As Spring approaches, thoughts of starting up your automatic lawn sprinkler system become a priority. The health of your landscape is dependent upon the proper operation and watering schedule of your irrigation system. Contrary to popular belief, it requires a lot more than “just turning the valve” to correctly start up a lawn sprinkler system. The cost of hiring an irrigation professional is an investment, not an expense. Not only will you be assured that your system will be working at peak performance, but you will also be conserving water. Making sure that your system does not have any hidden leaks and is properly adjusted will far outweigh the minimal cost of the service visit.

A proper spring start up performed by a certified Pacific Lawn Sprinklers technician includes the resealing of all drain valves. The slow and deliberate filling of the main line with a conscience review of the water flow is important. A complete inspection of the backflow preventer, solenoid valves, valve box, and the entire mainline must be performed to ensure that no leaks or breaks have developed over the winter. A final inspection of the water meter will ensure that the mainline is tight and secure for proper distribution. Once the mainline is locked up, an individual inspection of each zone of the system must be performed. A complete check is also done for any signs of leaks, pressure losses, and proper trajectory of the spray patterns from each individual sprinkler head. A cleaning and sometimes a grass cut around each head may be required so the sprinkler head delivers the proper spray pattern and uniformity as designed.

Once the entire system is fine-tuned and tweaked as needed, the rain sensor should be checked and adjusted for accurate operation. The controller should be programmed as required for each zone and any specific watering restrictions must be taken into consideration. The spring settings should match the water requirements for the time of the year and weather pattern. Seasonal adjustments may be required at a later date due to increased temperatures or rainfall rates. These are natural adjustments that must be provided to properly irrigate your landscape and to keep it operating at peak performance.