Rainbird 5000 is a popular underground sprinkler system that is exceptionally reliable and simple to adjust. The Rainbird sprinkler has an adjustable head that covers a wide range while spraying water in the area.
It has a fixed left stop, and the Rainbird 5000 adjustment involves adjustable arc and radius settings. The right amount of adjustment will provide even coverage of water inside the lawn and lead to a properly grown garden.
However, if you are struggling to answer how to adjust Rainbird sprinkler heads, then you have come to the right place. In this article, you will learn all the steps in adjusting the Rainbird controller head and how you can reap the maximum benefits from the perfect area of the water sprinkler system.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that adjustment will not work if the sprinkler head is not rotating or moving from side to side. This could mean that your sprinkler is damaged, and you need to call someone for sprinkler repair. If you hire a landscape maintenance company like Johnny’s Turf, they will also fix the Rainbird sprinkler head.
You may also need to know how to replace a rainbird sprinkler head. While you may try adjusting the head, it would rotate for a cycle or two and then maybe stop working. You should be careful about how you’re adjusting the sprinkler.
How to Adjust a Rainbird 5000 Sprinkler Heads Left Stop
Adjusting the Rainbird sprinkler head can be challenging if you are new to this. But don’t worry – with the right guidance and tools, it becomes easy. Before we learn how to adjust Rainbird sprinkler heads, you must know that you need only two tools to make the adjustment.
The first tool you should use for Rainbird 5000 adjustment is the channellock plier, which is used to grab the head and rotate the sprinkler in its position. The second tool you need is an adjustment key, which simplifies the process of taking out the sprinkler head. You can also use a flat head screwdriver for this purpose.
Here are the 5 steps you should know while adjusting the head of the Rainbird controller –
Find the left or hard stop setting
The first step is to locate the left stop or hard stop setting in the sprinkler. You should rotate the sprinkler head, also called the turret, to the right and then to the left. Whenever the turret stops rotating at the left, that is called the hard stop or the left stop.
However long you try with the key or the screwdriver, the head will always stop at the same position every time. Be careful while rotating, or you’ll have to call someone for sprinkler repair if you damage the sprinkler head.
Make left or hard stop adjustment
In the next step, you need to align the Rainbird sprinkler head in the direction you want it to spray the water. Landscape maintenance companies suggest that you use a channellock plier to rotate the entire head to the right and align the head in the position where you want the left side to stop.
If you directly turn it to the left, the sprinkler head might unthread from the fitting, which may possibly jam it. Only when you see that turning to the right doesn’t work you should start rotating from the left side.
Right stop adjustment of the sprinkler
After you’ve set the left side of the Rainbird controller, you have to then adjust the right stop. You can use an adjustment key or flat head screwdriver for this purpose. Start rotating the sprinkler head all the way to the right and then as you turn it backwards, stop at the point where you want it to affix.
Once that is done, insert the key or the flat head screwdriver and then turn it by holding the head of the sprinkler. You have to turn it counterclockwise, and if you feel you have done it too much, rotate it a little in the clockwork direction. You must verify the rain bird sprinkler adjustment on that side by turning it to the right and then back to the left.
Align the water spraying pattern
When you are done setting up the rotation, it is time to adjust the water spraying pattern of the sprinkler head. You can decrease or increase the spray pattern by inserting the screwdriver directly over the nozzle until it touches the flat head screwdriver. If the nozzle has dust or dirt covering, which is common, you can remove the rubber dust cover to clearly see how to align the key.
To increase the spray pattern, you should rotate the nozzle adjustment screw clockwise. For decreasing the spray pattern, rotate it counterclockwise. If you turn the nozzle too far on the left side, the adjustment screw will come out, and it will become hard to find it.
Rainbird 5000 adjustment verification
The final step in learning how to adjust Rain bird sprinkler heads is to verify the adjustment. You should rotate the head completely and ensure that it is starting and stopping at the right distance. Make sure that you have the desired water spraying pattern for the lawn without compromising the movement.
After that, rotate the sprinkler head to the left side entirely and let it finish the rotation on its own. Sometimes the head will rotate more while sometimes it may be less – don’t worry about that. If it is necessary, you can repeat the entire process to ensure that the Rain bird controller is perfectly adjusted.
While adjusting the sprinkler head, you should make sure that the rain bird sprinkler adjustment is right, and the sprinkler doesn’t spray water on hard surfaces. That will lead to water wastage and may lead to dryness of some regions in the lawn.
If you want to eliminate all this hassle, you can hire a landscape maintenance company that will adjust the Rainbird sprinkler and provide you complete coverage of the water spray pattern. They will also provide sprinkler repair if any damage occurs to your Rainbird system.