Irrigation Pump & Well System Repair in Coconut Creek, FL

How a pump-fed sprinkler system works

Many homes in north Broward don't water from the city line. A pump pulls water from a shallow well, a lake or a canal and pushes it through the zones. When the controller starts a zone, it also signals a pump start relay, which switches the pump motor on. If any link in that chain fails, nothing waters.

We troubleshoot the whole chain: the controller's pump output, the relay, the motor and its pressure, the suction line and foot valve, and the zones themselves. Then we tell you whether the problem is an inexpensive part or a pump at the end of its life, and what each option costs.

Signs your pump system needs repair

• The controller runs but nothing waters. Often a failed pump start relay, a tripped breaker or a pump that has lost its prime.
• The pump runs, then shuts off or cycles. A suction leak, low water level, a clogged intake or an overheating motor.
• Humming but no water. A seized impeller or a failing capacitor on the motor.
• Weak spray on every zone. A worn pump, a partly blocked intake or a leak on the suction side.
• Nozzles clogging again and again. Sand or debris drawn in with the water, often through a damaged screen.
• Orange or brown stains on walls and driveways. Iron in the water oxidizing wherever the spray lands and dries.

Well water, rust stains and South Florida pumps

Shallow groundwater in South Florida often carries dissolved iron. When that water hits a wall, sidewalk or driveway and dries in the sun, the iron oxidizes and leaves orange-brown stains. The stain isn't a sprinkler defect. It's the water. The fix still starts with the system: aiming heads away from hard surfaces, trimming run times, and in some cases adding iron treatment at the pump.

Lake and canal pumps have different trouble. Low water in the dry season can leave an intake exposed, and algae, weeds and sand get pulled into the line. Summer thunderstorms bring lightning that can take out a relay or controller. We check each of these when a pump system starts acting up.

Repair the pump or replace it?

Relays, capacitors, pressure switches and foot valves are worth repairing. They're often the actual cause, and they cost far less than a new pump. If the motor is seized, the bearings are loud or the housing is cracked, replacement is usually the better call.

We size a replacement pump to your zones, not just to the label on the old one. A pump that's too big or too small causes cycling and pressure problems of its own.

Before you call

Check the breaker for the pump first. A tripped breaker after a storm is common, and it's fine to reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off. That usually means a motor or wiring problem that needs a closer look.

Listen at the pump when a zone is scheduled to start. A click with no motor sound points to the relay or a capacitor. A motor that runs but moves no water has usually lost prime. Either way, don't let a pump run dry for long. That's how a small problem turns into a pump replacement.