HOW OFTEN SHOULD I WATER MY LAWN AND FOR HOW LONG? Because each lawn is unique, the answer to this question can vary greatly. The best watering times and length of watering depends on your climate, the type of grass and soil conditions. It is generally preferable to water infrequently for a longer period of time than frequently for short periods. Watering infrequently provides deep water sources that roots search for. Frequent watering promotes surface root growth. For specific information, we suggest you contact your nearest nursery, garden center, or the local horticultural extension office and consult with them about a watering schedule best suited to your area.
WHAT TIME OF DAY SHOULD I WATER? IrriTechOnline.com recommends watering early in the morning, Water in the middle of the day only if it is cool or if you have a new lawn requiring constant moisture. You only should water more than once per day if evaporation is extreme or if your soil wont hold water because of the clay content or the slope of a hill causes too much runoff.
WHAT MAINTENANCE DO I NEED TO DO ON MY IRRIGATION SYSTEM? Monthly you should: Adjust timer settings if not using a Smart Controller. Check and adjust sprinkler sprays. Clean mainline filter (if installed). Once per season you should Clean filters in all sprinkler heads. Manually operate each valve. Check wire and wirenuts for any damage. As needed you should: Unclog sprinkler heads. Adjust installation levels of heads to ground level.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN IT RAINS? Most timers have a button for shutting down for rain. In addition, connecting to a Rain Shutoff Device (Rain Sensor) allows automatic shutdown during rainy weather.
IS IT ALL RIGHT TO MIX DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPRINKLERS ON THE SAME LINE? We recommend that you DO NOT mix different types of heads on the same circuit, because each type of sprinkler applies water at a slightly different rate. For instance, an impact sprinkler might apply 1/4 inch of water per hour, while a spray sprinkler might deliver 3 inches per hour. If they are on the same circuit, you may have to overwater parts of your lawn in order to get the right water amount in other areas.
HOW DO I CLEAN MY POP-UP SPRAY SPRINKLERS? One of the many advantages of the spray sprinkler is that it is easy to flush and clean. To remove the nozzle simply pull up the pop up part of the sprinkler (the stem) and the nozzle is on the very top. Holding tightly onto the stem with one hand, turn the nozzle counterclockwise until it separates from the stem. You do not need to turn the screw on top to remove the nozzle; it is just for adjusting how far the stream throws. As you remove the nozzle, you should see a screen inside the riser. Pull out the screen and rinse both the nozzle and screen in clean water. Never clean plastic nozzle orifices with wire or a wire brush because this can deform the interior passages and lower the quality of nozzle performance. If the nozzle is blocked and cannot be cleaned, you will have to replace the nozzle with another one of the same type. The type of nozzle is stamped into the top of the nozzle and is designated by numbers and some letters. A few examples of this would be "15H", "9SST", or "10VAN". Before replacing the screen and nozzle, open the valve and flush out the head. Turn off the station, then put the screen and nozzle back into place and turn the zone back on. After this cleaning, you may need to re-adjust the direction of the sprinkler's spray.
HOW DO I ADJUST THE SPRAY ON MY SPRAY SPRINKLERS? First look at the designation on top of the nozzle. Many of the nozzles have certain patterns and arcs that are non-adjustable. For example a 12Q nozzle will throw a twelve- foot long quarter of a circle (90 degree) arc spray. The only thing that can be adjusted on these fixed arc nozzles is the distance. To do this, simply turn the silver screw on the top of the nozzle to the left to increase the water flow through the nozzle. Turn it to the right (tighten the screw) to reduce the throw. The recommended minimum throw distance on the 15-foot nozzle is 10 feet.
MY SPRINKLER(S) WON'T ROTATE. WHAT'S THE PROBLEM AND WHAT SHOULD I DO? This type of problem is often caused by a problem with water pressure problem that is either too low or too high. Most water departments (or whoever provides your residential water) can tell you the approximate water pressure in your neighborhood, or you can check it yourself with rented equipment. Compare your pressure to the water pressure recommended for your impact sprinklers. You may need to make adjustments to bring the water pressure in line with your needs.
MY PLASTIC IMPACT SPRINKLERS HAVE STOPPED ROTATING AND I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BLOCKING THEM. WHAT SHOULD I DO? One of our first questions is how many years old or how many irrigation seasons have your sprinklers operated? It is normal for impact sprinklers to require some maintenance after about 7 to 10 seasons. As with any moving sprinkler, water pressure and flow volume play an important role in the rotation of the heads. Here's any easy way to determine if water pressure is the possible cause of the problem. If the head is not rotating back to the left, go to one of the correctly operating heads on the same zone. Using your thumb, seal off the nozzle where the water is shooting out. If the non-rotating head starts to rotate, you may need to recalculate the system's optimum flow volume. One possible way to solve this is to put smaller nozzles into your sprinkler heads. Another possible way is that if you have a flow control valve you can open up the flow control which allows more water to pass through the valve to the sprinklers.
