1 in. Brass Check Valve

A:  It allows the water to flow into the plumbing system in your facility. It should be marked as to the direction the water is allowed to flow. Its purpose is to allow water in but the one way valve keeps the water from draining back into the pump and out of your facility.

A:  The amount of pressure loss is almost unmeasurable and you will never see it. The pump makes up for it. If you don’t have the check in line- you will lose prime. 

A:  No

A:  Not that I noticed on my system. Pump turns on at 30 and off at 50.

A:  No it does not. Just prevents back flow of water to qell

A:  installed properly it will hold the suction from the well head

A:  If the pressure dropped, it wouldnt matter as the system maintains an upper and lower limit. To accomodate the changes in pressure i changed the limits up 5psi, so i have a 65/45 or 55/35. They are usually 60/40 and 50/30 depending on the switch.

A:  There are some problems in giving an accurate response to this question. First is not knowing what type (or brand) sprinkler system you're using. Next is where does the water supply for your system originate? For instance do you use a municipal water system or a well, or are you pumping water from a reservoir such as a lake or pond? For some sprinkler systems, a check valve such as this could be the cause of your pressure problem. But I would expect this system would be taking water from a natural water supply on your property using an electric pump to draw the water. However, in systems like this, the pump is typically capable of providing enough pressure to operate an average sprinkler system. But this depends on the type of heads your system uses. For instance, older spray heads normally use much more water than newer more modern heads. Those require more water pressure than newer heads which are often known as emitters or misters and require less. Also, in systems that use a pump and on sight water supply, a "point" is often used at the water pick up end. The "point" is designed to prevent material such as silt or other lake/pond debris from clogging heads and fittings. Some brands of emitters/heads use a screen in the bottom of the head to filter out sand or algae that can accumulate in the lines when the system has been out of use for a period such as winter. These screens can become clogged as soon as the water supply is turned on the first time of the new season. Most systems allow the head to be unscrewed and removed so the screen can be cleaned. On a municipal water supply, check valves are generally not used allowing the system to rely on city water pressure. However, in some locations, a check valve may be required to prevent ground water from seeping back into the water supply to prevent possible contamination. The type of check valve pictured is most often associated with a shallow well and pump. It's purpose is to prevent water from seeping back into the well in order to maintain the pumps prime and allow the pump to quickly re-pressurize the water system and prevent damage to the pump from running without water. Check valves can be damaged if they have become frozen at any time during the winter months. If your system has a check valve like the one shown, it can be checked for functionality but may need to be removed from the connections to do so. It is apparent to me that you may need to obtain a water pressure gauge that can be adapted for use at several locations as a means of determining where the water pressure is being lost. This is because it's possible to have a cracked or broken connection anywhere under ground. This particularly following a cold winter where any part of the system could have frozen and cracked or burst. But a broken line or fitting should reveal itself by running the water for a period of time. Broken connections will usually reveal them selves as the ground will become mushy or the water may even percolate from the ground at that point. I hope this is helpful and you are able to locate the problem more easily. Unfortunately, this is the best information I can give with the information provided.

A:  Yes, a faulty check valve could cause pressure issues, although there could be numerous causes to the sprinkler head issue you are describing.

A:  Yes, but you need to remain below the PSI limits.