The primary reason for sprinkler head "gushers"...

We've all seen it...the Old Faithful sprinkler head gushing water and stealing pressure from the rest of your zone.

"Gushers" are obviously an indicator that you have a broken sprinkler head, but how did it break to begin with?

The primary reason for broken sprinkler heads is because the sprinkler head doesn't retract when the zone shuts off. Once it is stuck in the upright position, it becomes a beacon that attracts lawn mowers, dogs, kids etc...whatever it may be, something will break it eventually!

When a sprinkler will not retract, its likely due to some sort of debris that is causing it to stick. To fix this, turn the zone on and use your foot to push the head up and down a few times. This should break lose any debris and fix the issue.

If the head will still not retract, then its likely an issue with the spring inside the head. At that point, you will need to replace the head altogether.

This is something that most people don't notice until they see the "gusher". Its always a good idea to walk your lawn every once in a while (after your sprinklers have run) to fix this BEFORE you have your own personal old faithful.