The weather is warming, trees are sprouting leaves, and spring has arrived. For many people, this means getting back to life in the great outdoors. Spring is among the best times to enjoy your yard, but if you want to get the most out of your green spaces, you must provide proper care. And often, that means watering your lawn.
If you’ve got a sprinkler system, that’s great! However, it’s quite likely that your sprinkler system was shut down through the winter and perhaps winterized to protect it from the cold. As water freezes, it expands, thus damaging pipes and other components. Now that spring has come, it’s time for sprinkler de-winterization.
Spring Time Sprinkler System Maintenance and De-winterization Considerations
If you live in a cold area, hopefully, you prepared your sprinkler system for the cold weather. Generally, this is done by clearing water out of the pipes. You may have used an air compressor, for example, to blow liquids out of the lines. After the last freeze, you’ll want to clear out this air and debris inside the pipes.
After closely inspecting your sprinkler system for blockage, damage, broken components, and the like, you can start to bring your sprinkler system online by filling the pipes with water. However, you’ll want to do so slowly. If you fill the pipes too quickly, it may cause damage. Typically, sprinkler systems are set up with a valve that you can then use to turn the water off and on.
Also, if your sprinkler system is divided into zones, it’s wise to bring one zone online at a time. This reduces the risk of damage. While this may take time to do and may seem like a hassle, if you damage your sprinkler system, you’ll have more hassles to deal with.
Once you get your sprinkler system online, you’ll want to take a close look at how it performs. If you notice large, persistent wet spots on your lawn or low water pressure, it may be due to leakage. Also, keep an eye out for unexpected jumps in your water bills. This could be due to leaks in your sprinkler system wasting water.
You’ll also want to check your controller, ensuring that it has charged batteries and is in good working order. If you’ve been thinking about modifying or upgrading your sprinkler system, controller, and other components, spring is a great time to do so.
As you can see, sprinkler de-winterization is rather intensive, and if done wrong, it could damage your sprinklers. It’s smart to contact a sprinkler system maintenance company that can provide professional services. Doing so will save you time, and pros can make sure that your system is in good working order. If a professional sprinkler technician notices a problem, it could save you from hefty repair and replacement bills further on down the road.