Drip Trickle Irrigation Troubleshooting

Despite its advantages in supplying water for plants, a drip trickle irrigation system may also be the cause of headache for some farmers. Several problems occasionally occur and interfere in water deliverance. For major problems you can consult to an irrigation specialist or the company designing and installing your drip trickle irrigation system. While for these common simpler problems you can solve and avoid on your own. Here are how.

1. Make sure the whole drip trickle irrigation system is on.
2. Make sure water sources are adequate. It means you have to find municipalities, wells, ponds, reservoirs, canals, ditches, streams or rivers.
3. Consider to use thorough, expensive multi-stage filtration or chemical treatment of the soil surface if ever needed.
4. Make sure that the pump’s suction pipe is elevated above bottom of the pond.
5. Make sure the pond does not contain too much algae. If so, inhibit the algae growth with a non-phytotoxic algaecide.
6. Record water meter reading well since decreased flow can stop the whole drip trickle irrigation system.
7. Make sure the zone valves between secondary filter and pressure regulator are not closed.
8. Read the pressure on gauges number 1 and 2. If the difference in pressure between both gauges is greater than 5lb, backwash the filters.
9. Read the pressure on gauges number 3 and 4. If the difference in pressure between both gauges is greater than 5lb, clean the secondary filter. If pressure on both gauges is low, the primary sand filters may be clogged, or there may be a break in the mainline, or the pump may fail.
10. Read the pressure on gauge number 4. If pressure is too high, there may be drip lines clogging. It usually rises gradually as the watering continues. If pressure is too low, the secondary filter may be clogged and must be cleaned.
11. Read the pressure on number 5. If pressure is too low, there may be leak(s) in the system. If no leak is found, the pressure regulator may fail. If pressure is too high, the pressure regulator definitely fails.
12. Check all row laterals once in 2 weeks. If there is an excessive deposit of materials, they should be flushed.
13. Record tensiometer reading every morning, at exactly same time. Weekly maintenance is required to ensure its proper operation.

Tagged as: algae growth, algaecide, canals, deliverance, ditches, drip, irrigation specialist, mainline, municipalities, ponds, pressure regulator, reservoirs, sand filters, soil surface, stage filtration, suction pipe, trickle irrigation system, water meter, water sources, zone valves