Good Ways to Maintain Your Irrigation System in the Spring

To keep irrigation systems up-and-running and fully-efficient, a little bit of springtime maintenance can go a long way. Spring means environmental and climate changes that make an impact on properties, lawns, and landscapes of all sizes. You need to be in front of those springtime changes to give your irrigation customers the best service possible. On the other hand, you give your own business a boost by knowing what services need to be done and when, so you can present them to new and current customers.

In a recent article from Total Landscape Care, Conserva Irrigation® founder Russ Jundt was able to share some of his industry experience and insight about springtime maintenance for irrigation systems. Russ discussed that a full system test and adjustment at the beginning of spring is necessary to get a clear picture of an irrigation system’s condition. This creates a baseline of water use and water distribution that can be tweaked accordingly for the spring and the warmer summer to follow.

As he continued to explain, Conserva Irrigation® calls this process “summerization,” which is the clever opposite of “winterization.” Just as an irrigation system needs to be adjusted for a colder winter, it has to be changed accordingly as temperatures begin to rise. Being proactive in getting this process completed towards the start of spring is the best way to prepare your irrigation customers for the spring. However, it should be noted that a full foot of soil thaw should happen before making major irrigation system adjustments. Otherwise, there could be excess water unable to filter down into the soil, flooding the property and going to waste.

Springtime Irrigation System Maintenance Checklist

A basic irrigation system maintenance checklist may look like this:

• Clearing debris away from drainage ports and venting the piping system.
• Making adjustments to water pressure as needed to complete maintenance work.
• Charging the system by filling the pipes with water without activating the sprinklers.
• Turning on the sprinklers with the newly adjusted pressure to observe system functionality.
• Double-checking for leaks, backflow, and pressure output problems.
• Completing any secondary adjustments as needed.

Mistakes to Avoid When Checking an Irrigation System

Not everyone is perfect, and mistakes do happen in the workplace. However, as an irrigation system professional and franchisee, it must be your top priority to avoid any and all mistakes while performing springtime irrigation system maintenance for your customers. With each step, there is the potential for errors, so know what your team needs to do, why, and when. When you are deliberate and attentive, your customers and your business alike benefit.

Mr. Jundt shared a few common mistakes that can happen, including:

• Not locating or utilizing an isolation valve on a looped mainline.
• Not double-checking that a shut-off valve is fully closed.
• Not turning ball vales and test ports to a 45-degree angle.
• Not taking action to fix mistakes or system deficiencies that are caught.

You can learn more about irrigation system maintenance services for the springtime by clicking here and viewing the full Total Landscape Care article featuring Russ Jundt.

Are you interested in becoming a franchisee of the Conserva Irrigation® family? Call (804) 621-7167 to learn how to get started today!