3 Things To Inspect in Your Irrigation System Before Turning It On in Spring

7/29/2022 (Permalink)

Doing regular irrigation maintenance can help extend the life of your system

Three Things To Check In Your Irrigation System

Just as you did irrigation maintenance before turning your system off for the winter, you need to do that again before turning the system on in the spring. Not taking the time to check each part of the system could lead to flooding in your Santa Barbara, CA, business, and thousands lost in revenue and costs for water damage restoration services to repair the destruction from the flooding. Here are three things to check in your irrigation system.

1. Check the Forecast
It's normal to get warmer days, while the nights stay close to or below freezing. Check the extended forecast before assuming that the temperatures are acceptable and turning your irrigation system back on. Turning the system on when there is still a chance of freezing temperatures could mean that your irrigation pipes freeze and burst, causing your business to flood.

2. Look for Potential of Sprinkler Flooding
Even if recessed into the ground, sprinkler heads can still be easily disturbed or damaged in the winter months. When doing the irrigation maintenance, remove each sprinkler head and check it for any cracked or missing parts. Pull the sprayer out of the sprinkler head and thoroughly inspect that as well. Replace all heads that have any issues. When you reattach the sprinkler heads, make sure you don't overtighten them.

3. Run Each Zone Separately
When you turn the main water on, make sure you do it slowly to ensure you don't overwhelm the pipes. Then, turn on each sprinkler system zone one by one and allow them to run for a few minutes while you look for potential issues. Adjust the sprinkler heads to ensure they're spraying where you want them, and check around them for leaks. After you have checked each zone, schedule the system to turn on as you desire.
While it can take some time and work, doing regular irrigation maintenance can help extend the life of your system and keep your commercial property looking great all year long.