Why do some of my sprinkler heads not pop up all the way?

A head that will not rise fully can be dirty, worn or sunk too low, but low pressure on the whole zone produces the same symptom. If only one head sticks, replace or clean it. If every head on the station is low, look upstream at the valve, a leak or the supply pressure.

Are mist-type sprinkler nozzles wasteful?

They can be. Fine mist and small droplets often evaporate or drift before they reach the soil, especially in heat and wind. Nozzles that deliver larger drops close to the ground waste less. When replacing heads, consider lower-angle nozzles, as long as every nozzle on the zone matches.

Sprinkler Head Replacement

Replace broken, sunken or mismatched heads and nozzles so each zone throws an even pattern and stays off the pavement.

Request an estimate(623) 624-0780

One bad head changes the whole station

A spray zone is designed so each head reaches the next one. Lose one to a mower, a tire or a cracked riser and a gap opens, while the broken head often turns into a geyser that steals pressure from the rest of the station. The City of Peoria lists geysers from broken heads among the obvious signs of a leak, and its water-saving guidance favors sprinklers that put big drops close to the ground over fine mist, which often evaporates before it lands.

Heads also wear quietly. A head that has sunk below the grass sprays into the turf around it, a swapped nozzle puts more water on one side of the lawn, and a worn seal dribbles at the start and end of every cycle. Peoria's own parks show what fewer, better heads can do: the city's turf reduction project removed 2,407 irrigation heads along with 45 acres of turf, and park water use fell from 120 million gallons in 2023 to 66 million in 2025.

Matching the new head to the zone

A replacement should match the rest of the station: the same pop-up height, the same nozzle family and a precipitation rate that fits its neighbors. Mixing a rotor into a zone of fixed sprays, or a full-circle nozzle into a row of half circles, leaves a lawn wet in one spot and dry in another even when every head works.

Arc and throw are then set so water lands on grass, not on walls, fences or the sidewalk. That is more than tidiness in Peoria, where City Code 13-36(d) makes it unlawful to let irrigation water run onto a street, an alley or another person's property, and residents can report misuse through the MyPeoriaAZ app. The city also notes that small, curved and sloped grass areas are hard to water evenly, which is worth weighing before replacing every head on a narrow strip. After the swap the zone runs and each head is watched. When several heads on one station are weak, start with sprinkler repair or PVC pipe and mainline repair.

Source: City of Peoria, Parks Turf Reduction Project, Checked Oct 1, 2026