With the summer season coming to a close, it’s that time of year again when you need to decrease the watering of your lawn and start winterizing your sprinkler system.
The key is to do all of this at the right time. If you do it too soon, your lawn could suffer, but if you do it too late, your sprinkler system might suffer damage. Fall is a good time to do some proactive maintenance, as your sprinkler system will be under less strain during this period, and it comes ahead of the winter freeze.
To avoid unnecessary sprinkler repair work, a little proactive sprinkler maintenance in the fall is recommended. Let’s take a look at a few things you need to keep in mind.
Reduce Your Watering During the Fall
During the fall, it’s important to reduce your watering requirements. Many people mistakenly stop watering their lawns altogether this time of year. However, your lawn still needs water to stay alive, albeit a reduced amount.
Your lawn needs less water during the fall due to the cooler temperatures, which result in a reduced evaporation rate. Because of this, the soil under the grass retains moisture longer, which means that the grass doesn’t dry out as quickly as it does during the heat of summer.
Another reason why you can reduce your watering during the fall is that grass growth typically slows down in the fall as the days shorten and the weather cools.
If you have a Wi-Fi Smart Controller and your system’s controller has been correctly programmed from the outset, watering should reduce automatically as the seasons change. If it hasn’t been programmed to do this, now is a good time to get this set up.
Should I Get My Sprinkler System Tuned Up After Summer?
Since your sprinkler system will be under less pressure during the fall, it’s an opportune time to schedule a tune-up.
This might involve a pre-winter system inspection to ensure that your system is protected against any potential damage caused by freezing weather midway through the chilly season.
Finding and fixing any damage that may have accumulated over the summer is another aspect of a fall tune-up, as is re adjusting the spray patterns.
Protecting Your System Against The Upcoming Freeze
Winterizing your sprinkler system involves a thorough inspection of your system so that any potential freeze points along pipes and valves can be identified and insulated where needed.
Failing to prepare weak points ahead of the winter freeze could result in damage to the system. When water trapped in valves and pipes freezes overnight on the coldest nights of the year, it expands, potentially causing cracks and ruptures in critical parts of the system.
Now is a good time to prepare your system for what winter will bring.
Carrying Out Timely Repairs
It is also worthwhile checking your system to make sure there are no leaks, particularly in the areas surrounding the pipes and sprinkler heads.
It’s common for sprinklers to suffer a bit of wear and tear during the heavy-use months of summer. Given the increased amount of watering required during summer, along with the increased amount of activity in the landscape, both minor and major damage to the system is likely to occur.
To ensure efficiency and prevent water waste when spring returns, you can use this opportunity to ensure that any damaged or broken sprinkler heads, valves, or nozzles are fixed or replaced.
Some might argue that these repairs can be left until spring. But waiting until spring can result in the problems getting worse. Small leaks or damages that go unattended during the cooler months may worsen under freezing temperatures. Also in the event your system is running over the winter months the damages will waste tons of water.
You can proactively prevent further damage and guarantee that your sprinkler system will continue to operate properly when the weather warms up again by taking care of these issues proactively in the fall.
It’s also important to remember that doing repairs in the fall, which is an off-season for the sprinkler industry, allows you to avoid the spring rush when irrigation services and parts are likely to be in high demand.
Doing a Fall Tune-Up
During summer, it’s common for various debris like dirt, grass, and leaves to accumulate around sprinkler heads and valves, leading to clogging and uneven watering.
During a fall tune-up, it’s important to get these heads cleaned and repositioned to ensure more even coverage across the lawn and landscaped areas.
Managing watering schedules and planning a fall tune-up is important for ensuring that your sprinkler system remains healthy and functional all year round. To get expert assistance in winterization, sprinkler repair, and more, contact Smart Earth Sprinklers today!
