Having an irrigation system can make it much easier to water your lawn and/or plants. But if your system is not working at peak efficiency, you could be wasting water and not getting it to some places that need it.
Proper installation The first step to ensuring your sprinkler system is working properly is to get it installed properly. One of the important factors in installing an irrigation system is proper spacing of the sprinkler heads. If the heads are too close together, you may get too much water on some areas and not enough on others. If the heads are too far apart, you may have areas on your lawn that get missed altogether. It’s best to have your system installed by a professional and then have it tested and inspected before signing off on the work.
Proper maintenance Once your sprinkler system is installed and working properly, the way to keep it working at top efficiency is to perform regular maintenance.
One of the most important sprinkler maintenance tasks when you live in an area with harsh winters such as Ann Arbor MI is to drain water out of the system in the fall, close the main valve and open manual drains. This will prevent your system from freezing, which can cause leaks and blown sprinkler heads. When spring rolls around, you have close the manual drains,open the main valve and pressurize the line, then check to make sure there are no leaks.
During the watering season, you also need to maintain your system. You should check often for broken sprinkler heads or ones that have become clogged with dirt and debris. Also check to make sure that the spray patterns are still accurate, as heads can get knocked out of alignment.
Proper timing Even if your sprinkler system is in peak shape, all the sprinkler heads are working properly and your coverage is good, there’s still a human element involved in making sure the system operates as efficiently as possible, and that all comes down to timing.
One of the reasons people have sprinkler systems is because of the convenience of being able to program them to water at specific times. But if you don’t set the right times, you won’t be watering efficiently.
Summers in Ann Arbor MI can get pretty hot, so if you are watering your lawn at 2 p.m. in July, that water is going to evaporate pretty quickly. Instead, set your sprinkler system to go off early in the morning or late at night. That way, the water will stay on your lawn longer and soak in rather than evaporating.
Another thing you need to be aware of is rain. If you just set your system and ignore it, you might have your sprinklers on during a downpour. To prevent this, install rain sensors, which will shut off your sprinkler system automatically after a certain amount of rainfall.
Following these tips will help your irrigation system operate as efficiently as possible.
Keep your lawn looking beautiful with maintenance services from Twin Oaks Landscape.
Find us online at https://www.twinoakslandscape.biz/, visit us in Ann Arbor, MI at 4100 South Maple Road, or call us at (734) 213-6911.
