SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Well, I put off getting this done closer to fall so I could dig up and remove the 4" popups and replace with 6" ProSprays. I did that today, it wasn't too difficult. The head is above ground now but once I seed and grass grows around it, I think it will be all right. I'll just need to be careful around the heads while mowing.

It still may be that the original heads were a bit low. You actually want them a scosh higher than ground level, because the turf usually builds up, and the heads end up buried too deep. (too-deep heads are subject to grass roots clogging them up)

A riser-extender fitting will add about an inch of height, maybe less. If that's too much, you could try to swap out nipples.

The use of 6" popup heads is going to remain uncommon, as long as the manufacturers price them as high as they do.

You could get a riser (or nipple as they are called). Most spray heads use a 1/2" outlet. Most likely, the head was installed with a close nipple (basically, the smallest possible about 1 1/8" long), so you will need to take it out and put in whatever size you want.

I would really hesitate to raise the heads above ground level. This is just asking for them to get chopped up with a lawn mower.

I get it now. This would mean that the riser sits between the supply pipes underground and the sprinkler thereby elevating it. This also means that the sprinkler would not be flush with the ground but would be elevated an inch or so. That should work.

Are these risers available at Home Depot or Lowes? I can look up the Hunter ProSpray specs and make sure the riser has the right type of connections to thread properly.

To install, I would just dig around the current sprinkler, pull it out, install the riser, then the sprinkler and backfill. Correct?

Thanks again for all your replies and helping this newbie out. Wish my contractor was half as responsive.

Not sure your talking about the same things here. I think Wetboots was referring to the riser which threads into the bottom of the sprinkler head and into the elbow, not the actual sprinkler head pop up part. Yes, you can extend the riser from the bottom of the sprinkler to the elbow on any sprinkler, including the Pro Sprays.

Thanks for the explanation. Can I do this with the Hunter ProSpray head I currently have?

Think of it as two tubes that are very close to being the same size. One is inside the other and has a seal on it so that it doesn't leak. When the water comes on, the shaft pops up just the same as any "normal" one and extends to the full length of both of them. When the water is off, the inner one drops into the outer one and the two of them drop into the body, just the same as a "normal" one does.

Sorry to sound so ignorant but how does the riser extender work? Thanks.

Rainbird had something like that many years ago, so the concept isn't too radical.

Just thinking, if the turf is building up where those popup heads are, a simple riser extender would add some needed height. The 'pro version' of a repair to install a taller head might use four elbow fittings and a bit of swing pipe.

Seems like an innovative idea, not sure I would trust a brand new product like that, I would stick with something established and trusted, but might be worth a shot to experiment with 1 head before you replace them all.