A well-behaved irrigation system feels invisible. The lawn wakes up green, plant beds stay happy through August, and your water bill doesn’t spike without warning. When it falters, you feel it immediately—soggy spots along the sidewalk, brittle patches near the driveway, a controller that suddenly forgets what month it is. The hardest call isn’t always finding what’s wrong. It’s deciding whether to invest in irrigation repair or bite the bullet and schedule a replacement.
I’ve spent years crawling in valve boxes, tracing low-voltage wire through mulch beds, cutting and gluing pipe in rain and heat. The decision, more often than not, comes down to a mix of age, design, and economics. Repair keeps good systems running for decades; replacement wipes away layered mistakes and sets you up for efficient watering. The trick is knowing which choice respects both your yard and your budget.
The big question: Is the system worth saving?
Every system has a backbone—its mainline and zone piping, the irrigation controller, the valves, and the heads. If the backbone is sound, repairs usually make sense. But if the system’s bones are brittle or the design was flawed from day one, replacement starts to look smart.
Age is an honest starting point. Poly and PVC piping, if installed well, can serve 20 to 30 years. Controllers last anywhere from 8 to 15 years depending on model and exposure. Valves can go a decade or two with simple upkeep. But installation quality matters more than a calendar. A 15-year-old system with proper pipe depth and clean solvent welds can outperform a five-year-old rush job.
There’s also the landscape itself. If your yard has changed since the original irrigation installation—new patio, maturing trees, turf replaced with beds—the system may be the wrong shape for your life now. When the coverage map no longer matches the plants you’re trying to grow, you can spend a small fortune on piecemeal fixes and still chase dry spots.
Common failures and what they’re trying to tell you
Every symptom has a story. Before deciding repair versus replacement, listen to what the system is saying.
Low pressure on a single zone often traces to a partially closed valve, a leak, or a clogged filter. That’s a straightforward repair. Low pressure across all zones raises other flags: undersized mainline, failing pressure regulator, municipal pressure changes, or multiple backflow preventer issues. When the cause is a systemic bottleneck—pipe diameter too small throughout the yard—replacing select runs or re-zoning could be a better investment than endless band-aids.
Frequent head breakage along driveways and walkways usually happens where heads sit too high or too close to traffic. Swapping to low-profile heads, moving them a foot back, or adding swing joints will often solve the problem. Broken heads across an entire property, though, suggest shallow pipe and improper head installation. If every spring you’re replacing a dozen heads, you’re paying the maintenance tax on a bad install.
Random brown patches despite regular watering often come from mixed head types. Sprays and rotors don’t belong on the same zone; their precipitation rates differ dramatically. You can fix that with re-nozzling and re-zoning, but if the system consistently mixes apples and oranges, it might be time for a redesign. Proper sprinkler installation separates head types, respects head-to-head coverage, and matches precipitation rates so turf doesn’t live on rollercoaster watering.
Wiring gremlins—intermittent valves, ghost zones turning on at 2 a.m., stuck solenoids—are fixable. New solenoids, waterproof connectors, and a methodical wire trace usually tame them. If your yard has had repeated utility work, new flower beds, or pets that dig, buried splices can turn into a hydra. Replacing the controller and home-running fresh wire to the trouble areas might be smarter than chasing hundreds of feet of questionable connections.
The cost curve: when repairs stop paying off
People ask for a number—“If repairs cost more than X, replace.” It’s rarely that clean. A more useful benchmark is the repair burden over a season. If you’re spending 20 to 30 percent of a replacement cost on repairs every year, and performance is still mediocre, replacement will usually be cheaper by year three.
Consider a rough scenario. A full system replacement for a quarter-acre lot might land in the $5,000 to $12,000 range in many markets, depending on material choices and access. If you’re dropping $1,500 each year on valve replacements, leak hunts, and head swaps while still nursing dry spots, you’re effectively renting a broken system.
On the other hand, if a single $450 valve manifold rebuild and a $300 smart controller upgrade give you stable pressure and better scheduling, that’s money well spent. The right repair returns value immediately: lower water use, fewer callbacks, healthier turf.
Repair strategies that extend a system’s life
When the bones are good, small, targeted upgrades can refresh a tired system.
I like to start with heads. Convert legacy sprays to high-efficiency nozzles for turf zones where the layout allows. They put out larger droplets, resist wind drift, and save a reasonable chunk of water—often 20 percent or more—without changing the pipe in the ground. Keep each zone consistent. Mixing nozzle types on one zone ruins the math.
Swap old rotors for modern, matched-precip models. If you’re in a region with clay soils, slower precipitation rates reduce runoff and puddling near driveways. Add pressure-regulating stems where pressure is high; they protect the nozzle pattern and provide even coverage.
Valve manifolds deserve a careful eye. If you’ve had repeated failures in a cluster, rebuild the manifold with new valves, unions, isolation ball valves, and clean electrical splices using gel-filled connectors. It costs more up front than a single solenoid swap, but it gives you control and prevents future excavation.
