A water-bill spike and open areas of soil that appear moist are just some of the signs that you have an irrigation leak.

A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star

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: k i n d l y k e e p o ut Gardening By John P. Begeman: Aid heat-stressed plants: k i n d l y k eep o ut There's lots to do in your yard: Shady characters : Check irrigation system now Water and mulchGrow citrus trees in pots: Check irrigation system now Time to sow

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This is the worst time of year to discover your irrigation system isn't working. The heat and sun in May and June conspire to cook plants that need regular irrigation but aren't getting it due to a failed watering system. 

So now is the time to inspect and make any necessary irrigation repairs.

With drip irrigation, leaks are common and often hard to find. 

Here's what to look for and what to do:

● If your water bill spikes for no apparent reason, an underground irrigation leak likely has occurred. 

In general, black poly tubing used in drip systems lasts only about 10 years.

So if large patches in open areas of gravel and soil appear moist, a leak probably has sprung in the main-line tubing. You'll know for sure if, when your system is on, you see water welling up out of the ground.

Follow the water to the leak. Otherwise, dig into the moist area to find the main line.

Uncover the tubing where the soil is moist, then turn the irrigation on. Water will come spraying out from any perforated section.

Cut out the perforated section of tube and replace it using a compression coupler for half-inch tubing. 

If your tubing has a blue line running down its length, the coupler also should have a blue ring on one end. Blue-line tubing and the corresponding fittings are for half-inch, 0.710 tubing. 

For a single perforation, the coupler alone can be used to bridge the excised section. But if there are multiple leaks, it may be necessary to replace a large section of the main half-inch tubing, using connectors at either end to couple the new section of tubing.

● Leaks also may occur in the system where drip emitters and quarter-inch tubing attach to the main line.

These leaks are smaller and may not cause a sudden increase in your water bill. By inspecting the above-ground output of your emitters, you should be able to notice any obvious difference in output. 

If water dripping from one or more of the tubes or emitters (of the same type) is noticeably less than that coming from the majority of your emitters, a leak may have developed where the tubing attaches to the main line.

Follow the drip tubing down to the main line, and, with the system turned on, look for a fine spray of water around the connection. 

If you find a leak, remove the drip tubing (or emitter) and try plugging the hole with a goof plug. If this doesn't stop the leak, you'll have to cut the leaking section out of the main line and replace it. 

Emitters should be replaced with the same gallon-output emitters — half-, 1- or 2-gallon — used previously.

As long as you've gone to the trouble of digging the hole, consider adding several new half-inch tubes on the main line.

Use an irrigation punch to make a hole in the line; insert a barb connector and attach a section of quarter-inch tubing to extend above ground.

Plug the open end of the quarter-inch tubing using a goof plug. When needed, remove the goof plug and add tubing to extend to spots you wish to water. Then add the appropriate drip emitter.