WHICH LUBRICANT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR USE WITH YOUR SPRINKLER HEADS? The only lubricant we recommend with any of todays equipment is water! Any other lubricant will cause dirt and other debris to attract and stick to the different parts of the sprinkler. This dirt can become abrasive and wear out seals causing the sprinkler to loose performance, stop turning, leak, or even stop functioning completely.
WHEN MY VALVES OPEN AND/OR CLOSE THERE IS A LOUD THUMPING, BANGING NOISE IN THE PIPES. WHAT IS IT? The sound you are hearing is called waterhammer. This is something you will want to correct, as it can cause damage to your pipes and equipment over a period of time. If the water velocity in your pipes is too high, the valves may be slamming shut, causing the waterhammer. If you have flow control valves, turn them down to help to lessen the problem. Another way to alleviate this problem is to purchase a waterhammer suppressor at you local plumbing supply house and install it yourself. Using a larger supply line from the water source to the valves also helps reduce waterhammer. Another reason is if your sprinkler heads do not have check valves and are draining water out of the heads on the lowest point in the line. When the valve opens and sends water down this pipe, the water hits the air and crashes into fittings causing water hammer. If these solutions don't work, we recommend you consult a professional installer to help correct the problem.
HOW CAN I TELL IF MY VALVE SOLENOID IS BAD? Here are a few things to check in determining if your solenoid is bad. Do you see any visual hints that the solenoid has failed, such as rust? Are the wire connections in waterproof connections? You can also remove the solenoid and have it tested at a local service location. An electrical resistance test should typically indicate a reading between 20 and 60 ohms for a solenoid that is operating properly.
MY VALVE(S) WON'T CLOSE. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Before you worry, try these simple solutions. Make sure that your valves are clean and that no debris is blocking them. Also, if the valve was recently installed, make sure that the flow direction arrows are pointed towards the sprinklers. (This is a common and sometimes embarrassing mistake that even seasoned installers can make.)
HOW DO I MANUALLY OPERATE THE VALVES ON MY SYSTEM? To manual operate the valve, turn the solenoid (the black device with the two wires coming out of it) to the left 1/4 turn. This will allow the valve to manually turn on. To turn the valve off, turn the solenoid to the right until it is finger tight. BE SURE YOU DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN! Some valves are equipped with a small thumbscrew that is called a bleeder screw. It is located right on top of the valve body and can be turned ½ turn to open the valve as well.
WILL A SURGE PROTECTOR PROTECT MY CONTROLLER (TIMER) FROM LIGHTNING? Lightning is one of nature's most powerful forces. While a surge protector usually protects against normal power surges, the surge protector may be overpowered by the electrical charge if a lightning strike is close. Much of the damage occurs when lightning strikes near valve wiring and follows the wires to the timer. Lightning-induced power surges can still knock out the transformer. Product failures due to acts of God including without limitation, lightning and flooding, are usually not covered by warranty. Check your warranty information for more details.
MY CONTROLLER (TIMER) IS BEHAVING STRANGELY. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Some of the most common controller problems are actually caused by power surges that can "freeze" the controller or garble the programs. Often, clearing the controller's memory and re-programming the unit will solve the problem. The first step is to clear all the programs. To do this, unplug the controller, remove the fuse and the battery. Wait 1-2 minutes, then reinsert the fuse and the battery and plug the unit back in. Re-enter your programs in the controller. If this method doesn't work, review the Irrigation Troubleshooting Guide.
WANT TO REPLACE AN OLD OR BROKEN CONTROLLER (TIMER) WITH A NEW ONE. IS THIS DIFFICULT? Replacing a controller is not a difficult task if the old controller is operating 24-volt valves. Begin by using masking tape to number the wires connected to the old controller. You can then disconnect the wires and remove the old controller. After you mount the new controller, simply place the correct wires in the appropriate numbered sections. Make sure you have connected all the valve wires to the controller BEFORE you plug the controller into the power supply. If you are running the system on a pump, make sure the controller has a master valve connection (MV) and be sure the controller can operate the pump. Of course, check to be sure the controller is made for outdoor use if you are going to mount it outside. Each controller comes with detailed installation instructions. If you carefully follow the instructions for installation and grounding, it should be a smooth process.
| 
