In recognition of July being designated by the Irrigation Association as “Smart Irrigation Month,” the Southwest Florida Water Management District has a few simple tips to help your irrigation system operate effectively and efficiently. Irrigation systems are exposed to the elements, lawn mowers and more so they should be inspected and adjusted on a regular basis. Some repairs may require hiring a certified irrigation professional.
Inspecting your irrigation system
Manually start your irrigation system, on your irrigation day to check for leaks, broken pipes, damaged or tilted sprinkler heads, blocked sprinkler patterns and overspray onto impermeable surfaces such as roads and sidewalks. Malfunctioning sprinkler heads may be causing brown spots in your yard.
Check for soft, wet spots that are always around the inground sprinkler head. These spots could indicate a leak that is being absorbed into the ground. Contact your irrigation maintenance specialist if repairs are needed.
Look for dry spots. They are a sign of one of the following: the sprinklers may be placed too far apart; the water pressure is low; sprinkler patterns may be blocked by overgrown grass; shrubs or low-hanging limbs may be blocking the sprinklers; or the screens inside the sprinklers are clogged.
Sprinkler heads can be moved out of place by people, pets or by lawn mowers. Adjust, move or add sprinkler heads if your current sprinklers do not spray water 80 to 100 percent of the distance to the adjacent sprinkler.
Clean the filter screens if they are clogged. All sprinklers use filters to prevent spray nozzles and emitters from getting clogged and degrading the spray pattern.
Rain shutoff devices
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, be sure it is equipped with a working rain shutoff device to override the system when enough rain has fallen. As water evaporates from the device, the irrigation system will resume normal operation. Rain shutoff devices have been required by Florida law on all automatic irrigation systems installed since 1991. If your rain shutoff device was installed years ago, it may be overdue for a check-up or may even need to be replaced.
Make sure the rain shutoff device is located away from overhead obstructions, with a clear view of the sky and at least five feet away from air-conditioning units or pool heaters.
Check the indoor portion of the rain shutoff device regularly to ensure the device is working properly and that the corresponding switch in the control box is set at “on.” Test the outdoor portion of the device by wetting the sensor. To do this, you will have to turn your irrigation system on to verify the system won’t operate when the controller is turned on.
Adjust the sensor to interrupt irrigation after a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain. If there is a vent ring located just below the cap, the vent can be closed or partially closed to restrict air flow through the discs. Make sure the vent is closed so it will allow the disks to dry more slowly, thus keeping the system off for a longer period of time. This adjustment is used to compensate for an “overly sunny” location.
To learn more about how to create and maintain water-conserving Florida-friendly landscapes, please contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods coordinator in your area. Coordinator contact information can be found on the District’s web site at www.WaterMatters.org/yards/.