FAQ's
Irrigation Topics
Q. My Irrigation system runs its regularly scheduled cycle and then starts all over again.
A. It is likely that your controller has too many start times programmed. Homeowners occasionally program in multiple start times thinking that each station or zone needs its own start time; you only need ONE start time programmed into your controller. The start time tells the system what time of day to begin watering, after that each station or zone will run sequentially for the number of minutes each zone has been programmed to run. To fix this you will need to cancel out the extra start times.You can try this yourself or call for service.
For example: We want Mr. Green’s irrigation to begin watering at 2:00AM so we program station #1 to start at 2:00 AM and we want that station to run for 30 minutes so we set the run time to 30 minutes. We then want station #2 to run for 10 minutes. We DO NOT program a start time for station #2 we only need to tell it how many minutes we want this station to run, so we program station#2 run time for 10 minutes. We continue programming each station for the number of minutes we want each to run. The only start time is for station #1. The following short video will help demonstrate how to cancel multiple start times from your controller. Q. How frequently should my irrigation system run and how long should each zone run?
A. The recommendation for our region is the equivalent of 1 inch of precipitation per week. That can be accomplished by your irrigation system running 3 days a week at 15-20 minutes per zone for spray heads and 20-30 minutes per zone for rotary heads. However seasonal adjustments to this run schedule may be necessary during long hot periods.
Q. My Irrigation system wont turn off, one or more of the zones keep running and running.
A. This indicates a mechanical problem with a zone valve. Turn off the water at the backflow device or main irrigation valve and call for repair service.
Q. My irrigation system didn’t come on this morning and it is an automatic run day.
A. It could be that the rain sensor is just doing it's job. If was raining when the system was programmed to start or if the rain sensor has not had enough time to dry out from a recent rainfall then it is doing it's job and telling the system to skip this run cycle and resume on the next.
Q. What if I want to manually run my irrigation system but it wont run because the rain sensor is still wet from a recent rainfall?
A. You can temporarily disable your rain sensor by toggling the rain sensor switch ( located on the left side of your controllers faceplate) to bypass mode; Don’t forget to turn it back to active mode when you are finished running your manual cycle or you may find your irrigation running in the rain
next time.
Q. I had my irrigation system installed two seasons ago and the coverage isn't the same as it was when it was installed.
A. Your landscape plant material is maturing; likely grown taller and larger and is now deflecting the spray of some of the heads. You will want to make an appointment to have these heads made taller or moved due to the growth.
Q. Do I need an in-season service check up for my irrigation system?
A. Yes, an in-season service check up is recommenced. Leaks or needed adjustments or repairs may have surfaced since your system was started up in the spring. Lawn care equipment can damage heads which should be checked and adjusted or repaired as needed. Additionally seasonal adjustments to the run schedule can be made due to the longer hotter days.
Q. My neighbor has a household compressor; he offered to winterize my irrigation system with it, is that safe?
A. No, its not. A household compressor does not supply a steady and adequate air pressure to properly winterize an irrigation system. Household or PSI compressors build up pressure to a designated psi and then back off until the pressure builds again. To properly winterize all those hundreds or even thousands of feet of underground pipe with twists and turns a constant and steady high pressure must be induced into the system by means of a CFM or "cubic feet per minute" compressor. With a CFM compressor there is no build up or drop off of air pressure that could leave residual water in the pipes and cost more in repair bills then the professional winterization would have. Thank your neighbor for the offer, but graciously decline.
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