Frequently Asked Questions

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_toggle title=”Why do I need a sprinkler system or service from Sprinkler & Irrigation Services?”]The pros of purchasing an automatic sprinkler system greatly outweigh the amount of stress and inconvenience that come along with watering your yard by hand.  Not only does a sprinkler system increase the market value of your home through providing a lush green lawn; it also decreases wasteful watering and increases the leisure time you have to enjoy your perfect yard!  We pride ourselves here at Sprinkler & Irrigation Services by using only the most reliable products and providing the most professional and personable service in Omaha metro’s irrigation industry!  Should a new system be needed or a system failure ever occurs, our responsive staff has the know-how and capability to pinpoint and resolve any irrigation problem you may throw at us![/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How much is a sprinkler system going to cost me?”]Owning a sprinkler system is an investment that will eventually lead to major payoffs in leisure time, water savings, and an increase in your home’s market value.  With proper maintenance throughout a system’s life, the initial price will be the biggest bill in owning a sprinkler system.  These factoring costs will vary depending on the size of the property, products being used, and special designs used for landscaping or any other specialty reasons.  Call Sprinkler & Irrigation Services today for a free estimate![/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Will an automatic sprinkler system use more water than I am currently using?”]No.  With all the possible upgrades and sensors, water usage costs can actually be less than manually watering your yard.  If you aren’t watering in the early morning, you are wasting water doing it in the afternoon due to like higher evaporation and possible wind variables.  A well designed, efficient irrigation system applies the exact amount of water required for your landscaping needs. You will never have to worry again about wasting water by forgetting to turn off the hose.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How much more time will an automatic sprinkler system save me?”]Aside from countless minutes dragging a hose around to water your yard, there are many features that can be programmed for seasonal adjustments and minimal trips to the controller.  In this day and age, there is also an upgradable feature called Hydrawise that allows you to take control of the system on your phone![/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Is there anything I should do to prepare for my sprinkler installation?”]We will take care of all necessary pre-installation procedures such as calling in utility locates, arranging plumbing, and making sure all permits are obtained.  Depending on the condition of the grass, we encourage our clients to saturate their lawn in the couple weeks beforehand to lessen the damage done to the grass during installation.  This, in turn, speeds up the lawns recovery time post-installation.  A healthier lawn will bounce back faster than one that is on its last couple blades!  Feel free to call us with any other questions you may have![/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Are there any ways to enhance my system to save even more on my water bill?”]There are a number of additional sensors that can be added to improve the overall efficiency of a sprinkler system.  One of the most frequently used is a rain sensor that will immediately turn off the system when rainfall is detected.  This will cut down on your water usage when Mother Nature is irrigating your yard for the day.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Why do I need a backflow preventer?”]Required by law, a backflow installation is necessary to prevent possibly insecticide or fertilizer contaminated sprinkler system water from re-entering the drinking water supply in your house.  Further down the liability grapevine, this stops the possibility of city water contamination and house flooding.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How can I shut off the water supply to the system?”]The water supply to the system can be shut off at two locations.  For system reparations in nicer weather or just a quick shut down, it is fine to turn the water off at the shut off valve at the backflow.  For winterization purposes and backflow repairs, you will want to turn the water off at the main supply inside the house.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Why do I need to winterize my system in the Omaha metro?”]To winterize a sprinkler system, an air compressor is rigged to the systems backflow to blow the remaining water out of the sprinkler heads.  Winterizations should be scheduled around the end of September or during the first week of October; you mainly want to avoid the first freeze of the season.  Sprinkler system winterization is necessary to save your backflow and mainline from potential internal cracking during Nebraska’s freezing temperatures.  This prevents possible costly repairs in the springtime when the system is turned back on.  In the direst of situations, not only could freezing damage your backflow but it could also lead to frozen lines throughout your house if it’s not properly winterized.

