Sand
Much of the work I've done with sprinklers has been
done in sand rich ground. Sand is terrible for
sprinklers. It somehow finds its way into every crevice
and opening
When sand finds its way onto bearing surfaces it
often causes those areas to bind or become more
difficult to rotate. This can lead to poor operation.
Another thing to watch is the sand in the bottom of
the sprinkler. If there's a lot of sand it can hinder the
sprinkler from coming up and going down properly.
To cure your binding problem often times all it takes
is to take the sprinkler head in your hands and work
it back and forth to free the sand. However if there's
a lot of sand in the bottom of the sprinkler it may
not make a difference because sand will seep back
into the sprinkler.
Getting the sand out of the bottom of a sprinkler can
be hard, but I've found a simple and somewhat odd
solution that works. While the sprinkler is running,
use a turkey baster like an eye dropper to suck the
sand out of the bottom of the sprinkler.
If this doesn't cure your problem or if you don't
have sand, continue onto the next page on corrosion.