How often should I check my irrigation system's performance?
Check it frequently during peak watering season (April through September) to make sure that everything is functioning correctly and water is being applied as needed to the plants and sod areas. It may be most convenient to do a quick run of each zone after you finish mowing for example. You can do this on your clock by selecting manual run on all zones for about 2 minutes per zone to give you adequate time to adjust heads and locate problem areas.
What should I look for during my check?
Observe the operation to make sure that each heads is popping up and spraying in the intended area and direction. Look for overly wet and dry spots and see if there is an obvious reason why it may be occuring. You can adjust most spray heads by grasping the pop-up portion with the palm of your hand and rotating the spray pattern clockwise until it is in the desired position. Attempting to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction may result in loosening the head or even separation.
How much time should I run my system for to water effectively?
If your landscape is new your system should be set to water frequently in hot summer months. If you have a well established landscape you can water less frequently and more deeply to promote a good root system. For more information please check out our links page.
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| How can you tell if you have a leak?
Take a look around your property. If you notice areas that are constantly wet, that seem to be developing a "sink hole", or there are areas that appear to be washing out, you may have a breach of some type. A sink hole is generally caused by a line break underground and is formed when the water gushes out of the pipe and in to the ground, washing away the earth around it. A constantly wet area could be a leak of some sort, but it could also be a sign of overwatering and bad drainage.
The best way to tell if there is a leak in your irrigation system is to turn the system off at the clock, shut off the water to the house at the homeowner's cutoff and then monitor the leak indicator (generally a small red triangle) on your water meter. This is a small dial on the face of your water meter. Watch the dial for a good five to ten minutes. When the water is off to both your house and the irrigation system this indicator should not move. If it does, there may be a leak.
By proactively checking your system and by monitoring your water useage monthly you can prevent unnecessary water loss and help protect your pocketbook.
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