Summer & Your Lawn Irrigation System

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring and although it is not officially Summer, it sure feels like it in the south! Okay, I've been away from the blogging world for about 7 months now, but I thought it was time to get back to help spread my knowledge about lawn irrigation systems.

Obviously, Summer is the time when your irrigation system is most used. This means that if you have not already done so in the Spring, then it is time to "tune up" your system. Here are just a few things that you can do to help prepare your lawn irrigation system for the Summer:

• Use care when first pressurizing your system. Turn on the main control valve (Usually a ball valve or gate valve) slowly.When your system has not operated in a while, the pipes most likely have been drained and a sudden burst of water (water hammer) can blow out or weaken fittings.
• Purchase some small mark-out flags to mark sprinkler heads; Then run a test program for 1 - 5 minutes per zone. The amount of time you need to spend depending on the size of your yard or rater size of each zones. Inspect each zone and mark out where there are problems such as spray nozzles or heads that need to be replaced, or broken pipes.
• If your system is not automatic just turn on each your sprinkler the way you normally do and inspect each section. If you happen to have a timer problem and still want to make the repairs prior to replacing the timer, you can just activate each valve by slightly turning the solenoid or bleed- plug counter clockwise. (This will only work on pressurized systems such as a city water source or a pump/pressure tank combination). Just open it to the point where you feel or hear water starting to move because if you open the solenoid or bleed-plug too much you can loose it and you will not be able to get the valve to shut down.
• If your lawn irrigation system is not pressurized you will need to turn on the pump or activate the pump start relay.Make sure to have a faucet or valve cracked open because you don't want to "deadhead" the pump. "Deadheading" is where the pump literally starts to explode from trying to push water and the water not going anywhere! Depending on several factors, it would take a while of continuous running to actually blow up the pump, but what happens first is that the PVC well itself and/or fittings going into or out of the pump start to melt!
• Make the necessary repairs. Most lawn irrigation systems will require nothing more than the replacing of a few screens or spray nozzles. The screens that go in the spray heads before the nozzle can often just be cleaned out rather than replaced if you don't have any extra screens.
• If you have to make any PVC repairs, make sure to use a "Slip Fix" or also known as "Quick Fix". For the average lawn irrigation system, a slip fix is much quicker and easier than a compression or dresser coupling! A slip fix has PVC that slides and sort of resembles a telescope.
• When replacing the timer, pressure switch, control box, or pump- start relay make sure to turn off your power supply first! Even after the breaker is off double check the lines with your multi-meter. If you are not familiar with electricity, than call a qualified and licensed irrigation professional or a licenced electrician.
• If your system is automatic, make sure that your timer is set and working properly. Just because it works when you manually turn it on doesn't mean that it is working on automatic. Set it for the days and times that you want it to run and then observe. If you don't want to wake up at 5:00 AM or just want to finish the testing, then simply manipulate your clock into thinking it is a minute before you want it to run (and on the days you want it to run) and then wait. In one minute you should see zone 1 on the system turn on.
• Increase the times on each zone if necessary. The Summer of course comes with higher temperatures and a higher evapo-transpiration rate for lawns, plants, and trees. Remember to water your lawn and landscape longer and less frequently. How long you can actually run depends on a few factors, most of important your soil permeability rate.
• If you have very sandy soil you can and should water longer than if you have a clay based soil. Just try to stay away from everyday short waterings on lawns. This encourages the roots to stay shallow instead of going deep and makes for a weak lawn.

That's all the tips for tonight. Thank you to everybody for all of the inquisitive and positive emails. I always appreciate positive comments and the technical questions keep me on my toes and always troubleshooting systems in my mind. This allows me to constantly improve my skill. I'll promise to keep the tips up more frequently. Good night!

Scott

http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com