University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

May 19, 2006

Tips for tuning up your irrigation system for the season ahead

A pre-season checkup should be part of your regular irrigation equipment maintenance. Component wear results in less uniform water application and increased energy use. In order to reduce the risk that wear and tear will result in untimely breakdowns, worn components should be identified and replaced now.

One of the best ways to identify worn components such as sprinklers, pumps or irrigation systems is to keep good records. Recording the outlet pressure, flow rate and energy use at least once a month provides an excellent means of evaluating pump and motor performance. Record this information when the pivot is in the same position each time since the pump produces different outlet pressures when the system is facing uphill than when the system is facing downhill.

Each irrigation system will have a number of areas to lubricate, or parts that may need to be replaced prior to the first irrigation. Use the following list as a guide, adding additional checks that your equipment may need:

  1. Change the engine oil and filter.
  2. Replace the air and fuel filters.
  3. Grease drive shafts on pump and motor.
  4. Check spark plugs on gas, propane or natural gas motors.
  5. Drain, flush and refill the cooling system.
  6. Refill the drip oil reservoir and allow about a gallon of oil to drain into the drip line.
  7. Insure that the gear drive is free moving and clean and lubricate non-reverse pins.
  8. Run the motor at 1000 rpm for 45 minutes.
  9. Walk along the system, looking for malfunctioning sprinklers.
  10. Check chemigation pump and safety equipment operation. Check hoses and replace if cracking is noticeable.

Each system is equipped with a number of safety switches to shut the system down in case of failure. Now is the best time to insure that all these controls function properly. Run the system through a set of conditions that would cause each safety control to function.

A walk-by inspection of the system can identify sprinklers or nozzles not operating properly. Be sure to replace malfunctioning nozzles with ones listed on the computer printout you received when the system was installed. Nozzle wear depends on the quality of the water and the system operating pressure. As a rule of thumb, sprinkler replacement should be considered after approximately 10,000-12,000 hours of operation.

Bill Kranz
Extension Irrigation Specialist
Northeast REC, Norfolk

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Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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