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How to Adjust Sprinkler Heads Download Article Learn how to change the angle, flow, and settings on your sprinkler heads Co-authored by Grant Wallace
Last Updated: June 5, 2025 Fact Checked
Download Article
Adjusting a Sprinkler Spray Head
|
Fixing Rotor Heads
|
Testing Impact Sprinklers
|
Video
|
Q&A
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Grant Wallace. Grant Wallace is a Landscaper and Owner of Grantlanta Lawn in Atlanta, Georgia. With over seven years of experience, he specializes in lawn maintenance and landscape installation. In 2012, he earned his BA from the University of West Georgia. Grant has been profiled in Shoutout Atlanta, Canvas Rebel, and Voyage ATL. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 137,794 times.
You should test and adjust sprinkler heads at the beginning of spring to ensure they’re functioning at their highest level. If your sprinkler is not up to par, it can waste water and cause dry spots in your lawn. Fortunately, you can adjust a broken sprinkler quickly and have it back to normal in minutes!
Things You Should Know
Use a flathead screwdriver to turn the screw in the nozzle head clockwise. This will reduce the radius (or how far the water sprays from the sprinkler).
Turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise to increase the radius. The more times you twist, the farther the spray will travel.
Alternatively, install the two-sided wrench into the raised arrow on the spray nozzle clockwise to decrease the spray radius.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Adjusting a Sprinkler Spray Head
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1 Turn the sprinkler on to see what adjustments you need to make. Check the sprinkler for water distribution and see if it’s missing parts of your lawn. Make sure to have the water source at the level you’d set it to if you were actually watering your lawn. Observe how much coverage your sprinkler is providing before making your adjustments.[1]XResearch source
Give the sprinkler a few minutes until you’re sure you’ve seen how it covers the grass.
Tip: Keep the sprinkler on during the adjustment period to figure out the issue efficiently.
2 Adjust the arc clockwise to reduce the amount of water coverage. Grab the edge of the nozzle with your thumb and forefinger and turn it to the right to reduce the arc of water. Make this adjustment to water one specific section of your lawn.[2]XResearch source
By turning the arc clockwise, you’re reducing the sprinkler arc and allowing the sprinkler to focus on a smaller section of your lawn.
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3 Twist the arc counter-clockwise to up the amount of water coverage. If you want your sprinkler to cover both sides of your lawn, turn the nozzle head to the left. Place your thumb and forefinger on the nozzle head and twist it until you get a full fan-like arc.[3]XResearch source
The arc measures how wide the spray goes.
4 Turn the screw in the nozzle head clockwise to reduce the radius. The radius measures how far the water sprays from the sprinkler itself. To adjust it, use a flathead screwdriver and insert into the screw in the middle of the nozzle. Turn the screw to the right to shorten the spray distance.[4]XResearch source
By shortening the spray distance, you can water the grass right in front of your sprinkler more completely.
5 Turn the screw counter-clockwise to increase the radius. If you want to water a patch of grass that’s far away from your sprinkler, place the flathead screwdriver in the screw and twist it to the left. The more times you twist the screwdriver, the farther the spray will travel.[5]XResearch source
Once you’re unable to twist the screwdriver, you’ve reached the sprinkler’s radius limit.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Fixing Rotor Heads
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1 Install the wrench into the raised arrow to adjust the spray. Your rotor head sprinkler should come with a two-sided adjustment wrench. The Allen wrench side is used to adjust the spray radius. Find the raised arrow on top of the spray nozzle and place the Allen wrench inside of it. Spin the wrench clockwise to decrease the spray radius.[6]XResearch source
There’s a hole next to the raised arrow. This is where the Allen wrench goes.
2 Turn the wrench counter-clockwise to increase spray. To increase your sprinkler coverage, put the Allen wrench inside the hole by the raised arrow and twist it to the left to get a longer spray. Make this adjustment when you need to water plants that are a few feet away from your sprinkler head.[7]XResearch source
3 Insert the other side of the wrench into the nozzle head to adjust the arc. The other side of the wrench is called the “Plastic T”. It goes into the other hole on top of the nozzle head. This hole has a plus and minus sign next to it. When you insert the Plastic T, spin it slightly so it sits flush in the hole. Spin the wrench to the plus-side to increase the sprinkler’s coverage.[8]XResearch source
To decrease the sprinkler’s coverage, spin the wrench to the minus-side.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Testing Impact Sprinklers
Download Article
1 Turn the water flow up or down to affect the spray distance. This is the easiest way to adjust how far your sprinkler sprays. Twist the knob of your water source to the right to increase the water flow. Turn it to the left to decrease water flow.[9]XResearch source
The knob for the water source should be located on your back porch.
2 Adjust the diffuser screw-in to shorten the spray distance. The diffuser screw-in is a nail located on the side of your impact sprinkler. To twist it, hold the sprinkler head with your offhand and turn the diffuser screw-in to the right to lower the spray distance.[10]XResearch source
To increase the spray distance, twist the screw-in to the left.
3 Use the deflector shield to adjust the arc of the water. The deflector shield is a flat piece of metal that sits just above the diffuser screw-in. To lengthen the water distance, keep the deflector shield up as high as it can sit. To shorten the distance, push the deflector shield down a few notches.[11]XResearch source
The further you pull the deflector shield down, the more the water distance lowers.
