Pop-up emitters are a great solution for getting water away from your home, but if the lid is broken, they aren’t much of a help.
Their lids are designed to open from water’s hydrostatic pressure during times of heavy flow. When it’s not in use, the lid stays shut to prevent debris and critters from making their way in.
The good news is that replacing a pop-up emitter lid couldn’t be easier.
Replacing the Lid
One of the most common pop-up emitter problems is a broken lid—mostly due to an encounter with the lawnmower. The good news is that this is a seriously easy fix! In under 10 minutes you should be able to pop the lid off and snap the new one in.
First you’ll want to dig around the pop-up emitter to loosen up the dirt. The lids are designed to have a little overhang to make popping the lid off easier.
Use a screwdriver to get under the lid from a few different spots. For emitters that have really settled in the ground, you might need to give it some extra elbow grease to loosen.
Once it’s removed, all you need to do is snap the new lid in!
Replacing the Entire Unit
Sometimes pop-up emitter issues go past a broken top. Whether it’s a damaged pipe or underground shifting, there may be instances where you have to replace the whole unit.
It’s more labor intensive than replacing the lid, but this project still fits into the span of an afternoon. To start, you’ll want to carefully remove the grass around the emitter drain so it can be replanted later.
Clear enough dirt from so you can loosen the elbow from the rest of the drain pipe. When installing the new unit, you’ll want to keep slope in mind. If it’s even a little bit off, the emitter won’t function as well.
When installed correctly, a pop-up emitter should have a low-profile look that blends into the rest of your landscaping.
An aging drainage system won’t do you any favors. If you notice your pop-up emitter is broken, replace it quickly to prevent clogging or water backup. All parts of a residential drainage system depend on each other to keep water away from your home, so the sooner you can fix it the better.
