Drip Irrigation Repair: Clogged Emitters, Leaks and Pressure Problems

Drip irrigation is efficient and low-maintenance, but it is not no-maintenance. The small emitters and flexible tubing that make drip work so well are also easy to clog, cut or knock loose. Because drip tubing usually sits under mulch, problems can go unnoticed until plants start wilting. This article covers the most common drip problems and how to fix them.

How to Spot Drip Problems

Walk your beds while the drip zone runs. Pull back mulch in a few spots and look at the tubing and emitters. Signs of trouble include:

• Plants that wilt or brown while others nearby look fine
• Puddles or muddy spots in the bed
• Water spraying or bubbling out of the mulch
• Tubing that has pulled loose from a fitting
• Emitters with no wet spot around them

Problem 1: Clogged Emitters

Causes

• Grit, sand and sediment that got past a dirty or missing filter
• Mineral buildup from hard water
• Soil or roots entering emitters that sit below the surface
• Insects nesting in emitter openings

Fixes

1. Clean the filter at the zone valve. A clogged filter can also reduce flow to the whole zone.
2. Flush the lines by removing the end caps and running the zone until the water runs clear.
3. For point-source emitters, pull the emitter and try to clear it, or replace it. Emitters are inexpensive.
4. For inline tubing with clogged built-in emitters, cut out the section and splice in new tubing.

Problem 2: Leaks and Cuts

Causes

• Shovels, hoes and edging tools
• Animals chewing on tubing
• Sun damage on tubing left uncovered
• Foot traffic

Fixes

Cut out the damaged section and splice in a coupling or a short piece of new tubing. Use fittings that match the tubing size, since drip tubing comes in several diameters. For small punctures, a goof plug can seal the hole.

Problem 3: Fittings Popping Off

Causes

• Pressure that is too high, often because the pressure regulator is missing or failed
• Fittings that do not match the tubing size
• Old tubing that has hardened and no longer grips

Fixes

Check that a pressure regulator is installed after the valve and working. Replace mismatched fittings. Use locking fittings or clamps where lines keep separating.

Problem 4: Low Flow Across the Zone

Causes

• A clogged filter
• Too much tubing or too many emitters for the zone’s flow
• A partly closed valve flow control
• A leak somewhere in the zone

Fixes

Clean the filter, check the flow control, look for leaks and, if the zone is simply too large, split it into two zones. Our article on low sprinkler pressure explains how zone size affects flow.

Problem 5: Some Plants Get Too Little Water

Causes

• Not enough emitters on larger plants
• Emitters placed at the stem instead of where roots have spread
• Plants with different water needs sharing a zone

Fixes

Add emitters at the drip line of larger shrubs. Move emitters outward as plants grow. Group plants with similar needs on the same zone.

Problem 6: The Zone Does Not Run

If no water comes out anywhere, the problem is at the valve, wire or controller, the same as with a spray zone. See our guide on a zone that will not turn on.

Problem 7: Soggy Areas

Causes

• A break in the tubing
• An emitter that popped out, leaving an open hole
• Run times that are too long for the soil

Fixes

Repair the break, replace the missing emitter, and shorten run times if the soil stays wet. On clay, drip should soak the root zone without making the bed muddy.

Keeping Drip Working

• Clean the filter at least once or twice a year, more often if your water carries grit.
• Flush lines each spring and after any repair.
• Keep tubing covered with mulch.
• Walk the beds while the zone runs a few times a season.
• Keep a few spare emitters, couplings and goof plugs on hand.

Freeze Protection for Drip

Drip tubing is flexible and usually handles brief freezes well, but the filter, pressure regulator and any above-ground fittings can crack. When you winterize the system, drain the drip zone’s filter and regulator if they are exposed. Our guide to winterizing a sprinkler system covers the whole process.

When to Rethink the Zone

If a drip zone has constant problems, it may have been laid out poorly. Common issues include running drip on the same valve as spray heads, missing filters and regulators, or tubing sized wrong for the length of the run. Sometimes redoing the zone is simpler than chasing repairs. Our articles on drip for beds and shrubs and foundation drip lines explain good layouts.

A Simple Drip Repair Kit

Keeping a few parts in the garage makes most drip repairs a ten-minute job. A useful kit includes a handful of couplings and elbows sized for your tubing, a few spare emitters of the flow rate you already use, goof plugs for sealing unused holes, a hole punch for adding emitters, spare flush caps and a replacement filter screen. Take a short piece of your tubing to the store so you can match the size, since drip tubing that looks alike can have slightly different diameters, and the wrong fittings leak or pop off.

When to Call a Technician

If you cannot find why plants are drying out, or the zone needs to be redesigned, our sprinkler repair service repairs and rebuilds drip zones.