What Is the Life Expectancy of My Illinois Sprinkler Installation?
Every spring and summer you rely on your home’s irrigation system to keep your lawn looking vibrant and healthy. As the years go on, you may begin to forget how reliant you are on your automatic sprinkler system — until it fails, leaving you with a lawn that is overwatered or underwatered depending on the problem.
But how long can you rely on your lawn sprinkler system to perform?
Let’s take a look at the life expectancy of your irrigation system and what you can do to prolong its life.
How Long Do Sprinklers Last?
The average lifespan of a professional in-ground sprinkler system typically is around 20 years with consistent winterization and care.
The Life Expectancy of an Irrigation System
Like most things in life, the quality of your irrigation system and sprinkler heads will often determine its life expectancy. While different parts of your system may need replacing throughout its life, you can expect the average sprinkler system to last for upwards of 20 years.
During that time, you’ll likely need to replace your sprinkler heads around the 10-year mark if using high-quality heads. Low-end sprinkler heads may be available at a lower price point, but they might need to be replaced or serviced earlier.
Similar to sprinkler heads, you may also find yourself replacing the system’s wire connections if they aren’t installed properly or become corroded.
Because the irrigation system’s pipes are underground and made of durable material, they can last up to 40 years before needing to be replaced!
What Causes A Sprinkler System to Fail?
There isn’t one specific problem that can cause your irrigation system to fail.
Damage to your residential sprinkler system can happen due to:
The age of the system
The proximity to trees and their growing roots
Rodent activity
The quality of the water moving throughout the irrigation system.
Over time, several factors can decrease the durability and effectiveness of your irrigation system.
To lessen the chance of these factors causing your sprinkler system to fail completely, schedule regular maintenance and inspection of your system.
How to Increase the Lifespan of Your Irrigation System?
Luckily, there are steps you can follow to keep your irrigation system working efficiently and effectively year after year.
“Once you install your irrigation system, you can’t just forget about it and expect it to work properly whenever you turn it on — especially at the start of a new season!”
Instead, you need to properly maintain and tune your home’s sprinkler system to keep the water flowing smoothly and increase its life expectancy.
To help you keep your sprinkler system operating at peak efficiency, we’ve put together a quick seasonal guide to sprinkler system maintenance.
Spring – As winter comes to a close and you’re getting ready to revive your lawn, you should perform a checkup on your sprinkler system. Walk throughout your yard and take note of each sprinkler head. Are any of them visibly blocked with dirt, mud, and grass? Are any of the sprinkler heads angled incorrectly? Are there any obstructions that will be blocking the sprinkler’s water spray?
Summer – During the summer, your landscape is going to require ample water to keep it looking its best. Too much water and you may find yourself with flooded, soggy areas. Too little water and you may have brown and dead grass patches. Perform another check of your sprinkler heads, both while the system is off and on, allowing you to see if they are providing even coverage throughout your yard.
Fall – With the cold winter months around the corner, you need to prep your irrigation system for frigid temperatures. To avoid having remaining water in the pipes freeze, which can cause the pipe to expand and crack, you need to use compressed air to remove water from the pipes and sprinkler valves.
While many of these steps can be performed by the homeowner, it’s best to leave your irrigation system maintenance to a lawn sprinkler system contractor.
With a trained eye, an irrigation technician will be able to spot any problems and repair them before they lead to more costly problems down the line. Whether you just installed a new irrigation system or you’re looking to get home lawn sprinkler system maintenance performed for the first time, it’s never too late to get started.
When Should I Replace My Sprinkler System?
Even with proper maintenance each year, your irrigation system will eventually reach the end of its life and require a full sprinkler system replacement. While most sprinkler systems will last between 15 and 20 years, the life expectancy of your system will vary depending on the quality, condition, and age.
It may be time to schedule a full sprinkler installation instead of a replacement if:
You’ve had to schedule frequent repairs – If you find yourself with a sprinkler repair technician on speed dial from calling one too many times, it’s probably best to replace your system. While the upfront cost will be higher, you’ll have fewer repair costs and headaches down the line.
Your current irrigation system doesn’t provide enough coverage – Whether you’ve changed the layout of your landscape, increased your lawn size, or the sprinkler heads are no longer reaching the desired areas, it may be time to install a new sprinkler system that has an updated layout customer-designed to your landscape.
Your irrigation system is 20 years old – The older your sprinkler system gets, the more likely you are to experience worn-out, damaged parts that require replacement or repair. Over time, these costs will begin to add up until you schedule a full system replacement.
If you think your irrigation system is nearing the end of its life, schedule a professional assessment with us to help determine if you are a candidate for sprinkler system installation or repair.