That’s right. Just as you don’t wait for the first cold spell to fix the heating system, the off season is a great time to tune-up an irrigation system.

Yes , summer is the irrigation season, and the time most of us are busy just trying to keep up with depleting soil moisture. The off season affords the time to make the adjustments that will increase sprinkler performance when the heat is on.

One good practice is to check for correct sprinkler height. Low sprinkler heads cannot pop-up high enough to clear the grass blades, disrupting the spray patterns and resulting in uneven coverage and poor efficiency. Raising the head to the ‘top of grade’ will help achieve head to head coverage and help eliminate those annoying brown areas. The process is usually a simple matter of raising the swing joint below and, or adding a short nipple at the base. Tip: consider replacing an older head with a new longer body head to raise the height. For example changing a 4” pop up to a 6” pop up. Other advantages with new heads include fresh, strong seals around the stem to prevent leaks and better arc adjustment capability.

Other quick fixes while you are at the head include re-aligning tilted heads back to vertical and checking for clogged or damaged nozzles. You may even have time for some of the nozzle sizing adjustment you’ve always wanted to try to perfect your system.

These “Tips” are available on our website on the “Resource Page”