You are a life saver. Thank you! I’m trying to replace an ancient hunter PGP with a newer version that is much shorter than the original. This is exactly what I needed to figure how to retrofit it with our old system. THANK YOU!!
You deserve more credit for the DIY tools. I made them both and they saved the day! U should have patented them!!! But I am so glad u shared, it made such a difference.
I've never used Orbit heads, but the irrigation system at my old house had Rain Bird heads and I can tell you that the Hunter heads are much better. count up how many heads you need to replace and order a few extra so you'll have spares. Shop around, you may get a better price ordering in bulk. Home Depot usually gives a discount when you get 6 or more PGP heads, so I always buy at least 6 at a time. If you're shopping on-line, be sure you will get a set of nozzles with each head, I have seen the heads listed at really great prices, then I realized they were not including nozzles at that price.
When I made your 2 homemade tools, I had trouble connecting the Hunter and Rainbird. The inside of the Hunter was impossible (for me) to remove to insert smaller tube inside the Hunter. I was able to get inside the Hunter but was unable to remove the inside. One thing I did not want to do was damage the round ribbed part on the end. How did you remove the inside of the Hunter so I could insert a smaller tube similar to the Rainbird. Thank you for your ideas.
I'm sorry, but it's been years since I made those tools and I don't recall how exactly how I mated the Rainbird 4" body to the 6" PGP guts other than gluing it with PVC pipe cement. The purpose of adding the Rainbird part is to have a handle to turn when you insert the old PGP guts inside the housing you want to remove. I had an old Rainbird sprinkler lying around and it was the right size, but anything you can fabricate as a handle will do the trick. You could take the PGP guts to the hardware store and see if any of the available PVC pipe or fittings are the right diameter to go inside the PGP guts and be glued in place. I don't think I have any broken PGPs lying about but I'll look and will reply again if I can find one.
Just replaced a hunter ultra head because I was getting a water puddle. New head is leaking at top of head?? I assume same problem as old head?? Suggestions?
When my old PGP heads leaked it was coming out past the seals between the body and the 'pop-up' part. I'm guessing that is where your old heads were leaking as well. The first thing I'd check on the new head is to be sure the large collar that threads on near the top of the PGP and holds the 'guts' in place is threaded on and tightened properly. Another thought is if you have the spray distance screw turned down really far where it's really disrupting the spray pattern would cause a lot of water to be sprayed close to the sprinkler head. Be sure the sprinkler is threaded onto the pipe firmly and that the connections on the pipe under the sprinkler head are secure. It's possible that the new head is defective, but I've probably replaced at least two dozen in my yard and I've never had a problem with a new one. I hope one of these helps you solve the issue. Please let us know what you find out.
Well, I too thought maybe I placed the blue insert in funky or didn’t screw the screw in far enough, so I took another NEW head, placed another 2gal insert, placed screw in well but not down where it would interfere, and when we went to swap one new head for the other, we found that the water just kept pumping from the line when the head was off. That should slow up with time, just kept vacuuming it out! So…put new head on, SAME ISSUE! Kept trickling out at the joint at top. Called the local sprinkler parts company…they assume I have a valve that is stuck open…UGH! This system was put in over 30 years ago…so yes, I have gotten my money’s worth, but they do not make these valves anymore. So…where do I go from here?! I’m single, off work due to back surgery, so a new system is NOT in the cards, unfortunately. ☹️
@@kathyforney4898 Keep in mind I'm not an irrigation specalist, just a homeowner who likes to fix things myself. Valves usually last a long, long time and it didn't occur to me that a valve could be stuck partially open. Is the head that is leaking the lowest elevation of all the heads in its zone? If it is, then yes, a valve could be sticking open just enough to make water dribble out of the head, but not enough water flow to make the head pop up and spray. There will be one water line that goes to from the water source to a manifold that splits the water supply pipe into a separate pipe for each zone. Each of these zone pipes has a valve that allows water to flow as dictated by your controller. Typically the manifold and valves are installed underground in a box with an access lid. Find your valves and see if any water is leaking from the valve. If no water is leaking at the valve, listen and see if you can identify which one is leaking. Many valves have a handle on the top to manually open and close the valve. You can twist the handle open one by one until you figure out which one causing the leaky sprinkler head. If your valve is leaking out water as well, then it's probably best to replace the entire valve. They are usually not too expensive, but you will probably have to do some digging, pipe cutting and installing a new valve and gluing pipe in place. If you're up to the task it will probably run about $100 in supplies. If the only leak is inside the valve you may be able to buy a rebuild kit and new valve solenoid (this leaves the valve housing in place and just replaces the guts). Should be well under $50. Find your valves and take some good photos of them (you may have to clean them up) and bring the photo to a home center and get a rebuild kit and solenoid. then find a good TH-cam video for rebuilding your valve and have at it.
