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Firing up your sprinkler system for the season poses a question – when should you do it? There is no definitive date, since weather conditions and individual watering needs will both have an influence, but here in northern Nevada, a good timeframe is usually early to mid April. It’s important to avoid starting up your irrigation system until any threat of frost has passed, so it really does vary from one year to the next. And before you jump right in, consider whether you’d prefer a professional inspection from Harris Landscape Construction first. Between freeze-thaw cycles and our impressive weather in February and March, there can be plenty of unseen issues on your pipes and sprinklers.

Starting Irrigation Systems in the Spring

Harris Landscape Construction offers irrigation shut-down and start-up, and many people in northern Nevada take advantage of it. That’s because it’s not uncommon for our team to find a number of issues with homeowner irrigation systems in the spring. Usually, we can resolve these problems easily with solutions like adjusting or relocating sprinkler heads to help your system work more efficiently. Our team can also identify and resolve problems like wasted water, flooding, or inadequate watering. Ensuring that your irrigation system is running efficiently and without issue is the best way to help your landscaping flourish

If you prefer to manage your own spring irrigation start-up without professional assistance, here’s what we recommend to keep your pipes from becoming damaged.

• Open the main water valve slowly to allow water to fill the pipes gradually. Opening the valve too fast can lead to high-pressure surges and uncontrolled water flow, and both can result in cracking. If you’re not sure how to do this, call Harris Landscape Construction and we’ll send someone out to open it properly.
• Manually activate each zone from the controller to make sure everything is working properly. You’ll want to check sprinkler heads for proper rotation and adequate coverage, with no leaks. Check for low pressure areas as well, which can indicate a missing sprinkler or a line break. You can adjust heads as necessary, and take the time to clean filters on any sprinklers that aren’t performing well.
• Program the controller to ensure automatic watering, and check the backup battery as well. Uncover and clean the weather sensor, if your system has one, and check the back flow preventer too.

If any of this sounds confusing or like too much work, contact Harris Landscape Construction now. We’re scheduling our spring start-ups now, and we’ll be happy to get you on our schedule. Then you won’t have to worry about when to start your sprinkler system at all! We’ll make sure your irrigation system is in perfect working condition. Bring on spring!