Even Sprinklers Need a Tune-Up!

A well-tuned sprinkler is much like a well-tuned car.  A car uses less gasoline when it is running at peak efficiency. A properly adjusted and maintained sprinkler will keep your grass and landscape green using less water. To have a well-tuned sprinkler you can't simply turn on the water, set the backflow and walk away. You should walk every zone checking for leaks and damaged heads. Check that your sprinkler heads are all still set in the ground straight. A misaligned head is not watering effectively. Also be on the lookout for debris or landscape growth blocking sprinkler heads.


If you live along one of the busier streets in your area you probably have quite a bit of sand along the front edge of your property from winter street crews. Sand has a way of creating problems for mist heads by clogging nozzles and reducing the effectiveness of their spray. Should this happen, unscrewing the nozzle and cleaning it out with a straight pin usually works. Remember to always make sure the plastic filter screen is in place in the neck of the head before reinstalling the nozzle.

Lastly, check your controller settings. Watering three times per week is common for this time of year. Your yard needs about 1" of precipitation per week. We certainly have had quite a bit of precipitation this spring. If you do not have a rain shut-off  on your system yet, we strongly recommend you have one installed. These cost-effective devices keep your sprinkler from running when mother nature has already taken care of it for you.

Have a super spring! Enjoy the sunshine!