How to Fix a Broken Sprinkler Pipe

Ensure you have all the required supplies. Nothing is worse than having to run to the hardware store in the middle of a project. See the list of things you need below.

Find the rupture. Usually a soggy area of grass, but sometimes it is a geyser.

Turn off the sprinklers, if you don’t this could be a very hard task.

Dig up the pipe. Not the whole pipe, just the section that is broken. Carefully remove the section of grass above the pipe, trying to keep it intact. Do this by cutting a circular section with the end of your shovel above where you are to dig then carefully lifting it off. Dig up the dirt above the bad pipe with a shovel (you will probably also need a hand trowel to dig up the dirt under the pipe). You will want to have at least 6 inches (15.2 cm) on each side of the break clear and enough room for you fist underneath the pipe. If the hole fills with water, you will either have to wait for it to dry or bail it out (the latter is recommended).

Cut the pipe. Get a hacksaw, PVC or metal pipe cutters (depending on what type of pipe you have, older sprinkler systems are usually metal, while newer ones tend to be PVC). Cut the broken section out so that you have clean, undamaged pipe on both sides.

Measure a new length of pipe that is just a bit shorter than the gap left by old pipe that you cut away. It should probably be 1/2 " to 1" shorter to allow room for the connectors. Or you can buy a PVC fitting from most home improvement stores that has one pipe sliding inside an outer barrel with an O-ring inside. It will extend almost 3" in length. You may see in stores 1/2" to 2 1/2" in diameter sizes. One end is a female slip and the other is a male that needs a coupling, elbow, or tee to connect to complete the repair.

Clean the pipe. Some water will come pouring out at first, you could try to catch it, but it is easier to bail it out. Once the water stops coming out, clean both ends with a rag.

Fit the new section. If you are lucky enough to have PVC then you just put the PVC primer and glue on the outside of the pipe and inside of the straight connectors and slip them together. Work quickly because the glue sets fast. Then put the section you just glued in the gap you just created, repeating the gluing procedure. If you have metal pipes you will have to thread the outside of the pipe to fit the connectors rather than gluing them.

Test the pipe. Turn the sprinklers back on and make sure it is sealed properly.