Perhaps you are new to irrigation systems and keep hearing about “spring start up” but have no clue what it means.
Basically, as the weather gets warmer, and spring is in the air, it is time to start up your irrigation system, or get your irrigation system prepared for spring and summer. However, it is not as simple as some people like to think it is, and if you don’t know what you are doing, you could end up damaging your irrigation system. This could lead to expensive repairs or replacement of your irrigation system.
It may end up saving you money in the long run to hire a professional to start up your irrigation system.
Common Mistakes You Can Make
As a homeowner, it makes sense to try to save some money and start up your own irrigation system. However, trying to start up your own irrigation system is more complicated than you think. As a matter of fact, below is a list of common mistakes that professionals see when homeowners try to start up their own irrigation systems, so please read further!
First off, you need to know when is the right time to start up your irrigation system. Professionals have found that many try to start up their system when the ground is not ready and still frozen.
If you do try to start up your irrigation system with frozen soil, you could invite freeze damage to happen. To repair freeze damage is quite expensive, so it’s best to let a professional decide when to start up your system.
Then, if you do not know how to manage the water pressure of your system, you could create some extensive damage. A water hammer, or a banging sound that occurs when air in your pipes can’t escape due to a sudden rush of water could be a warning sign that you are not managing the water pressure.
The pressure can cause the sprinklers to blow out of the ground or cause fittings to burst. Either way that would be rather expensive to fix or replace. Even if a water hammer doesn’t happen immediately, not opening the valves in the correct way can lead to your system failing before summer is over.
Finally, you need to run each zone for two minutes before you open the main valve. This gives you a chance to check for leaks or breaks in your irrigation system. It also allows you to see if all sprinklers are in the proper position. If you do not take the proper time to perform these tasks before you open the main valve all the way, you could risk damage to your system, damage that would be very expensive to fix.
If you happened to read this list and were at any way confused by the steps or terminology it really is in your best interest to hire a professional to start up your irrigation system. Or else you may end up paying more to replace or repair the damage to your system
