Irrigation & Sprinkler Leak Detection in Mount Laurel, NJ
Find broken sprinkler lines and leaking backflow preventers under your lawn. Stop wasting water and protect your landscaping.
Call (201) 510-1615Hidden Leaks in Your Lawn Sprinkler System
Irrigation systems run overnight or early in the morning, meaning you rarely see them operate. A broken pipe underground can run unnoticed for weeks, wasting thousands of gallons of water. Our sprinkler leak detection Mount Laurel NJ service is designed to find these hidden breaks accurately.
Many homes in Ramblewood, Larchmont, and Centerton have extensive irrigated lawns. The shallow PVC lines used for sprinklers are highly susceptible to damage from tree roots, heavy lawnmowers, and particularly from freezing if the system wasn't properly winterized the previous fall.
Signs of an Irrigation Leak
Because the pipes are shallow, the signs usually appear on the surface of your yard. Watch for these indicators that you need irrigation leak repair Mount Laurel:
- Soggy Lawn Areas: Puddles or exceptionally mushy sections of grass that don't dry out.
- Unusually High Summer Bills: A drastic spike in your water bill during the watering season, far above normal usage.
- Low Sprinkler Pressure: Heads that barely pop up or spray only a short distance, indicating pressure is escaping somewhere else on the line.
- Sinkholes: Small depressions in the yard where escaping water has washed away the soil beneath the turf.
- Dripping Backflow: A continuous drip or spray from the brass backflow preventer assembly attached to the side of your house.
How We Test Sprinkler Systems
Finding a break in hundreds of feet of underground PVC requires a systematic approach:
- Visual and System Check: We turn on the system manually at the controller and observe each zone for pressure drops, geysers, or heads that fail to rise.
- Backflow Inspection: We inspect the backflow assembly for a backflow leak Mount Laurel NJ. Note that required testing and repairs of this critical device should only be handled by qualified professionals.
- Zone-by-Zone Pressure Testing: If a specific zone shows low pressure but no visible water surfacing, we isolate that zone and use compressed air to push water out.
- Acoustic Pinpointing: With the line pressurized by air, we use listening devices to find the exact spot where the underground sprinkler line leak Mount Laurel is bubbling below the turf.
Repairing the Damage
Once the broken section of PVC or poly pipe is located, repairing it usually requires digging a small, careful hole, cutting out the cracked plastic, and gluing in a new section or installing a slip fix fitting. We strive to disturb as little of your landscaping as possible.
Related Services
If the wet spot in your yard is between the street and the house, and not related to your sprinkler zones, it may be the main supply line. Visit our water line leak detection page. If you are experiencing water loss in your swimming pool, check our pool leak detection services. For an overview, return to our leak detection in Mount Laurel home page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my sprinkler line break?
The most common cause in New Jersey is a broken line after a winter freeze. If the system wasn't blown out completely with compressed air in the fall, trapped water expands as it freezes and cracks the plastic fittings.
Can you fix the leak on my backflow preventer?
Yes. Backflow preventers often leak when internal seals fail or when the brass housing cracks from freezing. We can identify the failed component and recommend repair or complete replacement.
My sprinkler head is leaking. Do I need leak detection?
Usually, no. If water is pooling directly around a specific sprinkler head, the head itself is likely cracked or the seal is worn. Replacing a single head is a straightforward repair that doesn't typically require advanced underground detection.