Mowing a lawn can easily lead to damaged sprinkler heads, resulting in wasted water, uneven coverage, and costly repairs. Lawn maintenance equipment, including mowers and string trimmers, frequently strikes the plastic components of irrigation systems that sit flush with or slightly above the turf. This damage often causes leaks or breaks the head entirely, compromising the entire watering zone. Protecting these components requires physical barriers, proper installation, and conscientious mowing habits.
Installing Protective Collars and Shields
One of the most direct methods for protecting sprinkler heads involves installing physical barriers designed to absorb impact. Sprinkler donuts, which are specialized collars typically made from durable plastic or concrete, encircle the head to provide a hard, raised edge. This collar slightly elevates the ground immediately around the sprinkler, preventing direct contact from a mower blade. To install, a shallow section of turf is removed so the donut’s top edge sits flush with the rest of the lawn surface once settled.
Concrete donuts offer greater stability and weight, making them resistant to shifting or floating away after heavy rain. Flexible plastic shields or guards can also be easily placed around the head, offering a barrier against both mower impact and the whipping action of a string trimmer line. Some specialized guards feature sloped interior walls that discourage grass and debris from accumulating directly over the sprinkler nozzle. When placing any collar or shield, ensure it does not obstruct the pop-up mechanism or interfere with the head’s intended spray pattern.
Specialized impact shields, which are often made of robust materials like thick ABS plastic, are designed to withstand a direct strike from lawn equipment. These shields fit snugly over the head casing, creating a buffer zone that deflects the force of a blow. Proper installation involves centering the protective device so the sprinkler can fully extend and retract without becoming wedged or misaligned.
Adjusting Sprinkler Head Placement and Type
Proper installation depth is a foundational element in protecting pop-up sprinkler heads from damage. The head must be set so that its top is perfectly level with the surrounding turf when fully retracted. If a pop-up head sits too high, it becomes an easy target for mower blades, but if it is buried too deeply, grass can grow over it and impede its function. Over time, soil settlement can cause heads to sit proud, so periodic checks and adjustments are necessary to maintain the correct grade.
Using flexible swing joints, which connect the sprinkler head to the main water line, can significantly mitigate the risk of catastrophic damage. These joints are made of flexible pipe sections that allow the sprinkler head to move slightly upon impact instead of snapping the rigid connection below the surface. This flexibility absorbs some of the force from a mild strike, preventing a break in the underground piping.
Selecting heads with a low profile or a rugged design also contributes to long-term durability. High-quality rotor or spray heads are often designed with stronger internal components and more durable casings to better handle occasional traffic or minor impacts. While standard fixed heads may be more vulnerable, ensuring that any head used is a pop-up type is important, as it retracts below the surface when not active, removing it from the path of the lawn mower.
Modifying Mowing Techniques
Adopting careful operational procedures around the irrigation components can minimize accidental strikes. Before the main mowing pass, use a string trimmer to clear the grass immediately surrounding each sprinkler head. This action exposes the head, making it highly visible and reducing the chance of the mower rolling over an obscured component. However, the string trimmer must be used with precision, as the rapidly rotating line can quickly damage the plastic casing.
Mower operators should make wide, gradual turns when navigating near the locations of known sprinkler heads. Sharp, zero-radius turns, particularly with heavy riding mowers, can exert significant pressure on a head, causing it to break or shift its alignment. Temporarily marking the location of each head with a small, brightly colored flag is a simple yet effective way to maintain awareness of their position during the mowing session. These markers serve as visual reminders to slow down and adjust the path of the equipment.
Raising the mower deck height slightly when passing over areas with concentrated sprinkler heads provides an additional clearance buffer. While this may result in a marginally less close cut, the benefit of avoiding a costly repair outweighs the minor aesthetic difference. Mowing the lawn in a dry state also prevents wet grass from obscuring the heads, ensuring they remain visible to the operator.