Controllers are the unsung heroes. A decent smart controller, installed and programmed correctly, pays for itself. Weather-based scheduling, seasonal adjustments, and soil-based watering windows make a noticeable difference. Just don’t treat the controller as magic. It can’t fix bad hydraulics. It can, however, keep a good system optimized without constant fiddling. If you’re seeking irrigation service Greensboro homeowners rely on, many local pros will pair a smart controller upgrade with a spring tune-up to lock in consistent performance.
Finally, protect the system with good filtration and backflow testing. Sediment and small debris will chew through valve diaphragms and clog nozzles. A small filter on the mainline, cleaned as part of routine irrigation maintenance, keeps headaches at bay.
When replacement clears the slate
Some systems just aren’t worth nursing along. Shallow pipe runs in a freeze-prone climate, chronic mainline leaks under a driveway, mixed head types all over the yard, no head-to-head coverage—at some point you’re compensating for fundamental design flaws.
Replacement isn’t only about tearing out and rebuilding. It’s a chance to adjust the design to your landscape and water supply. You can add a dedicated drip manifold for foundation plantings, size pipe correctly for your available pressure, and separate shaded turf from full-sun turf so each gets what it needs. If you’re considering irrigation installation Greensboro NC residents typically face clay soils and hot summers, which rewards zones that water slowly and deeply, with drip for shrubs and efficient rotors for turf.
Modern systems also treat water carefully. Pressure regulation at the valve or head, master valves that shut off flow when the system is idle, flow sensors that detect leaks and halt watering—these features change the day-to-day experience from reactive to resilient. If your property has had ongoing leak issues, a flow sensor with automatic shutoff can save thousands of gallons and protect hardscape from washouts.
Replacement is also the time to bury wires in conduit where possible, use color-coded tracer wire, and map valve locations. Five years from now, when a dog finds your only unprotected splice, you’ll be thankful someone thought ahead.
The hidden culprit: design mismatch with plants
You can repair everything mechanical and still fail if the irrigation design ignores plant needs. Turf wants uniform precipitation and overlapping coverage. Bed plantings with shrubs and perennials prefer targeted drip that reaches the root zone and keeps foliage dry.
A common mistake I see: spray heads soaking azaleas and hydrangeas, causing fungal issues, while the nearby turf still struggles because sprays were blocked by mature shrub growth. Repairing heads won’t fix a zoning mismatch. Replacement—or at least re-zoning and converting beds to drip—transforms outcomes. Expect fewer disease problems, less mulch displacement, and tighter control of water use.
When we retrofit beds to drip, we aim for emitters that match plant size and soil. In heavy clay, start with lower-flow emitters spaced wider and longer run times, so water can soak rather than run. In sandy soils, higher frequency with moderate flow helps. Good drip design looks boring, and that’s a compliment.
Water pressure, regulators, and real-world math
Irrigation thrives in a Goldilocks pressure range. Too low, heads sputter and coverage suffers. Too high, atomization creates mist that sails away in a breeze. Many neighborhoods drift between 60 and 90 psi at the spigot. Most sprays and rotors want much less at the head—often 30 to 45 psi.
If you’ve never measured static and dynamic pressure, it’s worth doing before deciding on repair versus replacement. Static pressure tells you your starting point. Dynamic pressure under flow reveals the system’s friction losses. I’ve seen systems that looked weak turn out fine after a single regulator added at the backflow, or after up-sizing a short bottleneck section of mainline feeding the manifold. Conversely, I’ve seen systems where every head was misting in the morning sun; swapping to pressure-regulating nozzles and correcting the schedule cured the problem without touching pipe.
Scheduling is not an afterthought
Most water waste comes from scheduling, not hardware. A controller set to water daily for 10 minutes on all zones is a red flag. The soil doesn’t have time to absorb, and runoff takes your money to the storm drain. Soak cycles—watering in shorter bursts with rest periods—help water settle into the root zone.
Repair versus replacement decisions should include a scheduling plan. If you replace, design for zones that support smart scheduling: separate sun and shade, turf and shrubs, slopes and flats. If you repair, commit to testing, adjusting, and documenting run times. Track it like a recipe. Irrigation installation is the hardware; irrigation maintenance is the craft.
The Greensboro factor: climate, soils, and local service
In the Piedmont, summers are hot and humid, winters can dip below freezing, and many neighborhoods sit on red clay. Clay holds water but resists infiltration. Efficient systems in this region favor slower precipitation, deeper but less frequent watering, and careful head spacing. Drip in planting beds is not just efficient, it’s tidy—less overspray on sidewalks, fewer weeds sprouting where you didn’t plan them.
If you’re seeking irrigation service Greensboro homeowners trust, look for teams who talk soil, pressure, and zoning, not just “head count.” They’ll check static and dynamic pressure, test the backflow, inspect valves, and map zones to plant needs. They’ll also ask about your landscape changes, any additions since the original sprinkler installation, and how you use the yard. Dogs, trampolines, and lawn service patterns all influence head placement and pipe protection.
