Sprinklers Running But
Not Covering Right?

Sometimes the system is working, but the heads are not aimed correctly. A sprinkler head may be spraying the sidewalk, driveway, fence, house, or the same area as another head while missing dry parts of the lawn. This is especially common after a hard Treasure Valley winter where ground movement, frost heave, or mower hits have knocked heads out of position without anything obviously breaking.

Signs of Bad Coverage

If your lawn has dry patches and wet patches at the same time, the issue may not be water pressure. It may just be bad coverage. Idaho's low average rainfall means every zone needs to be dialed in correctly or parts of your lawn simply will not get enough water to survive the summer.

• Dry corners or edges of the lawn despite the system running normally
• Heads spraying onto pavement, fences, or the side of the house
• One area of the yard is always too wet while another is always too dry
• Rotor head is turning but not covering the full arc it should
• Coverage gaps that got worse after winter or after recent lawn work

The Fix

Most spray heads and rotor heads can be adjusted so they hit the right area without replacing anything. If the head has shifted in the ground, it may need to be raised or repositioned. A spring turn-on inspection catches most of these issues before they turn into dead spots in July. If you are seeing consistent dry patches and the heads look like they are running fine from a distance, a coverage adjustment is usually the answer.