Guide

Irrigation maintenance through the season: a calendar of checks.

Many irrigation faults can be caught while they are small: a filter that clogs a little more each week, a drip line chewed by a rat, a sprinkler that stops turning. Before the season starts, you are deciding who checks what, and how often, so that small faults are found before the plants suffer. This guide gives you a calendar of checks, from the daily look at the pump to the steps that start and end each season.

Written for farmers, greenhouse and nursery growers, homeowners and estate and facility managers.

Start with the makers' manuals

Start with the makers' manuals for the pump, the filters, the controller and any solar pumping system: their maintenance steps come first. An FAO presentation on solar pumping (2022) counts makers' checklists, visual inspections and periodic tests as the routine work that heads off faults, and advises a day-to-day plan so that everyone knows which tasks are done and how often. The calendar below fills in around the manuals. Keep them with the system, with a notebook for readings and repairs.

Pressure is how hard the water pushes inside the pipe, measured in bar. Write down the pressures when the system is new or freshly serviced: at the pump or the filter, and where each zone starts and ends. A drip maker's design guide asks for these readings when a system is first inspected, recorded to help find faults later. Pressure gauges at key points make the readings quick. Gauges often fail, so replace any that look damaged or read wrongly.

Sources: FAO (2022), Tools and techniques for operation and maintenance: SPIS in place, slides 4 and 7; Hunter Industries (2015), Drip Irrigation Design and Installation Guide (LIT-496), page 24; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Troubleshooting a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6175), page 2; Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), page 5.

Four checks through the season

The drawing picks out four of the checks in the calendar below, in the order they come: the pump at the start of the season, the filter every week, a flush of the line ends every month, and draining the lines when the season ends.

Start of the season: check that the pump turns freely, does not leak or shake, and gives its usual pressure
Every week: with the water off, open the filter, take out the screen or discs and rinse them clean
Every month: open the end of each line and let it run until the water comes out clear
End of the season: drain the lines at their low point, then cap the open ends
The season, week by week: short marks are weeks, tall marks are months

Four checks through the season: the pump at the start, the filter every week, a flush of the line ends every month and a drain at the end.

The calendar

Use this table as a starting point and adjust it to your water and your site. The extension checklists tie filter cleaning and flushing to water quality: with fairly clean water, flush about once a month, and once a week or more if the water is dirtier or carries a lot of debris.

If your system runs all year, do the start-of-season steps at least once a year. A drip maker's guide recommends a manual flush of drip lines, watching the water that comes out, at least once a year, even where automatic flush valves are fitted.

When	What to check
Every day the system runs	Listen to the pump for unusual noise or shaking, and look for leaks around it. Check the filter: a large drop in pressure across it means it is clogging. After injecting fertiliser, run clean water to flush it out of the lines before the system stops. Look out for leaks, puddles and dry or wilting plants.
Every week	Clean the filters, weekly as a starting point, sooner if the pressure drop says so and more often with sandy or dirty water: with the water off, take out the screen or discs, rinse them and check the seals as you put them back. In the harmattan, clean the dust off solar panels as their manual says. Walk every zone while it runs: sprinklers should turn and reach the next one, with no leaks or dry patches. Flag leaks to fix when the water is off.
Every month	Open the ends of the main, the sub-mains and the drip lines, let them run until the water is clear, and close them again. Run each zone by hand to see that it works. Check the lines for chewed, cracked or sun-damaged pipe, and check that valve boxes are clear of soil, insects and rodents, with lids that fit.
Start of the season	Service the pump, clean the filters, flush the system, test the pressures and walk every zone: see the steps below.
End of the season	Flush out any fertiliser, clean the filters, drain the pump and the lines, store loose parts out of the sun, cap the open ends and write the repair list: see the steps below.

Sources: Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), pages 3, 11, 17 and 19; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Maintaining a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6178), pages 1 and 2; UF/IFAS Extension (1990, revised 2022), Causes and Prevention of Emitter Plugging in Microirrigation Systems (AE032), flushing; Hunter Industries (2015), Drip Irrigation Design and Installation Guide (LIT-496), page 26; Hunter Industries (2019), Residential Sprinkler System Design and Installation Guide (LIT-226), page 26; Hunter Industries, Spring start-up guide; FAO (2022), Tools and techniques for operation and maintenance: SPIS in place, slide 9.

Harmattan dust on solar panels

From about November to March, the harmattan brings dry, dusty air from the Sahara, and its dust settles across the whole of Nigeria. At Ede, in Osun State, researchers compared two flat-mounted solar panels from early January to mid-March: one was cleaned with water and a wet towel every two days, the other left to gather dust. The dusty panel gave more than 18 percent less power. For a solar pump, less power from the panels means less water pumped.

An FAO presentation on solar pumping (2022) says that, depending on the place, panels may need cleaning as often as once a week. Follow the panel maker's manual on how to clean them; a soft brush is usually fine. Use water that is low in minerals and not much warmer than the panel, and no soap or chemicals. Do not clean a cracked or bent panel, which is dangerous, and check the manual before cleaning thin-film panels while they produce power: some are damaged that way.

Solar pump sizing checklist

Sources: Willoughby and Osinowo (2018), Development of an electronic load I-V curve tracer to investigate the impact of Harmattan aerosol loading on PV module performance in southwest Nigeria, Solar Energy 166, abstract and sections 1, 4 and 5; FAO (2022), Tools and techniques for operation and maintenance: SPIS in place, slide 9.

