Frequently Asked Questions

The first thing to do in this scenario is confirm you have power to the unit. You can do this by plugging another device into the power point to confirm there is power available there. If there is no power, the circuit breaker or fuse in the switchboard may have have been switched off or tripped. You can also check the fuse in your controller. This can sometimes blow if you have a short circuit at a solenoid or in the controller itself. If you reach the limits of what you are comfortable doing, give us a call and we can attend the property and help you with the issue.

This is generally a sign that one or more of your solenoids are "Stuck Open". This is a common occurrence when you have a bore as the water is generally not as clean as mains water which can degrade the internal moving parts of the solenoids over time. Give us a call and we can attend the property and help you with the issue.

Check there is only one program operating on your controller and that there isn't one operating in the background at alternate times. Has there been a power surge/outage at your property recently? Some older style controllers can struggle to maintain their flash memory when they have power disruptions. This can sometimes be fixed by powering down the controller and leaving it for ~5 minutes, then powering it back on again and reprogramming the unit. If this doesn't fix the problem give us a call and we can attend the property and help you with the issue.

It's important to determine if you have a bore or if you are running off water mains, as the potential issues are unique to each type.

​

Water mains - Your master isolation valve may be faulty, this is the first solenoid in place after the tap-in from your water meter, and the only solenoid common across all of your reticulation stations. If this doesn't open then your reticulation system will not work. Look for this in a solenoid box, it's usually near your water meter. If you're stuck, give us a call and we can attend the property and help you with the issue.

​

Bore - Is your pump running when your reticulation is turned on? if not, see below FAQ's for common problems and solutions. If your pump is running, you may have a priming issue, see below FAQ's for solutions

This could be one of the following,

​

- You may have a leak somewhere. If the pressure is down on all stations then you likely have a leak on one of the 'mainline' pieces of pipework before the solenoid valves. If it is only apparent on one station, then the leak is likely somewhere in the pipework for that individual station.

​

- If you have a bore, there may be an issue with your pump such as a loss of prime, damage to the impeller form running dry (no water). see below for our bore FAQ's

​

- The balance between water flow of your system and water flow required is out, meaning your system requires more water than what can be provided. We can look at changing sprinkler nozzles out to more water conservative types, or look at splitting the station by adding more solenoids.

​

Give us a call and we can discuss these issues with you in more detail.

​

Usually, if you aren't involved in the installation of the system (or if you have recently bought the property) you might not know where the solenoids are actually located. We use tone generating equipment to locate your solenoids and cabling for you. This is usually only something that's needed when there is a problem with your solenoid, which we can help you fix after we have located them. Give us a call and we can attend the property and help you with the issue

This could be one of the following issues,

​

- The circuit breaker/RCD for your bore has tripped or been turned off

​

-If your bore makes a low clicking noise but doesn't spin it could be one of two issues. The impeller of your pump could be seized, which can happen after extended periods of non-use. The other potential problem could be a damaged start capacitor.

​

- If your bore has been installed using best practice techniques there will be a contactor in-line with the power supply to the bore, this is controlled by your irrigation controller and is another item that can sometimes prevent your pump from turning on.

​

Give us a call if you would like to talk about these issues in more detail or book in a service technician to attend the property and fix them for you.

​

Firstly, we will ask you if this is a submersible or centrifugal bore (above ground), this will help us determine which route to take when talking you through options.

​

For submersible;

- Depending on the pumps age, there could be significant 'wear' on the pump impeller which is inhibiting it from achieving the flowrate it has previously been able to deliver.

​

- The pump is removing too much water from the well and it can't replace it quick enough. This can sometimes be an indication of blockages in the bore casing which can be fixed by air-development of the bore. Another solution is putting a gate valve on the discharge pipework of the pump to 'choke' the flow. This needs to be tested because if it's done incorrectly it can lead to pressure issues in the downstream sections of your system.

​

For Centrifugal (above ground);

​

-These pumps need water in them to work, so the prime may have been lost. This can be fixed by one of our technicians, or if you are confident we can talk you through it over the phone. If priming the pump doesn't work, we often find the foot valve/non return valve situated on the spear leading into the borehole needs to be replaced.

​

- Most of the issues with centrifugal pumps appear on the suction side of the pump. It could be something as simple as a badly glued joint or a PVC fitting that hasn't been sealed correctly, or this could mean the 'spear' from the bore has air getting into it which isn't allowing the pump to pull up water from the well.

​

Give us a call to discuss the problem and we can offer some solutions or a diagnosis over the phone. Once we understand what the problem is we can either talk you through fixing it yourself, or have a technician attend to fix the problem for you.

​

This usually means your pump has an electrical problem such as a 'fused' (short circuit internally) which some insurance policies cover replacement for. It could also mean there is an earth fault on your pump if it's an RCD that is tripping, this is more typically found on submersible pumps, but we have seen instances of it with centrifugal surface mounted pumps. We recommend you don't touch the equipment and give us a call so we can have a qualified technician attend to repair or make it safe to ensure there is no immediate danger to you and your family. In the case of a 'fused' motor, we can then give you a full report and quote so you can check with your home insurance to see if they will cover the claim.

The costs for a reticulation system can vary depending on the individual requirements of the customer and their property. We would first discuss with you what your individual requirements are, and what you would like to get out of your reticulation install. We can then identify areas that we can help you with and give you an accurate quote for the works you have requested.

​

We usually estimate $900-$1000 per station as a rough guide. We offer free quotes for new installations. Give us a call to discuss this in more detail or to book us in for a quote, or send us the landscaping plans or a rough sketch so we can get a better idea of your property.

Bore pumps, check valves, solenoids and other items in your reticulation system don't like sitting still for extended periods of time, it can often cause maintenance issues for you down the line which can be easily prevented by having a maintenance schedule in place. It's important you run your system once a week for 2 minutes, even during the winter months. Under legislation you can operate your system using domestic bore water to the 'minimum extent necessary' while the system is being installed, maintained or tested. minimum extent necessary involves limiting your testing to a maximum of 2 minutes per station, any longer and it is deemed that you are watering your garden. Water Corporation recommends you conduct maintenance on your system before 9AM or after 6PM on one of your allocated September-May roster days. You can find these days here on the water corporation website.

This really depends on what you are trying to achieve with your garden. Different sprinklers have varying levels of precipitation rates depending on size, flowrate and brand. We like to discuss with you what your personal circumstances are before suggesting anything.

Water corporation has a easy to use guide on the ideal run times for various sprinkler types to achieve the ideal 10mm 'drink' that is recommended for the Perth climate. Keep in mind this is a broad overview, and if you would like to discuss the design of your sprinkler system in more detail give us a call.