Just to be clear, the head does spray like it should, but the force of the water just is not shutting down. Yes, it is last in line of that zone. The head just behind it also is leaking some as well, I just discovered! I did look in the valve box to see if it gave me any clues and there is a leak around at least one valve. I remember watching the guy open the valves up to blow out the lines in the fall, so I thought maybe I could shut it off there, but I could not. Is that because I didn’t shut the water off to the outside first and there is too much pressure?! (Lol! I don’t know…I work on teeth for a living! Haha! I’m usually pretty good at problem solving!) I got ahold of the guy that put the system in(I apologize if I’m repeating myself!), and he said they don’t make those valves anymore, but he may have a rebuild kit in his “old box of junk from the past”… I don’t know ! I will get some good pics tomorrow and take them to the sprinkler supply shop. He is in no big hurry to help and I know he will charge me a bunch! I SURE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HELP!!
@@kathyforney4898 Sounds like you are on the right path with several options: #1 your 'guy' finds a rebuild kit and rebuilds the valve or option #2 you are able to source a rebuild kit on your own, finally there's always #3 cut out the old valve and replace it with a new one. Best of luck and let us know how this plays out.
HELP PLEASE I was adjusting the radius screw and it fell out, is there a preffered way to reinstall the blue nozzle but more importantly the screw that came entirely out. Can you reinstall the screw from the top or does in need to go in the same way it came out thru the nozzle hole
I’m so happy I came across your videos! You’re very thorough for an old lady that likes to try to do some of these things herself! Thank you!!
Love the homemade tools!
Thanks for watching and thanks for the feedback!
You are a life saver. Thank you! I’m trying to replace an ancient hunter PGP with a newer version that is much shorter than the original. This is exactly what I needed to figure how to retrofit it with our old system. THANK YOU!!
Awesome! Glad the video helped!
Excellent video. Very informative and great homemade tools.
Great video! I've got this saved in my "Home Improvement" folder.
Thanks for letting me know the video was helpful!
You deserve more credit for the DIY tools. I made them both and they saved the day! U should have patented them!!! But I am so glad u shared, it made such a difference.
Awesome to hear the DIY tools are saving you time and effort!
Thank you for the video, great job
Awesome video Koolbob!
I'm about to replace about twenty old Orbits with Hunters so all your tips will come in handy.
I've never used Orbit heads, but the irrigation system at my old house had Rain Bird heads and I can tell you that the Hunter heads are much better. count up how many heads you need to replace and order a few extra so you'll have spares. Shop around, you may get a better price ordering in bulk. Home Depot usually gives a discount when you get 6 or more PGP heads, so I always buy at least 6 at a time. If you're shopping on-line, be sure you will get a set of nozzles with each head, I have seen the heads listed at really great prices, then I realized they were not including nozzles at that price.
@@Koolbob2 Thanks!
Great tools, you should patent them
!!!!
Thanks for the feedback!
When I made your 2 homemade tools, I had trouble connecting the Hunter and Rainbird. The inside of the Hunter was impossible (for me) to remove to insert smaller tube inside the Hunter. I was able to get inside the Hunter but was unable to remove the inside. One thing I did not want to do was damage the round ribbed part on the end. How did you remove the inside of the Hunter so I could insert a smaller tube similar to the Rainbird. Thank you for your ideas.
I'm sorry, but it's been years since I made those tools and I don't recall how exactly how I mated the Rainbird 4" body to the 6" PGP guts other than gluing it with PVC pipe cement. The purpose of adding the Rainbird part is to have a handle to turn when you insert the old PGP guts inside the housing you want to remove. I had an old Rainbird sprinkler lying around and it was the right size, but anything you can fabricate as a handle will do the trick. You could take the PGP guts to the hardware store and see if any of the available PVC pipe or fittings are the right diameter to go inside the PGP guts and be glued in place. I don't think I have any broken PGPs lying about but I'll look and will reply again if I can find one.
@@Koolbob2 Thankyou!
You mentioned that you have a video where you describe how you made you homemade tools. Can you provide a link to that video?
th-cam.com/video/Jbmqulx12t4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Fr1abJWyyAsJONIX
Just replaced a hunter ultra head because I was getting a water puddle. New head is leaking at top of head?? I assume same problem as old head?? Suggestions?
