Spring In Austin! Here’s A Few Tips To Help You Save Water, Time And Money On Costly Sprinkler Repairs
As the temperatures warm in Austin we have put together a few simple tips to get your sprinkler irrigation system up and running and avoid costly sprinkler repair. Spring is the best time to make sure your automatic sprinkler system is ready for another season of efficient lawn and garden watering. These simple steps will insure your lawn has the water it needs when the temperature spikes.
Is It Really Spring?
So we have had a few really warm days, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it time to turn on the sprinklers. Starting you sprinkler irrigation system early can damage your irrigation system. Freezing pipes are the number one cause of damage in the winter months. So ch check the forecast and make sure your in the clear. Once you turn on the sprinkler system keep an eye on the forecast for freezing temps
Checking The Sprinkler Timer.
You want your sprinkler irrigation system to turn on when at the correct time. Make sure the current date and time are correct. You also want to make sure that the start times and days to Water are correct as well. Make sure that each zone is scheduled for the proper duration for the type of landscape. It is a good ideas to check each season and make sure the duration for each zones is correct. Spring is also a great time to replace the back up battery inside the controller as well. Just in case… Don’t forget to write your watering schedule down.
Inspect The System
You should run a test cycle of the irrigation system. Checking to make sure all sprinkler heads pop up and go back down as the should. If there are any issues be sure and have the sprinklers repaired before setting the controller to aromatic mode. Inspect the heads to make sure they have not bro pen over with grass. Repairing the irrigation now can save thousands of gallons of waster water
What About Pipes?
While you are testing the sprinkler irrigation system, look for zones with low water pressure. Low water pressure can be the sign of a major leak. After you have tested the system be sure to do a walk through of the yard looking for puddles that may be cause by a broken or cracked pipe. If the are and leak be sure and have them fix as soon as possible.
Condition Of The Valves.
Valves are what tell each zone when to turn on. Check the operation can be very easy, simply turn each zone on with the controller, let it run for a minute or so the shut it off. The zone should turn off within 5-10 seconds. If the zone does not turn on or shut off the issue is likely a valve.
Open Slowly
Depending on how your irrigation system was winterized you may have to turn the water supply to your irrigation system back on. When the turn the water supply back on you want to make sure it is done slowly. By turning the water on to quick a condition know as water hammer can occur. Water hammer is a high pressure surge of water in the lines. Water hammer can cause pipes to burst or even crack the fittings in the pipe. So open the isolation valve slowly to avoid costly sprinkler repairs.
Ready For Spring!
By following these simple steps you will have your sprinkler irrigation system ready for the rough Summer ahead.
We proudly serve the Austin Metro Area. If you have any questions about Sprinkler Repair, Please call us at (512) 694-1147 .
