Warm sunshine, flourishing plants, and longer days are around the corner. That means it’s nearing that time when automated sprinkler systems are fired up and put back to work maintaining lush, green lawns. Once the weather has warmed enough that there is no more threat of frost, you can turn your underground watering system back on. Turning on your sprinkler system is more than just flipping a switch, though. Follow these tips from Heinen to properly start up your sprinkler system and put it on track for a successful watering season!
1. Assess your sprinkler heads for damage.
Broken sprinkler heads greatly affect the efficiency of your entire underground watering system. The zone where that sprinkler head is located may no longer be receiving an adequate amount of water. Or, you may find excess water flooding directly around the sprinkler head and not reaching the full watering area. Or worse yet – the broken sprinkler head could adversely affect the pressure within the system and cause an underground pipe elsewhere to break and create an unseen leak – which will be much more challenging to fix.
2. Clean up debris.
Clear away the debris that has collected in your yard throughout the winter to give all your grass and plants clear access to the water coming from your irrigation system. You should also make sure to clear space around each of your sprinkler heads. This will allow them to fully spray water to properly reach every part of its zone. It is not uncommon for dirt and built-up leaves to bury or obstruct sprinkler heads during the winter while they’re not in use, so it’s extra important to give them a good cleanup just before you fire your system up and then regularly throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
3. Slowly turn the water on.
Reopening up the valves on your system needs to be done slowly or you may create what professionals call a “water hammer.” Releasing water back into the system too quickly can put an intense amount of pressure on different parts of the system and could even burst supply pipes – or damage sprinkler heads. Slowly opening the main valve allows for the system to be pressurized properly.
4. Inspect the valves.
Another way that water is wasted in an irrigation system is through leaky, broken valves. These also need to be checked at the beginning of watering season and periodically throughout the spring, summer and fall to ensure your system is running at its full potential. When the valves leak, water is wasted and water bills can skyrocket, so you want to make sure this is not the case with your system! Typically, a valve leak will occur when the rubber diaphragm inside has worn down and no longer seals properly or when debris has gotten into the system and blocks a valve from closing.
5. Make necessary upgrades.
Throughout the process, you may have noticed a few different things that need to be replaced simply because they are broken or worn down. You may also have noticed that your automated sprinkler system has not been performing in some areas as well as others. There’s no time like spring to make upgrades to your system! Maybe it’s time to upgrade from basic sprinkler heads to ones that are better designed for specific zones – or maybe you’d like to install an internet-enabled smart control system that gives you more power over your lawn irrigation – from most anywhere in the world!
Need help getting ready for spring?
If starting your sprinkler system back up seems a little daunting, don’t worry! The experts in all things irrigation at Heinen are eager to help you get your underground sprinkler system back in working order. Whatever upgrades you have in mind for your automated irrigation system, Heinen can make them happen! The irrigation professionals at Heinen are meticulous in selecting which components are used for Heinen sprinkler system installations or upgrades – only top-of-the-line products from top manufacturers pass the Heinen test.
