Strategies to Flip a Backyard Sprinkler System Once more on throughout the Spring

  • Check for Damage

    Sooner than you start the tactic of turning your sprinklers once more on for the spring, you’ll should check the system for any local weather hurt. Rigorously check each sprinkler head and any uncovered valves or pipes, and restore and substitute one thing broken or cracked.

    Strategies to Flip a Backyard Sprinkler System Once more on throughout the Spring

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Uncover the Important Shutoff Valve

    You might usually uncover sprinkler shutoff valves throughout the system’s valve packing containers throughout the yard, the basement, or the crawl home. Preserve a be careful for piping with a single shutoff ball valve and a lever-type take care of near flooring stage indoors, and a cross-shaped take care of out of doors— which can be correctly beneath flooring stage, inside a flooring subject or large pipe.

    Tip

    Should you occur to see a giant water pipe coming in correctly beneath flooring stage or by way of a foundation wall, that’s nearly positively your home’s necessary water present, not the valve for the sprinkler system.

    Main shutoff valve located with lever and attached to piping for lawn sprinkler system

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Discover the Vacuum Breaker

    Uncover your system’s vacuum breaker changing into, which is commonly above flooring and located near the house. It’s a copper or plastic valve assembly associated to 2 pipes, each with a small shutoff valve.

    Vacuum breaker fitting located for lawn sprinkler system

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Shut the Vacuum Breaker’s Check out Cocks

    The vacuum breaker can also have two check out valves—known as check out cocks—that appear as if slotted screw heads. In case your system has been winterized, these must be at a 45 degree-angle from the nipples they’re related to. Use a flat-head screwdriver to close each of the two check out cocks, making certain the slot on the check out cock is now perpendicular to the nipple.

    Flat head screwdriver closing vacuum breaker's test cocks

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Open the Shutoff Valves

    Subsequent, open the two shutoff valves on the vacuum breaker, using the butterfly-type take care of. Identical to the check out cocks, the valve handles should have been set perpendicular to the pipe for winterization. Open each valve all the best way wherein by turning the take care of until it is parallel with the pipe.

    Tip

    Ball valves—whether or not or not they’ve screw-type controls, lever-type handles, or butterfly handles—are open when the take care of or administration slot is parallel with the pipe. They’re completely closed when the take care of is perpendicular to the pipe.

    Shutoff valves opened on vacuum breaker by turning butterfly-type handles

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Reinstall the Important Valve Bleeder Cap

    Some system shutoff valves have a little bit of metal cap that threads onto a bleeder nipple on the facet of the valve, allowing residual water from the piping to empty all through shutdown. In case your shutoff valve has one amongst these, ensure that the cap is in place, and is tightened snugly.

    Main shutoff valve with bleeder cap reinstalled

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Slowly Open the Important Valve

    Turning a sprinkler system once more on too shortly will create a water hammer, which could burst fittings or pop off sprinkler heads. So, slowly open the first shutoff valve to let water into the sprinkler system. For a ball valve, flip the lever take care of until it is parallel to the pipe, and for an in-ground shutoff valve, use a sprinkler valve key to indicate the valve counterclockwise until it stops.

    Main shutoff valve lever handle turned vertically to open

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Run a Handbook Check out

    Set your system’s timer or smart controller to run a handbook check out of all the sprinkler zones for 3 to five minutes each. As a zone prompts, watch its sprinkler heads to make sure they’re working appropriately, and keep concentrate on any factors you see. Do not fret within the occasion you uncover the sprinklers sputtering and blowing out air as soon as they first come on— that’s common, and might stop after a few minute.

    Lawn sprinkler system timer set for testing sprinkler zones

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Check the Valves and Vacuum Breaker

    After the check out, open each valve subject in your yard, and guarantee there aren’t any leaks. Check the vacuum breaker and the related valves and piping, and the bleeder on the first shutoff valve (as related). If the cap is leaking, tighten it gently with pliers.

    Bleeder cap on vacuum breaker tightened with pliers

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

  • Get In a position to Irrigate

    Applicable any points you found all through the handbook check out, resembling adjusting spray patterns or altering damaged sprinkler heads. Set the system timer for the first watering, ideally once you probably can keep a be careful to make sure all of the issues is working appropriately. After the first run, you probably can modify the system to water at night time time or very early throughout the morning for effectivity.

    Lawn sprinkler system timer set for first watering

    The Spruce / Kevin Norris

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