3 Signs Your Underground Sprinklers Are Affected By Tree Roots

3 Signs Your Underground Sprinklers Are Affected By Tree Roots

23 October 2017
 Categories: , Blog


When you initially have a professional install your sprinkler system, the contractor will ensure that the water lines and sprinkler heads are far enough away from tree roots that you don't have any problems. However, over time, the tree roots beneath the ground can have a major impact on the sprinkler system and even cause some components to fail altogether. There are several ways that tree roots can cause problems, but the faster you can spot trouble the better off you will be. Here is a look at some of the common signs your sprinkler system has been damaged by tree roots:

You have one sprinkler head that does not produce as much water as the others. 

Low water flow or no water flow to a sprinkler head is almost always a sign that the feeding water line has been disrupted in some form or fashion underground. Most people will assume this means the water line is leaking. However, low water flow can also mean the leak is caused by an impending tree root that is growing into the water line. While the water lines that feed sprinklers are fairly easy to replace, make sure it is not a tree root in the area that is causing the problem. Otherwise, a replaced line will soon after be leaking once again because of the root in the area.

You have a sprinkler head that is spraying in a different direction than it should. 

When sprinklers are first installed, the installing contractor will adjust each sprinkler head to distribute water in a particular direction so that the whole yard is covered. If one of the sprinkler heads starts spraying water in the wrong direction, it can mean the sprinkler head has shifted due to a tree root growing into it. Therefore, make sure you pay careful attention to the position of the sprinkler heads and how they change with time. 

You have a sprinkler head that is pushing up out of the ground. 

If a tree root manages to grow under the sprinkler head and water line in the ground, it can push them up as the tree root grows larger. This will be a subtle change most of the time because tree roots are slow growing. You may even assume that the ground is eroding around the sprinkler system instead. However, the excess pressure on the sprinkler head will eventually push it completely out of the ground. 

Contact a company like Noble Tree Service Inc. for more information and assistance.