Question
We recently purchased a home in SW Florida.  The sprinkler system was working fine when purchased.  When the daily rains started a few months back we turned of the sprinklers.  After laying new sod last week we tried to turn the system back on and it didn't work.  We had a sprinkler company come out and they replaced the k-rain disc and repaired some pvc pipe that had become compressed under a tree root.  The sprinklers worked twice and now they seem to trip the electrical breaker every time they try to come on.  We had the sprinkler company come out again and now they say we need a new pump motor.  The bill for the first job was almost $300, and now they say a new pump motor would be around $1400.  Can this be right??

Answer
it is entirely possible and makes sense. what type of pump do you have? submersible? above ground? is it a booster pump? do you have a well?

a few thoughts i have off the top - if the pump was off for a considerable amount of time it may have needed to be primed before starting again. it may have run dry which would instantly burn the motor up. if there were some obstructions in a few lines and also some lines needed to be repaired it is possible that debris got into the pump.

pumps do have a definite life span which is dependent on the installation of the system. it is entirely possible that it was just time for it to stop.

this type of situation is hard to diagnose over e-mail. i recommend seeking the advice of a local contractor that is certified to work on pumps as well as diagnose the specific situation you have. it may be an easy fix and it may be a challenge but before having the landscape contractor (whom i do not know and have no clue on his/her expertise) rip it apart again and start to attempt a replacement - contact your local irrigation distributor and have them recommend the best contractor who can DIAGNOSE the problem on-site.

may not be exactly what you wanted to hear but definitely what i recommend - good luck!