The weather is hinting that warm weather is about to return, but before it arrives, you need to prepare your irrigation before it becomes needed with the hot months ahead. To prepare, turn your irrigation system back on and check each irrigation zone for leaks. Your system is a pressurized system and when there are leaks, the system will not work efficiently, wasting precious water and not providing adequate moisture for plant material. Your trees, shrubs and turf cannot thrive in the heat of a Texas summer without a fully operating irrigation system. These steps will help you diagnose your irrigation system for needed repairs:
1. Turn your controller to the “on” position and switch to a test cycle. This will cause your zones to run and while they are operating, walk around your yard and check for any leaking heads, missing heads creating geysers, or clogged heads causing low flow, no flow or uneven flow.
2. Check your drip irrigation zones by looking for broken or cut lines. If you have a leak, the water will bubble up and you will need to repair. Sometimes our animal friends will cut a line as they are looking for a source of water during the winter months.
3. Also, check for zones not coming on indicating a wiring issue or a non-operating valve problem.
4. Once check is complete, turn your irrigation system back to the “off” position.
If repairs are needed, make them now before hot weather arrives and damages your plants. Problems with heads and drip are easier to repair but wiring or non-functional zones may require a professional irrigator to repair. If you do need a professional, it will be easier to find one now before the heat of summer. When making repairs, always use “like kind” irrigation replacement parts. This will insure proper coverage.