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SPRING INTO IRRIGATION

Check your sprinklers heads when you turn on you sprinkler system in the spring.

When to turn on your sprinkler system in the Spring.

It is time to fire up your sprinkler system. With temperatures in the 60’s and high winds in the Denver area, lawns, plants and trees are drying out. Even though there is a chance it could snow, temperatures typically will not get cold enough to damage your sprinkler system. If it does get cold after you have charged your irrigation system, cover you back flow and don’t worry about the pipes or heads in the ground freezing. Also, if you have new sod from last year, now is the time to water. Lawns that are a year or less old have a shallower root system. Spring is a great time to grow those roots down so when the temperatures rise, your grass is ready for the heat. Bluegrass produces new shoots or rhizomes primarily in the spring and fills in weak spots. A little water now will help thicken up your yard and have it looking great this summer.

Turn on the water to your sprinkler system

1 – First, open the valves on the back flow preventor and close the drains. The back flow preventor is typically on the outside of your house. If you have drains in your valve boxes, close them as well.

2 – Make sure your sprinkler clock has a fresh battery and is plugged in and working. Turn on a sprinkler zone so when you turn on the water, the air in the system has somewhere to go.

3 – Slowly open the valve that supplies water to your sprinkler system. Air, then water should come out of the zone. Run until all the air is out of the system.

Check your sprinklers heads

Now that you have water in your sprinkler system, run each sprinkler zone and check for clogged nozzles and adjust heads. Look at the water coming out of each sprinkler and if the spray pattern does not look uniform or not much water is coming out, it may have some debris in it. If this is the case, take the nozzle off and clean. This is also a great time to determine if you may need new nozzles or upgrade to modern heads that can put the water on slower helping achieve deeper watering and better water conservation. If you have old metal or brass sprinklers heads or nozzles, it could be time to replace them with new heads that can save a lot of water! Contact a sprinkler company if you need help. Precise irrigation is the key to saving water and having a great lawn!