Spring is here but don’t turn on those sprinklers just yet. Sprinkler systems may be durable but they need a little maintenance every year to work out any new problems and ensure they weren’t damaged over the summer.
According to Atlanta Sprinkler Co, if you skip the yearly maintenance, you may encounter the “Water Hammer”. When you just turn on the system without checking, the sudden influx of water slams through the pipes before the air has a chance to escape. This will ratchet up the operating pressure way beyond normal. Even if you’re lucky and it doesn’t blow your sprinklers out of the ground like rockets or completely burst your fittings, it can still cause damage that only an Atlanta Sprinkler Co can repair.
To avoid any problems, this Atlanta Sprinkler Co. recommends you follow these steps before starting your irrigation system:
1. Use a shovel to make sure the earth is not frozen down to a depth of about 12 inches. If the ground is frozen, wait until it is not before continuing.
2. Collect some basic replacement parts like sprinkler heads, nozzles, PVC pipe, primer, cement and fittings, just in case you find a few leaks to repair.
3. If your automatic timer uses batteries, then now is the time to replace those as well.
4. If you do not have air pressure relief valves then you need to unscrew your sprinkler heads to allow the air to escape.
5. Slowly start filling the main line. You only need about a quarter turn of the valve.
6. Once the main line is filled, slowly fill the other zones of the system starting with the zones closest to the water source.
7. When a zone is filled with water, shut the water to it off. Then shut off the air pressure valve or screw the sprinkler head back on.
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