Rodents, sun and open ends

Rats and other small animals can puncture drip lines, and the holes leak, so walk the lines regularly to look for damage. When the system stands idle, close or cover every open line end and exposed part: rodents and other small pests may shelter inside open lines and cause problems when the system starts again.

Sun makes drip tape left on the surface break down sooner, so lift tape and surface pipe you will use again and store them out of the sun. Keep electrical boxes sealed so that moisture and animals cannot get in, clear out any dust, insects or rodents, and switch the power off completely before anyone works on them. On a solar pump that means the panels too: they make power whenever light falls on them, so isolate them as the pump's manual says, for example with the disconnect switch between the panels and the controller, not only the controller's own switch. Leave electrical inspections and repairs to a qualified electrician: Oregon State warns that currents as low as 15 milliamps can cause serious injury.

Seven causes of drip irrigation failure

Sources: University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Maintaining a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6178), pages 1 and 2; Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), pages 3, 4 and 17; New Mexico State University (2014), Designing Solar Water Pumping Systems for Livestock, Circular 670: how the panels make power, and disconnects.

Start-of-season steps

Read the makers' manuals and last season's repair list, and finish any repair left over.
With the power off, check the pump: the impeller should turn freely, with no leaks at the seals, gaskets and pipe joints. Grease the pump and motor as their makers recommend, and put back any drain plug taken out at the end of last season.
If a surface pump was drained, fill it with water (prime it) as its manual says before you start it, so that it never runs dry. Run the pump and listen: unusual noise or shaking can mean worn bearings, a damaged impeller or a pump out of line with its motor. Have a qualified pump technician inspect the pumping system every three to five years.
Clean the filters and replace worn seals. Backflush the filters that are made for it.
Open the main valve slowly, so that the pipes fill gradually: opened fast, the surge can crack or burst a main.
Flush the system: open the ends of the main, then the sub-mains, then the drip lines, and let each run until clean water has flowed for at least two minutes. If the pressure is too low for a good flush, do one section at a time. Close the ends again.
Run each zone and read the pressure at the pump or the filter outlet and at the far end of the zone. Compare the readings with your notes; if they are outside the recommended range, adjust or replace the pressure regulator. Low pressure on a sprinkler zone can mean a broken pipe or a missing sprinkler.
Walk every zone while it runs: look for leaks, puddles and dry patches, check that sprinklers turn, reach the next one and sit level with the ground, and clean the screens of any that perform poorly.
Test the timer, any sensors and the fertiliser injector. Set the controller for the season, replace its backup battery if it needs one, and clean any rain or weather sensor. Keep repair parts on hand for the season.

Sources: Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), pages 2, 3, 19 and 20; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Maintaining a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6178), page 1; UF/IFAS Extension (1990, revised 2022), Causes and Prevention of Emitter Plugging in Microirrigation Systems (AE032), flushing; Hunter Industries, Spring start-up guide.

End-of-season steps

If you inject fertiliser, run clean water until it is flushed out of the lines.
Flush the lines, and clean and inspect the filters.
Drain exposed pipes and drip lines that stay in the field. Drain a surface pump only if its manual says so, and note any drain plug you take out, so that it goes back before the next season; a submersible pump stays in the borehole.
On a small drip system, take out the filters, the pressure regulators and any timer fixed to a tap, drain them and store them indoors. Take the batteries out of the timer so that they do not corrode.
Lift drip tape and surface pipe you will use again and store them out of the sun.
Close or cover every open line end and exposed part.
Check the pump, the motor and the wiring for wear or damage, repair leaks in pipes, valves and fittings, and write the repair list for next season.

Sources: UF/IFAS Extension (1990, revised 2022), Causes and Prevention of Emitter Plugging in Microirrigation Systems (AE032), flushing; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Maintaining a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6178), page 2; Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), pages 2 and 19; FAO (2013), Good Agricultural Practices for greenhouse vegetable crops, principles for Mediterranean climate areas: chapter 8, page 164.

When a check finds a fault

What you see	What to check first
Low pressure across the whole system	That the pump has power and runs, the valves are in the right position and the timer is on; then the filters and the pressure regulator; then leaks along the lines; then flush the lines. A fertiliser injector that is too small or wrongly fitted can also cut the pressure.
Low pressure on one sprinkler zone	A broken pipe or a missing sprinkler on that zone.
Drip lines splitting or their ends blowing open	Too much pressure, most often: check the pressure regulator, or fit one if there is none. Lines that bulge, or have no give when pressed lightly, are another sign.
Some plants dry, others wet	The filters and the pressure regulator first, then clogged drippers in the dry patches, then leaks, then a flush. If it goes on, the design may be at fault: different crops on one zone, a slope, pipes too small or rows too long for the supply.
Drippers clogging again and again	Clean the filters and flush more often; an extra filter may be needed. With pond water, look for algae or slime in the lines.
Pump noisy, shaking or hot	Have it checked. Shaking can mean worn bearings, a damaged impeller or a pump out of line with its motor.

Seven causes of drip irrigation failure Choosing a drip irrigation filter

Sources: University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Troubleshooting a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6175), pages 1 to 4; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension (2026), Maintaining a Drip Irrigation System (FSA6178), pages 1 and 2; Hunter Industries, Spring start-up guide; Oregon State University Extension (2026), Inspecting and maintaining irrigation systems (EM 9869), pages 3 and 20.

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