4 Flip the trip pin up to get a full 360-degree spray pattern. The trip pin is a piece of metal that sits on the side of the impact sprinkler. It has a thin top and is bent in the middle. To create a 360-spray pattern, flip it up and snap it into place.[12]XResearch source
A 360-spray pattern allows you to relax while your sprinkler waters your yard for you.
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Community Q&A
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Question The sprinkler keeps moving away from pointed spray area, does not stay still, no matter how many times it is corrected. Addison Smith Community Answer The sprinkler knob might need tightened. If it is loose, the water pressure can change its position. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2
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Co-authored by: Grant Wallace Landscaper This article was co-authored by Grant Wallace. Grant Wallace is a Landscaper and Owner of Grantlanta Lawn in Atlanta, Georgia. With over seven years of experience, he specializes in lawn maintenance and landscape installation. In 2012, he earned his BA from the University of West Georgia. Grant has been profiled in Shoutout Atlanta, Canvas Rebel, and Voyage ATL. This article has been viewed 137,794 times. 20 votes - 79% Co-authors: 5Updated: June 5, 2025 Views: 137,794 Categories: Gardening Tools | Irrigation In other languagesJapanese
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Grant Wallace Landscaper 20 votes - 79% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 5Updated: June 5, 2025 Views: 137,794
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Download Article Learn how to change the angle, flow, and settings on your sprinkler heads Co-authored by Grant Wallace 
How to Adjust a Crimping Tool 
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Co-authored by: Grant Wallace Landscaper This article was co-authored by Grant Wallace. Grant Wallace is a Landscaper and Owner of Grantlanta Lawn in Atlanta, Georgia. With over seven years of experience, he specializes in lawn maintenance and landscape installation. In 2012, he earned his BA from the University of West Georgia. Grant has been profiled in Shoutout Atlanta, Canvas Rebel, and Voyage ATL. This article has been viewed 137,794 times. 20 votes - 79% Co-authors: 5 Updated: June 5, 2025 Views: 137,794 Categories: Gardening Tools | Irrigation In other languagesJapanese 
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1 Turn the sprinkler on to see what adjustments you need to make. Check the sprinkler for water distribution and see if it’s missing parts of your lawn. Make sure to have the water source at the level you’d set it to if you were actually watering your lawn. Observe how much coverage your sprinkler is providing before making your adjustments.[1] 
2 Adjust the arc clockwise to reduce the amount of water coverage. Grab the edge of the nozzle with your thumb and forefinger and turn it to the right to reduce the arc of water. Make this adjustment to water one specific section of your lawn.[2] 
3 Twist the arc counter-clockwise to up the amount of water coverage. If you want your sprinkler to cover both sides of your lawn, turn the nozzle head to the left. Place your thumb and forefinger on the nozzle head and twist it until you get a full fan-like arc.[3] 
4 Turn the screw in the nozzle head clockwise to reduce the radius. The radius measures how far the water sprays from the sprinkler itself. To adjust it, use a flathead screwdriver and insert into the screw in the middle of the nozzle. Turn the screw to the right to shorten the spray distance.[4] 
5 Turn the screw counter-clockwise to increase the radius. If you want to water a patch of grass that’s far away from your sprinkler, place the flathead screwdriver in the screw and twist it to the left. The more times you twist the screwdriver, the farther the spray will travel.[5] 
1 Install the wrench into the raised arrow to adjust the spray. Your rotor head sprinkler should come with a two-sided adjustment wrench. The Allen wrench side is used to adjust the spray radius. Find the raised arrow on top of the spray nozzle and place the Allen wrench inside of it. Spin the wrench clockwise to decrease the spray radius.[6] 
2 Turn the wrench counter-clockwise to increase spray. To increase your sprinkler coverage, put the Allen wrench inside the hole by the raised arrow and twist it to the left to get a longer spray. Make this adjustment when you need to water plants that are a few feet away from your sprinkler head.[7] 
3 Insert the other side of the wrench into the nozzle head to adjust the arc. The other side of the wrench is called the “Plastic T”. It goes into the other hole on top of the nozzle head. This hole has a plus and minus sign next to it. When you insert the Plastic T, spin it slightly so it sits flush in the hole. Spin the wrench to the plus-side to increase the sprinkler’s coverage.[8] 
1 Turn the water flow up or down to affect the spray distance. This is the easiest way to adjust how far your sprinkler sprays. Twist the knob of your water source to the right to increase the water flow. Turn it to the left to decrease water flow.[9] 
2 Adjust the diffuser screw-in to shorten the spray distance. The diffuser screw-in is a nail located on the side of your impact sprinkler. To twist it, hold the sprinkler head with your offhand and turn the diffuser screw-in to the right to lower the spray distance.[10] 
3 Use the deflector shield to adjust the arc of the water. The deflector shield is a flat piece of metal that sits just above the diffuser screw-in. To lengthen the water distance, keep the deflector shield up as high as it can sit. To shorten the distance, push the deflector shield down a few notches.[11] 
4 Flip the trip pin up to get a full 360-degree spray pattern. The trip pin is a piece of metal that sits on the side of the impact sprinkler. It has a thin top and is bent in the middle. To create a 360-spray pattern, flip it up and snap it into place.[12] 
Addison Smith Community Answer The sprinkler knob might need tightened. If it is loose, the water pressure can change its position. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 2 
Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.