HOME & GARDEN
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
B3
Sprinkler maintenance
time, date and zones. You should also
check the integrity of backup batter-
ies if your sprinklers rely on them. If
you are concerned about their perfor-
mance or age, visit a battery special-
ist in your area and have them tested
to determine how much life they
have left.
Greenshoot Media
M
any Americans who appre-
ciate a luscious, full lawn
throughout the spring and
summer turn to sprinkler or irriga-
tion systems. To perform at peak per-
formance, they will require attention
before being open for the year.
If you don’t have one but are con-
sidering adding it to your yard, pro-
fessional installation is the most
practical option. An expert will pre-
pare trenches while ensuring util-
ity lines aren’t compromised and
correctly install needed compo-
nents like piping, controllers and
valves.
When the ice and frost are gone,
here are some ways to prepare your
sprinkler or irrigation system for its
busy season.
Clean Sprinkler Heads
Depending on the number of
sprinkler heads you have, this may
prove to be the most time-consuming
portion of the entire process. Analyze
each component for signs of damage
and replace the parts before attempt-
ing to engage the system. Use an old
toothbrush to effectively clean each
nozzle to ensure they distribute water
evenly to their designated zones.
Make sure valves are closed after
cleaning, except the nozzle farthest
from the main water source, it should
remain open to allow air to escape
during startup.
Welcome Spring
Before you can begin using
your sprinkler system this spring,
it’s important to ensure the winter
weather is gone and temperatures
will remain steady. According to the
group Direct Energy, attempting to
allow water to run while the ground
is still frozen could result in busted
pipes during the startup process, or
hours later. You can test the condi-
tion of the ground below by digging
at least a foot into the soil in an area
Opening the Main Valve
Greenshoot Media
Efficient sprinkler systems use a minimal amount of water.
away from the underground tubing.
If you strike frozen dirt, plan to delay
the de-winterizing project.
Analyze the Control Panel
The brains behind your irriga-
tion system are typically installed
outdoors. Make sure you follow the
directions explained by the installer
and confirm settings are accurate for
With the pre-maintenance per-
formed, slowly open the main valve
until you can hear water begin to
flow. Allow this to steadily fill into
the main line before slightly open-
ing the valve every few minutes.
Doing this too quickly can lead to
expensive errors like busted pipes or
valves.
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Every Drop Counts
With summer temperatures rising, water
conservation is important. Make sure you aren’t
wasting water with faucets or pipes.
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