Do you love working in your yard? If so, you are probably sprinkler system spring-ready. This is when the trees, grass, and flowers all come alive, and you can see amazing colors in your yard. Well, this is true as long as they get adequate water and sunshine.
Your sprinkler system plays a crucial role in keeping your plants and grass healthy. Keep reading to learn how to get it ready for spring.
Check for Frozen Ground
While you may be eager to get things going. Use caution. Before turning anything on, you need to make sure that no frozen ground is present. You can use a shovel to dig about one foot into the soil. Make sure to do this in an unseen part of your yard. If you hit frozen ground, you are trying to act too soon. Wait another few weeks, and then conduct another dig test.
If you start your sprinkler system while the ground is frozen, it may cause broken water lines while you start things up or even several hours later if the ground is still so cold that it freezes the water in your lines. If you can’t wait to water, then do it the old-fashioned way with a hose until the soil is completely thawed.
Turn the Control Panel On
Your sprinkler system will start up as soon as the “brain” or control panel is activated. Usually, these are installed outside, which means you may have to wipe away dirt and get rid of a few cobwebs.
Turn the control panel on and review the irrigation zones’ current settings, date, and time. If there is a battery backup in your system, and the batteries are more than six months old, it is a good idea to go ahead and replace them. Each control panel is a little different, so if you don’t have the original user’s manual, search online or ask the professionals for help.
Clean the Sprinkler Heads
An extremely time-consuming step in making sure your sprinkler system is ready for spring is cleaning each sprinkler head and valve. The more you have, the longer this will take. Follow these steps to make the process a bit more efficient:
- Inspect the head for damage and replace it if needed.
- Clean the nozzles well.
- Be sure the valve is closed.
Open the Main Valve Slowly
Next, you will open the main water valve, but if you don’t know what you are doing, call the professionals. If the valve is opened too quickly, it will send a gush of air and water through the system, creating a water hammer. This can cause the valves, pipes, and other components to break or crack. This has to be done slowly over several minutes.
If you need help getting your sprinkler system ready for spring, use the tips here. If you cannot handle the process on your own, contact our team at The IDL Company for help.