Learn more about the importance of winterization on our blog.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What is a watering schedule?”]A watering schedule consists of three basic components to operate automatically.  “Watering days” are the days the controller tells the system to run.  “Program start times” are when those schedules are supposed to start on watering days.  “Station run times” are how long each zone is told to water.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How should my watering schedule be set up?”]If it is a new system or the property has yet to get sod, extra consistent watering is needed to help heal that existing yard or establish the sod in a new yard.  Once a yard is established and healed, a normal watering schedule should be set to go off primarily in the early morning.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Does the type of soil affect how much I should be watering my lawn?”]Yes!  Soil type has a huge play in determining how much watering needs to take place.  Sandy soils will not have to take in as much water as compacted, clay-like soil.  Root establishment can be disturbed while under watering a clay soil that has a low absorption rate, and vice versa for sandy soil.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What part of the day is best for watering?”]It is recommended that all watering should be done in the early morning before sunrise.  There is normally less wind to interfere with spray patterns and that is when evaporation is at its lowest, maximizing water absorption into the soil.  Watering at night is not recommended because of the lower absorption rate.  This would lead to fungus and spore problems in your yard.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Why is water not flowing from one spray head while the rest of the zone is running?”]If there is a zone of spray heads running but one or two popped up heads aren’t spraying any water, those heads might be clogged!  Easy fix!  Simply unscrew the nozzle at the top of the pop-up body and you will see a removable filter.  Make sure that filter is clear of debris or not damaged in any way and screw the nozzle back on with the clean filter and adjust.  REMEMBER:  It is wise to do this while the zone is off unless you are trying to take an outside shower and possibly loose the filter.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”There is water seeping from one sprinkler, does this mean it is damaged?”]Not necessarily. Water will always drain through the lowest head on a zone until the pipe empties. If the seepage doesn’t stop, there is a problem with the valve that controls that sprinkler zone. The problem could be as simple as a small piece of debris inside the valve.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How do I adjust a spray head?”]With fewer steps than adjusting a rotor, it is even simpler making adjustments to our spray heads.  Sprays are going to have one of three main types of nozzles:  a fixed pattern nozzle, an adjustable nozzle, or an MPR nozzle.  All nozzles are threaded onto the top of the pop-up body of the spray head and are adjusted by twisting that pop-up body.  For adjustable nozzles, the first step is closing the colored top by twisting it all the way clockwise to find the right set marked by the circular bump.  Once you have the top closed all the way, you can twist the pop-up to align that bump at the desired right stop of the spray pattern, just like the arrow for the rotors.  Once the right stop is in alignment, twist the colored top counterclockwise to open the nozzle again to the desired stopping point on the left.  Instead of having a bump on top that marks the right stop for adjustable nozzles, MPRs have a flat cut on the side of the nozzle that marks the left set which you set first.  Fixed nozzles are not adjustable in themselves, but can have their water coverage adjusted by twisting the pop-up body.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”How do I adjust a rotor head?”]The rotor heads we use at Sprinkler & Irrigation Services are among the easiest to fine tune and adjust.  With the Hunter rotor key, you will be able to pull the sprinkler body out of its shell after inserting and quarter turning the white end of the rotor key into the “keyhole-shaped” slot at the top of the rotor turret.  Now that the sprinkler body is exposed, the first thing you will want to do is set the arrow at the top of the sprinkler head to the point where you want it to stop on the right.  (All adjustments for any sprinkler are made from behind the head.)  The top turret can be rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise, so by rotating the top turret completely clockwise you will confirm the turrets right stop wherever the raised arrow ends up.  Even though you have found the turrets right stop, the arrow may still need to be aligned with the actual right of the sprinkler.  With the body still pulled out, grab the bottom of the body (below the turret), and twist accordingly so that right set arrow is aligned with the right side stopping point of the sprinkler spray pattern.  At this point, the only adjustments remaining are if you need to increase or decrease the degree of the left side stop.  Insert that same white end of the rotor key into the circular hole at the top of turret and twist clockwise or counter-clockwise to increase or decrease, respectively, the left side stop.  To check your work, the arrow should now stop where you want on both the right and left of the sprinkler.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What is the difference between a spray head and rotor head?”]A spray head will be typically be seen along walkways and in landscaping beds.  Ran at shorter intervals, sprays deliver a large amount of consistent water flow to these flatter areas and foliage.  Rotor heads are the ones you see watering larger areas with a rotating jet stream of water.  Golf courses will have larger rotor heads than what you will see in front and backyards of houses.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”What are the main components that make up a sprinkler system?”]The controller will usually be mounted in the garage or basement, and it serves as the brains of the system.  It sends electric signals to the valves, letting them know when to release the flow of water into the sprinkler zones according to the water schedule.  When a valve or zone turns on, it releases the water flow to the sprinkler heads out in the yard.  The backflow is another major component that connects the main water supply of your house to your sprinkler system and prevents that sprinkler water from reentering the clean water supply.[/vc_toggle][vc_toggle title=”Why does my system continue to run while I have the controller dial turned to off?”]If the controller is off and the system is still running, it is usually because of one of two things.  The first thing to check out is seeing if there is a solenoid (the top part of the valve with the wires) that was left open; it can be closed manually through the valve box. The other main reason is that there might be some kind of debris caught inside the valve, not letting it close all the way internally.  WARNING:  For the DIYers, make sure the water supply is turned off before attempting to take apart any valve.  If it is anything besides the solenoid being left open, it is recommended to give us a call to schedule a repair.[/vc_toggle][/vc_column][/vc_row]