Common Failures and Troubleshooting of Drip Trickle Irrigation Equipment in Farmland

Common faults of drip trickle irrigation equipment in farmland include

pipeline breaks, sand holes in pipelines, reverse flow of water during downtime, uneven dripping, clogging of filters and drippers, etc.

Common faults of drip trickle irrigation equipment in farmland and their solutions

Pipeline breaks

When pipeline breaks occur in drip trickle irrigation equipment in farmland, the main reasons are three-fold, and specific solutions should be applied to each specific problem.

① Poor pipe quality. To solve the problem of poor pipe quality, strict controls should be placed on incoming materials. When purchasing pipes, the quality of the pipes must be carefully examined and should not be overlooked.

② Uneven soil subsidence. If uneven soil subsidence occurs, the foundation should be carefully excavated and inspected, and poor foundations should be dealt with.

③ Pipes damaged by temperature stresses, or pipeline ruptures caused by improper construction methods. During construction, the soil covering the pipeline must be less than the maximum depth of soil freezing. When there are overhanging surfaces or pipelines passing through culverts, attention must be paid to the lateral and soil depth requirements below the pipe. Construction management should be strengthened to strictly follow standards in excavating pipe trenches, handling foundations, installing pipelines, pressure testing pipelines, and backfilling trenches. When pipelines pass through sludge areas, strengthening measures must be taken to deal with the problem.

Sand holes in pipelines

The reason for sand holes in pipelines is generally caused by defects in the manufacturing process. The solution is to use sandpaper with a 100-mesh grit to roughen the area around the sand hole, then apply an adhesive to the roughened area and the inner side of the other pipe piece that has also been roughened. Cover the sand hole with the pipe piece and move it left and right to ensure even adhesion. It should stick firmly after a short period of time for repair.

Reverse flow of water during downtime

If there is a reverse flow of water during downtime in drip trickle irrigation equipment in farmland, the reason may be that the intake and exhaust valves are damaged. Determine the cause and remove the damaged intake and exhaust valves for repair or replacement. Alternatively, it may be due to incorrect installation of the intake and exhaust valves, resulting in negative pressure in the pipeline. Determine the cause and reinstall the valves.

Uneven dripping

When drip trickle irrigation equipment shows uneven dripping, it is generally due to insufficient water at the distant water source, too fast dripping near the water source. The reason for the fault may be clogging of the drippers. Carefully inspect each malfunctioning dripper and clear and repair or replace the drippers. Alternatively, the water supply pressure may not be sufficient. Increase the water pressure to eliminate the fault. It may also be due to the unreasonable placement of pipe support branches, resulting in a reverse slope. Adjust the slope of the support branches or redesign the layout of the branches according to the terrain.

Clogging of filters

If drip trickle irrigation equipment shows clogging of filters, the reason may be that the water quality at the intake is too poor, causing the filter to become blocked. Check the water quality at the intake. Alternatively, the filter may have been used for too long, and dirt deposits may have accumulated, so the filter should be disassembled and checked regularly.

Clogging of drippers

The main reasons for the clogging of drippers are physical, chemical, and biological factors. Different methods must be used to deal with different situations.

① Physical factors: mainly due to the unclean water quality, containing a large amount of sediment, debris, etc., which is prone to causing clogged drippers. The solution is to use high-pressure water to flush out any obstructions in the dripper.

② Chemical factors: mainly due to the presence of iron, manganese, sulfur, and other elements in the water, which react chemically to form insoluble substances that deposit and clog the dripper. A treatment method is to use acid treatment to remove the blockage.

③ Biological factors: microorganisms such as algae and fungi in the water can settle and clog the dripper. A treatment method is to use chlorine treatment to remove the blockage and clear the fault.