When my old PGP heads leaked it was coming out past the seals between the body and the 'pop-up' part. I'm guessing that is where your old heads were leaking as well.
The first thing I'd check on the new head is to be sure the large collar that threads on near the top of the PGP and holds the 'guts' in place is threaded on and tightened properly.
Another thought is if you have the spray distance screw turned down really far where it's really disrupting the spray pattern would cause a lot of water to be sprayed close to the sprinkler head.
Be sure the sprinkler is threaded onto the pipe firmly and that the connections on the pipe under the sprinkler head are secure.
It's possible that the new head is defective, but I've probably replaced at least two dozen in my yard and I've never had a problem with a new one.
I hope one of these helps you solve the issue. Please let us know what you find out.
Well, I too thought maybe I placed the blue insert in funky or didn’t screw the screw in far enough, so I took another NEW head, placed another 2gal insert, placed screw in well but not down where it would interfere, and when we went to swap one new head for the other, we found that the water just kept pumping from the line when the head was off. That should slow up with time, just kept vacuuming it out! So…put new head on, SAME ISSUE! Kept trickling out at the joint at top.
Called the local sprinkler parts company…they assume I have a valve that is stuck open…UGH! This system was put in over 30 years ago…so yes, I have gotten my money’s worth, but they do not make these valves anymore. So…where do I go from here?! I’m single, off work due to back surgery, so a new system is NOT in the cards, unfortunately. ☹️
@@kathyforney4898 Keep in mind I'm not an irrigation specalist, just a homeowner who likes to fix things myself. Valves usually last a long, long time and it didn't occur to me that a valve could be stuck partially open.
Is the head that is leaking the lowest elevation of all the heads in its zone? If it is, then yes, a valve could be sticking open just enough to make water dribble out of the head, but not enough water flow to make the head pop up and spray.
There will be one water line that goes to from the water source to a manifold that splits the water supply pipe into a separate pipe for each zone. Each of these zone pipes has a valve that allows water to flow as dictated by your controller. Typically the manifold and valves are installed underground in a box with an access lid.
Find your valves and see if any water is leaking from the valve. If no water is leaking at the valve, listen and see if you can identify which one is leaking. Many valves have a handle on the top to manually open and close the valve. You can twist the handle open one by one until you figure out which one causing the leaky sprinkler head.
If your valve is leaking out water as well, then it's probably best to replace the entire valve. They are usually not too expensive, but you will probably have to do some digging, pipe cutting and installing a new valve and gluing pipe in place. If you're up to the task it will probably run about $100 in supplies.
If the only leak is inside the valve you may be able to buy a rebuild kit and new valve solenoid (this leaves the valve housing in place and just replaces the guts). Should be well under $50.
Find your valves and take some good photos of them (you may have to clean them up) and bring the photo to a home center and get a rebuild kit and solenoid. then find a good TH-cam video for rebuilding your valve and have at it.
Just to be clear, the head does spray like it should, but the force of the water just is not shutting down. Yes, it is last in line of that zone. The head just behind it also is leaking some as well, I just discovered!
I did look in the valve box to see if it gave me any clues and there is a leak around at least one valve. I remember watching the guy open the valves up to blow out the lines in the fall, so I thought maybe I could shut it off there, but I could not. Is that because I didn’t shut the water off to the outside first and there is too much pressure?! (Lol! I don’t know…I work on teeth for a living! Haha! I’m usually pretty good at problem solving!)
I got ahold of the guy that put the system in(I apologize if I’m repeating myself!), and he said they don’t make those valves anymore, but he may have a rebuild kit in his “old box of junk from the past”… I don’t know ! I will get some good pics tomorrow and take them to the sprinkler supply shop. He is in no big hurry to help and I know he will charge me a bunch!
I SURE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR HELP!!
@@kathyforney4898 Sounds like you are on the right path with several options: #1 your 'guy' finds a rebuild kit and rebuilds the valve or option #2 you are able to source a rebuild kit on your own, finally there's always #3 cut out the old valve and replace it with a new one. Best of luck and let us know how this plays out.
HELP PLEASE I was adjusting the radius screw and it fell out, is there a preffered way to reinstall the blue nozzle but more importantly the screw that came entirely out. Can you reinstall the screw from the top or does in need to go in the same way it came out thru the nozzle hole
Hey Dave! I've never removed the screw, but I'm pretty sure it's installed from above when they make the sprinkler, so that's what I would try first.