Your lawn irrigation system is basically invisible. It is almost entirely underground and usually runs when you are sleeping. So, how do you know everything is OK, no brown spots, no dead plants, there isn’t a new pond in the middle of your lawn? Waiting for one of those telltales probably isn’t the best way of confirming that everything is OK with your lawn irrigation system. A mid-season checkup is usually a better and more proactive choice. It doesn’t have to be too involved; you are just checking some basic functions:

1. Activate every zone to be sure each control valve turns on and off when it is supposed to.
2. At the same time, observe every sprinkler head:
   1. Are they rotating?
   2. Are they hitting the area intended?
   3. Are there any clogged nozzles?
   4. Is a head missing or damaged?
3. While watching all the sprinkler heads on your lawn irrigation system, look more closely around the yard for:
   1. Wet areas.
   2. Dry areas.
   3. Holes in the ground that may indicate a leak.
   4. Brown, yellowing, or wilting plants could be the result of too much or too little water. The symptoms are nearly identical for both problems.
4. Check your rain sensor:
   1. Is it bypassed at the controller? This problem is far more common than you might imagine.
   2. Is it functioning (dead battery, cut wire)?
   3. Is it sitting properly vertical or horizontal depending on type?
5. Check your soil moisture sensor, if you have one:
   1. Make sure it is not bypassed.
   2. Make sure it is functioning.
   3. Make sure you are happy with the setting (they are adjustable for how dry you want the soil to get before the next irrigation cycle).
6. Check your controller program
   1. You probably need more water per week now than when you first activated the system in the spring.
   2. Do all of the zones need the same increase in water? Probably not.
   3. If runtimes are getting long, should you consider cycle/soak programming? This is especially necessary for yards with heavy soils.
   4. You might want to add a short syringe cycle for especially hot days.

This list may look long but it doesn’t have to take too long to complete especially if you do it every couple of weeks which the team at Irrigation Tech in Rochester, NY, encourages you to do. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself or if you find a problem while performing your checkup that you need help with, give them a call at (585) 225-0380. They will be happy to help with your lawn irrigation system.