When planning irrigation installation in Greensboro NC, pay attention to freeze protection. Use proper depth for lines and drains at low points. Make winterization easy—install accessible blowout ports and label zones. It’s a small cost during installation that saves headaches every November.
A realistic path to a decision
When I meet a property that’s on the fence between repair and replacement, I outline a staged approach. Phase one tackles known efficiency wins: replace broken or mismatched heads with consistent, pressure-regulated models; rebuild any suspect valve manifolds; fix leaks; and upgrade the controller. Then we run the system through a full cycle, flag weak areas, and take notes.
If coverage still fails in certain zones because of spacing or layout, phase two can rework those zones. That might include adding heads, moving heads off hardscape edges, or converting beds irrigation maintenance to drip. If the system behavior improves significantly in phase one, a full replacement can wait. If not, the money spent carries forward because the new heads, valves, and controller become part of the rebuilt system.
There are times, though, when I advise skipping straight to replacement. Picture shallow pipe across the whole yard, consistent mainline leaks, mixed spray and rotor heads on every zone, and a controller mounted under a gutter downspout. You’re pouring money into a leaky bucket. Designing from scratch sets you up for long-term stability.
What a smart replacement looks like
A quality replacement doesn’t just mirror the old system; it corrects it. Expect a pressure and flow test at the start. The design should separate turf by sun exposure, isolate beds as drip zones, and match sprinkler precipitation across each zone. Heads should be placed for head-to-head coverage in turf, with special attention to corners that tend to dry out.
Mainline and lateral pipe selection should follow available pressure and zoning needs. Valves should be accessible, grouped in logical manifolds with isolation valves. Wiring should be direct, with documented routes and waterproof splices.
The controller should be sized for growth, with room to add zones. If your property has a history of leaks or you travel often, a flow sensor tied to a smart controller is worth every penny. It stops the system when something breaks, saving your driveway from a midweek geyser.
How maintenance tips the scale either way
If you lean toward repair, commit to maintenance. Spring startup isn’t just turning on a valve. It’s checking each head for rotation, arc, and level, cleaning filters, testing valves for slow closing, and verifying that the controller is still connected to weather data. Mid-season, a quick audit catches heads knocked out of alignment and plants that grew into spray patterns. Fall winterization protects everything you just fixed.
If you replace, maintenance ensures you get the performance you paid for. New systems drift without attention: shrub growth changes throw, lawn service raises and lowers soil around heads, and seasonal pressure shifts after municipal work can nudge patterns. A service agreement with seasonal visits costs less than you might think and keeps repairs rare.
A brief checklist to guide your choice
- Age and condition: Is piping depth and quality sound, or are you seeing systemic failures? Coverage and zoning: Are heads spaced and matched correctly, or are types mixed and patterns blocked by mature plants? Water pressure: Do you have appropriate regulators and consistent performance under flow? Repair burden: Are you spending a meaningful slice of replacement cost annually without solving root problems? Landscape fit: Has the yard changed since the original install, and can the current layout adapt efficiently?
Use this as a conversation starter with your contractor. The answers should point clearly toward repair or replacement.
Local stories that stick
A homeowner off Lawndale Drive called after replacing the same cracked head three times in six months. Each time, the fix lasted until the mowing crew came. The head sat flush the day we checked it, but the pipe was shallow and rigid. We added a swing joint, set the head a half inch lower, and adjusted the arc to keep spray off the sidewalk. No more breakage. A $90 part solved a $600 headache.
Another yard near Lake Brandt had four controllers installed over ten years, each time chasing ghost zones. The problem wasn’t the controller. It was a corroded, poorly spliced common wire running through a perpetually damp garden bed. We ran a new common in conduit, rebuilt the manifold, and the “haunted” system calmed down. Repair beat replacement because the underlying design was sound.
Contrast that with a corner lot where the original sprinkler installation had sprays and rotors together across nearly every zone. The turf never looked even. The owner spent for new heads twice, then valves, then a controller. We mapped the system and showed the inherent mismatch. She opted for a full redesign with consistent head types, head-to-head coverage, a master valve, and drip for beds. Water use dropped noticeably, and the lawn finally matched the effort.
Final thought: choose clarity over habit
People tend to keep what they have, even if it fights them. Habit is strong. The best way to cut through it is by asking clear questions and getting measurable answers. What’s the water pressure at the backflow and at the heads? How many zones mix head types? How many repairs did you make last season, and where? Do your plantings match the zones?
If your contractor can’t or won’t give you that clarity, get a second opinion. Whether you pursue irrigation repair to extend a solid system or commit to a thoughtful replacement, the decision should feel grounded. Done well, you’ll stop thinking about irrigation altogether—except when you notice a lower bill, a quieter controller, and a lawn that just looks like it’s supposed to.