manifold that was extremely difficult to service.

Two Separate Spray Zones Had Been Tied Together

One of the biggest problems we found was that two separate spray zones had been combined into a single operating zone.

The previous irrigation company had tied the two spray zones together so an additional drip irrigation zone could be added while continuing to use the existing 8-zone controller.

The problem was that the drip zone was not actually necessary, and combining the two existing spray zones created a much larger problem.

The spray heads no longer had enough available pressure and flow to operate properly.

Many of the sprays were barely rising out of the ground. Coverage was poor, operating pressure was weak, and the zones were no longer functioning the way they were originally intended to operate.

Why Combining Irrigation Zones Can Cause Low Pressure

Every irrigation zone is designed around the amount of water flow and pressure available at the property.

Spray heads require adequate operating pressure to:

• Fully rise out of the ground
• Maintain the proper spray pattern
• Distribute water evenly
• Provide proper head-to-head coverage
• Operate consistently throughout the zone

When two zones that were originally designed to operate independently are tied together, the total water demand can increase significantly.

If the property's water supply cannot provide enough flow for all of those sprinklers at the same time, operating pressure drops.

That was exactly what we found at this Troy property.

The sprinkler heads themselves were not necessarily defective. The way the irrigation zones had been reconfigured was preventing them from receiving the water they needed.

Separating the Spray Zones Back to Their Proper Configuration

Instead of replacing sprinkler heads and treating the symptom, Hunter HydroTech corrected the underlying irrigation design.

We separated the two spray zones so they could once again operate independently.

This reduced the amount of water being demanded at one time and returned the system to a much more appropriate operating configuration.

Once we began correcting the zone configuration, we also found several other problems around the valve manifold and irrigation piping.

Removing Unnecessary U-Loops, Elbows and Rerouted Pipe

Previous modifications had left a complicated collection of fittings and pipe around the irrigation manifold.

We found unnecessary:

• U-shaped pipe loops
• Multiple elbows
• Rerouted sections of irrigation pipe
• Tight transitions
• Short sections of pipe between fittings
• Connections stacked closely together

Elbows and fittings are sometimes necessary in an irrigation system. They may be needed to route piping around landscaping, hardscape, utilities, structures, or other obstacles.

The problem is when repeated modifications create a maze of unnecessary fittings instead of a clean, logical, and serviceable installation.

As part of this project, we removed unnecessary routing and cleaned up the piping around the valve manifold.

The Existing 8-Valve PVC Manifold Was Extremely Difficult to Service

The existing irrigation manifold contained eight valves and had been constructed using rigid PVC fittings.

One of the biggest problems was how tightly everything had been assembled.

The manifold used male-threaded PVC tees, creating additional threaded connection points between components.

The valves, tees, fittings, and sections of pipe were also installed extremely close together.

There was very little exposed pipe between components and almost no room for a technician to make individual repairs.

Why Irrigation Manifold Serviceability Matters

A compact valve manifold may appear neat when it is first installed, but compact does not always mean better.

Irrigation systems eventually need repairs.

Over the life of a sprinkler system:

• Valves can fail
• Solenoids can fail
• Valve diaphragms can wear out
• PVC fittings can crack
• Threaded fittings can leak
• Irrigation wiring may need troubleshooting
• Zones may need to be modified
• Additional zones may be added

A properly designed irrigation manifold should take future service into consideration.

On the existing Troy manifold, there was almost no room to cut out and replace an individual component.

When every fitting is glued directly into the next fitting, something as simple as one failed valve can become a much larger repair.

There may not be enough usable pipe available to remove the damaged component and reconnect a replacement without disturbing neighboring valves and fittings.

In some tightly constructed PVC manifolds, one failed component can eventually require replacing most or all of the manifold.

Why Hunter HydroTech Prefers Serviceable Poly Manifolds

This Troy irrigation project is a good example of why Hunter HydroTech generally prefers properly designed poly irrigation manifolds where appropriate.

