Irrigation Repair in Snellville, GA: 5 Signs Your Gwinnett System Has a Problem

Most irrigation problems in Snellville and Gwinnett County do not announce themselves loudly. A cracked head leaks slowly. A zone valve fails gradually. A pipe crack underground runs water into the soil without surfacing. By the time most homeowners notice, the problem has been running for weeks and shows up as a high water bill, a dead zone in the lawn, or a soggy area in the yard.

Catching problems early keeps repairs smaller and cheaper. Here are the five signs we most commonly see when we get called out to diagnose an irrigation system in Snellville and surrounding Gwinnett County.

Sign 1: Water Bill Is Higher Than Normal

A consistent unexplained increase in your water bill, especially during months when the irrigation system is running, usually means a leak somewhere in the system. An underground pipe crack can run 10 to 20 gallons per hour without surfacing. At typical Gwinnett County water rates, that adds up fast over a month.

To check: calculate your expected usage based on how many zones you run, how many minutes per zone, and how many times per week. Multiply that out and compare to your meter reading. If your actual usage is significantly higher than the calculation, a leak is the most likely explanation. A qualified irrigation technician can run each zone and pressure-test the system to locate it.

Sign 2: One Zone Is Not Watering

If a section of lawn goes brown despite the system running on schedule, that zone has likely failed. The most common causes: a zone valve has failed (stuck in the closed position), or the pipe supplying that zone has a break. Zone valves are solenoid-controlled and fail over time, particularly in Gwinnett County's clay soil where pressure changes and soil movement stress the fittings and connections.

A failed zone valve is a straightforward repair. A broken lateral line requires locating the break, which can take some digging in clay soil. Either way, the result is a dead zone in the lawn that will not recover until the water flow is restored.

Sign 3: A Head Is Not Rotating or Popping Up Fully

A rotor head that does not rotate leaves dry arcs in the lawn: green where it starts, brown where it stops. The arc pattern makes it obvious which head is the problem. Causes include a worn rotor mechanism, debris in the head, or damaged internals from a lawn mower strike.

A head that does not pop up fully is usually clogged with clay or debris in the riser, or has a broken riser from foot traffic or equipment. Both are simple repairs. Head replacement typically takes 15 to 30 minutes per head. Catching it early prevents the dead arc from establishing and requiring sod repair on top of the head repair.

Sign 4: Wet Spots That Appear Between Irrigation Cycles

Soggy ground that appears overnight or on days the system did not run indicates either a valve that is not closing fully after its cycle, or a broken lateral line that loses pressure slowly between runs. In Gwinnett County's clay soil, underground leaks can take time to travel to the surface, so a wet spot may be the first visible sign of a problem that has been running for a while underground.

A valve that will not close (stuck open) is usually a solenoid or diaphragm failure. It is a common failure mode on systems that are 10 years or older. The repair is replacing the solenoid or the entire valve body, which is typically a 30 to 60 minute job once the valve box is located.

Sign 5: System Pressure Seems Low

If heads are not throwing their full radius, water pressure in the system is low. You will notice this as shorter spray arcs, heads that barely clear the grass, and dry spots at the edges of each zone's coverage area. The lawn goes brown at the perimeter of each zone while the area nearest the heads stays green.

Causes include a cracked main line losing pressure before it reaches the zones, a zone valve not opening fully, a backflow preventer that is partially closed or damaged, or a municipal pressure drop that affects the whole system. Low pressure problems often get worse over time as the leak or restriction grows. Diagnosing the cause requires running the system and checking pressure at multiple points.

What an Irrigation Repair Visit Looks Like

We run each zone manually from the controller and observe head performance across the system. We check for heads that are not rotating, not popping up, spraying in the wrong direction, or misting instead of throwing a stream (which indicates a cracked nozzle or too much pressure). We look for wet spots, dry arcs, and pressure inconsistencies. We note the age and condition of the controller, rain sensor, and backflow preventer.

Based on what we find, we give you a written estimate for any repairs before doing the work. Most single-zone problems are repairable in one visit. Multiple zone failures or a main line crack may take longer depending on where the line is and how accessible it is. We also handle controller issues: programming errors, clock battery failures, and rain sensor malfunctions that cause the system to run when it should not or skip when it should run.