How to Adjust Sprinkler Heads in Your Irrigation System
Your heads up on speedy sprinkler head fixes
When a sprinkler head goes awry, the system becomes a menace, leaking or soaking vulnerable materials like nearby fences and patio chairs. The answer is learning how to adjust sprinkler heads to put your watering system back on track.
This DIY task is within the reach of anyone with a few everyday tools. We’ll show you exactly what to do, when you might need professional help, and ways to fix common sprinkler spray problems.
Why Do I Need to Adjust Sprinkler Heads?
Sprinklers aim water under pressure so that it sprays in the right patterns to get your lawn, garden, and other areas watered appropriately. But that pressure—and the outside nature of home irrigation—means that sprinklers can change over time, introducing issues that need attention. That includes:
Poor spray patterns: Sprinklers need to evenly cover the irrigation area, especially lawns where a missed spot could lead to dying grass. Sometimes sprinkler heads aren’t installed correctly or they shift over time. It’s a good idea to check sprinkler head positioning at the start of every watering season and make any necessary adjustments to keep them working well.
Issues with dust and grit: Sprinkler heads need to be relatively clean to rise fully from the ground and produce an accurate spray pattern. If they get too dirty, they can stop working. That takes careful adjustment and cleaning your sprinkler heads to fix.
New landscaping: Many landscaping projects can get in the way of sprinklers. A new berm or water feature could block the sprinkler’s line of fire. Switching sprinkler heads or adjusting the existing head is a common option to help prevent problems.
Changes in sunlight and weather: Heat and sunlight patterns change significantly over the course of the seasons. Adjusting sprinkler heads is an easy way to give certain areas more water.
How to Prep for Adjusting Sprinkler Heads
Follow these prep steps before diving into your sprinkler head adjustment.
Determine the Type of Sprinkler Head
Before you get set up for adjustment, take a close look at the sprinkler head that needs attention. For the standard pop-up sprinkler head, use a small pair of pliers or your fingers to pull the head up from the riser or base. If you have a rotor sprinkler head, you may not be able to pull it out for a closer examination.
Look for signs of damage to the head or problems that indicate you’ll need to replace it entirely. Wipe away any grime and see if you can read the letters around the top of the head, which indicate the type of sprinkler head. You can usually find the brand name and letters like 6A, which indicates the head sprays six feet and has an adjustable angle.
Finally, look at the adjustment section in the center of the sprinkler and see what kind of tool it requires. Most sprinkler heads require using a simple flathead screwdriver, but some use a twist design that requires a hex wrenches or a more specialized key.
Clean Sprinkler Heads
This is a great time to give your sprinkler heads a good cleaning with a brush or rag and some warm water. It keeps sprinkler heads performing well, and it can even remove blockages that were causing spray problems.
Grab the Right Tools
Collect the following tools to prepare for the sprinkler head adjustment:
Pliers
Adjustable wrench
Cleaning rag
Small brush
Screwdriver or hex wrench
Rotor screwdriver (for rotor sprinklers)
How to Adjust Your Sprinkler Heads
Adjusting sprinkler heads is usually a quick job with the right tools. Here’s what you need to do.
Pull Out the Sprinkler Head and Adjust the Direction
Carefully pull the sprinkler head up manually to its full height. Your pliers help with this step, but don’t grip too hard.
You can use a wrench or your pliers to hold onto the sprinkler head as you work.
Grip the sprinkler head and twist it until it turns to the direction that you want it to face. You can eyeball the direction by looking at the spray gap in the sprinkler head where the water will come from.
If the sprinkler head won’t budget, apply extra pressure with your wrench or pliers.
Adjust the Angle of the Spray Pattern If Necessary
If your sprinkler head is an orbital model or has a screw in the center to twist or tighten, you can shift between different preset angle widths, usually from tight angles around 90 degrees to a full 360-degree circle of spray.
Using your flathead screwdriver, turn the top screw clockwise to increase the radius, and counterclockwise to decrease the radius.
If the head doesn’t have a screw adjustment option, you may be able to twist the crown of the head to adjust the angle.
Adjusting Impact of Rotor Sprinkler Heads
If you have a rotor or impact head, you need to use the special rotor screwdriver.
Insert the screwdriver into the center of the head and twist it clockwise to shorten the length of the spray or counterclockwise to increase it.
These types of heads have a secondary adjustment option marked with a plus and minus sign. This is a separate insert point for the rotor screwdriver that increases or decreases how far the rotor head will turn before repeating its arc.
Other types of impact sprinklers have small metal tabs to adjust how far the rotor head turns. Use your pliers to grasp the tabs tightly and turn them right or left to control where the sprinkler shoots.
Purchase Replacement Heads If Necessary
As you work, you may discover that your sprinkler head is cracked, damaged by a lawnmower, or too worn and clogged. You may also want to switch sprinkler heads to a version that’s easier.
In these cases, you can purchase a new sprinkler head for under $40 and install it. Make sure you get a sprinkler head that’s compatible with your system, ideally from the same brand as your old sprinkler head. Replacing sprinkler heads is a DIY project with only a small amount of digging. Ensure the new model stays clean and grit-free when placing it.
Test and Adjust the Sprinkler Head
With the sprinkler head set and adjusted, it’s time to turn the water on. We suggest using a manual function to turn the sprinklers on for a few minutes.
Observe how the new sprinkler head behaves and whether the water spray is reaching the desired spots.
You can make more precise directional changes by twisting the sprinkler head while it’s still on, so you can see the spray in real-time.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Adjusting and replacing sprinkler heads is a relatively easy DIY project with the right tools. Plus, once you’re comfortable adjusting sprinkler heads, you can more easily maintain your irrigation system. You can expect to spend around 10 minutes adjusting a sprinkler head.
The exception is when your examination uncovers a more serious problem that extends beyond the sprinkler head. You may find serious damage, leaks, or damp ground that indicates pipe damage below the surface. You may also find widespread water pressure issues or irrigation valves that are stuck or broken. In these cases, it’s usually best to contact a local sprinkler repair company for an inspection and repairs. Sprinkler repair costs range from $130 to $400, depending on the type and scope of the issue with your system.
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends on what’s causing the sprinkler head to leak in the first place. If the sprinkler head is leaking directly, it may simply need tightening or adjustment, or you may need to replace the head entirely. If the leak is welling up from the ground, that indicates a more serious problem like drainage issues, faulty or cracked pipes, and other problems that will take more work.
A sprinkler’s spray pattern is determined by the opening in the sprinkler head and the water pressure. You can change the direction of a sprinkler head to control where the spray goes and its overall spray angle. Changing the angle itself takes more work. Common orbit sprinklers allow you to adjust a top screw to shift the radius larger or smaller. In some cases, the radius may be fixed and you’ll have to purchase a new sprinkler head to change it.
The distance for sprinkler heads is determined in part by your water pressure, part by the width of the spray pattern (longer equals farther) and part by the head design. Most sprinkler heads tend to spray between 4 and 20 feet. Purchasing a new sprinkler head with a longer spray distance is the best way to change this feature. If your sprinkler is dripping and isn’t spraying a fine mist, you may also have a water pressure issue, causing you to lose distance.
Many standard spray heads on home sprinklers spray at around 15 feet. More powerful but less common rotary heads can spray up to 35 feet or more. And bubbler heads don’t spray far at all but instead carefully soak a nearby area, like the base of a tree. Different heads can spray at different distances, so be sure to purchase sprinkler heads that fit your distance needs.