Our goal is not simply to make an irrigation system work on the day we repair it.

We also want the system to remain practical to diagnose, maintain, and repair in the future.

A properly designed manifold should provide enough working room to:

• Diagnose individual valves
• Replace damaged valves
• Repair individual connections
• Access irrigation wiring
• Trace electrical problems
• Make future modifications
• Add zones when appropriate
• Service one component without rebuilding everything around it

Serviceability matters.

Sprinkler systems can remain in service for decades. Thinking about future repairs during installation or reconstruction can save homeowners significant time, labor, and unnecessary replacement costs later.

Replacing the 8-Valve Manifold With a New 9-Valve Manifold

After correcting the piping and returning the spray zones to their proper configuration, Hunter HydroTech replaced the existing 8-valve manifold with a new 9-valve manifold.

The additional valve allowed us to restore the proper zone configuration instead of forcing two spray zones to operate together simply because the previous controller did not have enough available stations.

Rather than redesigning the irrigation hydraulics around the limitation of an 8-zone controller, we upgraded the controller so it could properly operate the irrigation system.

Upgrading From an 8-Zone Rachio to a 16-Zone Rachio

The property already had a Rachio smart irrigation controller, but it was an 8-zone Rachio.

Once the irrigation system was returned to nine independently controlled zones, the existing controller no longer had enough station capacity.

Hunter HydroTech upgraded the property to a 16-zone Rachio smart irrigation controller.

The larger controller allows all nine irrigation zones to operate independently while also leaving additional station capacity available for future changes or expansion.

The Completed Troy Irrigation System

After completing the repairs and upgrades, the property now has:

• Properly separated spray zones
• Improved operating conditions for the spray heads
• Nine independently controlled irrigation valves
• A cleaner and more serviceable valve manifold
• Unnecessary piping loops and fittings removed
• A 16-zone Rachio smart controller
• Additional controller capacity for future expansion
• An irrigation system that is easier to diagnose and repair

Fixing the Cause Instead of Treating the Symptom

One of the easiest mistakes in irrigation repair is treating the visible symptom without determining what is actually causing the problem.

If sprinkler heads are barely rising out of the ground, it can be tempting to immediately start replacing heads.

Replacing the sprinkler heads would not have corrected the underlying problems at this Troy property.

The real issues included:

• Two spray zones operating together when they should have been separate
• Excessive water demand affecting operating pressure
• An unnecessarily complicated piping layout
• A difficult-to-service PVC valve manifold
• An 8-zone controller that did not have enough capacity

Correcting these issues required looking at the irrigation system as a complete system instead of replacing one visible component at a time.

That is what Hunter HydroTech means by Sprinkler Systems Done Right.

Taking Over an Existing Sprinkler System?

Hunter HydroTech regularly works on irrigation systems that have been repaired, expanded, or modified by multiple contractors over many years.

We diagnose and repair problems involving:

• Low sprinkler pressure
• Spray heads that barely rise
• Zones that do not operate correctly
• Leaking irrigation valves
• Valve manifold problems
• Sprinkler wiring issues
• Wire tracking
• Controller limitations
• Rachio smart controller upgrades
• Hunter Hydrawise controller upgrades
• Irrigation system revamps
• Poor sprinkler coverage
• Irrigation additions and modifications
• Older sprinkler systems that have become difficult to service

Sprinkler Repair in Troy, Michigan

If you are located in Troy, Michigan and your sprinkler system has low pressure, poorly performing zones, leaking valves, wiring problems, an outdated controller, or years of questionable modifications, Hunter HydroTech can help.

We provide residential and commercial irrigation repair throughout Troy, Oakland County, Macomb County, and surrounding Southeast Michigan communities.

View Hunter HydroTech service areas throughout Southeast Michigan.

Hunter HydroTech LLC
Family Owned, Licensed & Insured

Call or text:
586-221-0730
313-636-1387