Underground sprinklers can be quite a help in the summer when we get into a dry spell. But occasionally those sprinklers do break, and they will need to be replaced. When replacing a sprinkler head, it is best to make sure that it is at the correct height out of the ground.
Sprinklers can too often be installed too high above the ground or too low in ground. Many times when a sprinkler is installed too low, it goes unnoticed until it breaks again. If the sprinkler is too high above the ground it is easy to notice. The main reason it is so easily noticed is because it is a tripping hazard. Or it is noticed that it is too high because it gets broken by a lawn mower quite regularly.
The correct height for a sprinkler head is to have the top of sprinkler head just above the soil surface. No more than a quarter of an inch above the ground level. This lowers the tripping hazard, and a lawn mower can go past it without causing any damage.
When you can see the sprinkler head sticking out of the ground it is too high. If the sprinkler head is too high, the next step would be to adjust the riser, or re-dig the funny pipe, and reset the sprinkler to the correct height. If neither of these are possible, then a specialty shorter sprinkler may be needed for that spot for the sprinkler to be installed at the correct height. Having the sprinkler at the correct height will help to save you from having to repair that sprinkler head as often. Like the saying goes, “if you are going to do something, do it right the first time”.