Lawn Sprinkler System Maintenance

The comforts of home

As often happens with time saving devices, we become lazy and neglectful when it comes to the simple maintenance that helps free our days for more worry-free laziness.  The lawn sprinkler system has become a standard feature on many new homes and is a popular addition to old homes as well.  But be careful in your complacency.  Just because your home can water itself while you vacation doesn't mean that your lawn sprinkler system can monitor grass growth or prepare itself for spring after a long hiatus.

The tuna can test

Notice a little brown spot between sprinklers?  Perhaps growth in one area of your lawn is not keeping up with the rest.  A multitude of possible explanations with nothing to do with your sprinklers can explain this.  Therefore, find out if your sprinklers are at fault before you dig them up. 

Grab a collection of any receptacle you may have handy - they should all be of the same size.  Tuna cans work nicely.  Place them where you suspect poor coverage and run your lawn sprinkler system.  Certainly you see where this is going.  Take an average depth and then compare your measurements to a different run with tuna cans placed among healthy, growing grass.  This simple test can prevent much unnecessary maintenance and over-watering to compensate for poor coverage.

Spring time setup

Getting pumped about spring is natural.  Don't let hasty excitement start the season off with a headache of repairs and expenses.  Using a lawn sprinkler system that has been dormant for several months may blow your fittings or heads with spectacular geyser of air pressure and dirty water.  

Before you do anything, make sure the ground is not frozen at least a full foot deep.  If it is properly thawed, prepare yourself with a collection of spare parts you may need; fittings, risers, heads, nozzles, PVC or poly pipe, and primer.  Better to have these things on hand than spend all day back and forth from the hardware store.

First, make sure all valves are closed.  Remove one head from the highest point in each zone.  This will allow air to push out during refilling.  Next slowly fill the pipe from the source to the first valve.  Partially open the valve to the entire system so it gradually fills up without creating undue air pressure.  Open each zone valve individually; air and dirty water should pump out of the spigot where you removed the heads.  When the water runs clear without bubbles (maybe as long as 30 minutes) shut the valve and replace the head.

Repeat the process for each zone and then start testing out your controller.  You should be ready for another season without too much worry.

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