Reticulation Not Working? 5 Checks Before You Call

Some retic faults need a technician. Plenty don't. Before you book, these five checks take about ten minutes and rule out the simple causes. If none of them fixes it, you'll be able to tell us exactly what's happening when you call.

None of them needs tools, and none involves the controller's wiring or anything electrical beyond the switch on the power point.

1. Is the controller on?

Look at the screen. If it's blank, check the power point is switched on and the plug pack is pushed fully in. If the screen is on, check the controller isn't set to Off, that no rain delay is counting down, and that a rain sensor isn't holding it off. Our controller troubleshooting guide goes through each of these.

2. Is the water on to the retic?

Retic systems normally have a shut-off valve where they come off the main water supply. If it was turned off over winter (the sprinkler switch-off runs from 1 June to 31 August) or for a repair, make sure it's back on, and fully open. A half-open valve gives weak sprinklers everywhere.

3. Is it everything, or one zone?

Use the controller's manual setting to run each zone for a few minutes.

• Nothing runs anywhere: the cause is usually the controller, its power or the water supply, so go back over checks 1 and 2.
• Every zone runs except one: that zone's wire, solenoid or valve has a fault. That's a repair job.
• Everything runs, but weakly: go to check 4.

4. Walk each zone while it runs

Look for water shooting up or bubbling out of the ground, boggy or sunken patches, heads that don't pop up, and sprays that fall short. A leak on one zone robs the rest of that zone of pressure. Our guide to sprinklers not popping up and low pressure explains what each sign points to.

5. Check the clock and the program

Check the time, the day, and AM or PM. Then check each program has a start time, run times and watering days, and that nobody has added extra start times, which make the whole program run again. If the controller has a seasonal adjustment, check it hasn't been turned right down.

When to stop and get help

• A zone won't turn off. Turn the controller to Off, then unplug it. If the water still runs, turn off the retic shut-off valve: the fault is at the valve.
• You find a burst pipe or a head gushing water. Turn off the shut-off valve until it's fixed.
• The power point, or the controller's mains connection, is the problem. That's a job for a licensed electrician. When it's part of a controller job, we arrange one.
• You can't find the valves. Solenoid valves are often buried out of sight. We use specialised locating equipment to find them, charged separately if it's needed.

What a repair visit costs

Repairs are booked, not quoted, because we can't know the fault until we test the system. A visit is a $160 minimum charge (the call-out), then labour at $40 per 15 minutes on site, plus any parts. You're welcome to set a budget cap when you book, and most faults are diagnosed and fixed on the spot.

As a guide, about three in four of our repair visits finish under $750 all-up, parts included. The full breakdown is in our reticulation cost guide.

Sources: fault causes from Rain Bird's valve troubleshooting guide and Irrigation Troubleshooting Guide, and Toro's sprinkler troubleshooting guide. Sprinkler switch-off dates from Water Corporation. Electrical licensing from the Government of Western Australia, Having electrical work done.