How to Prep Your Sprinkler System for Spring Turn-On (And Why You Shouldn’t Do It Alone)

Spring in Omaha arrives fast! One week your lawn is frozen, the next the kids are running through the yard and your HOA is sending emails about property appearance. If your sprinkler system has been dormant since October, the question isn’t whether you need to turn it on – it’s whether you’re going to do it right.

This guide covers what a proper spring startup looks like, what most homeowners miss when they try to DIY it, and why homeowners who use a certified irrigation professional consistently avoid the most expensive mid-season repairs.

What Happens to Your Irrigation System Over Winter

Your sprinkler system goes through a lot during a midwest winter. Freeze-thaw cycles affect pipe joints, valve seats, and backflow preventers. Soil movement from frost heave shifts sprinkler heads — sometimes by inches. Insects and debris can enter exposed components. And your controller’s internal battery, if not replaced, may have lost its schedule entirely.

None of this is visible when you look at your lawn in April or May. It only surfaces when you run the system.

The 5 Components a Professional Checks on Every Spring Turn-On

When a certified technician from Sprinkler and Irrigation Services runs a spring startup, they’re working through a structured inspection — not just flipping a valve. Here’s what’s on the list:

1. Backflow Preventer Integrity

The backflow preventer is the device that stops irrigation water — which may contain fertilizers, pesticides, and soil contaminants — from flowing back into your home’s water supply. Over winter, internal seals can crack. We test it before any water flows. If it’s failing, the fix now is a fraction of the cost of replacing it after a backflow event.

2. Zone-by-Zone Pressure Testing

Every zone in your system is designed to operate within a specific PSI range. Low pressure means incomplete coverage and dry spots. High pressure destroys rotors and pop-up heads over time. A simple pressure gauge test catches both!

3. Controller Programming Review

Your 2024 watering schedule doesn’t match 2026 conditions. New plantings, lawn expansion, seasonal adjustments, and battery resets all require your schedule to be reviewed and updated.

4. Head Position and Coverage Verification

Frost heave during an Omaha winter moves sprinkler heads. We physically check each head in each zone to confirm the correct position, coverage angle, and arc. A head that’s shifted 10 degrees in the wrong direction creates a dead spot that takes three weeks to show up in your grass.

5. Valve and Solenoid Function

Zone valves and their electronic solenoids are the workhorses of your system. They open and close dozens of times a week. We verify each valve actuates correctly and that the solenoid isn’t showing signs of wear or corrosion.

What Most Homeowners Miss When They DIY a Spring Turn-On

The most common DIY turn-on goes like this: turn the main shutoff back on, run each zone from the controller, check that water is coming out, call it done. That process will catch a burst pipe or a totally failed zone, but it won’t catch:

• A slow backflow preventer failure
• A zone running at 30% of design pressure because a valve partially failed over winter
• Four heads in Zone 3 that are now pointed at your driveway instead of your lawn
• A controller that’s been running your system at 3 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. because of a dead backup battery

These are the issues that become $300–$600 repair calls in June and July. They’re also exactly what our techs are trained to find!

Why Certification Matters

Not every irrigation company operates at the same technical level. Sprinkler and Irrigation Services holds Hunter Platinum Preferred certification — the highest level of recognition from Hunter Industries, the world’s leading manufacturer of professional irrigation products.

That certification requires ongoing training, technical testing, and performance standards. It’s not a marketing badge, it’s a performance threshold. And SIS is the only contractor in the Omaha metro that holds it.

When you book with us, you’re booking with a team that has done this work 15,000+ times, holds the highest available certification, and has been doing it in Omaha since 1994.

How to Book Your Spring Turn-On

Spring slots fill quickly! You can book online at sprinklerirrigationservice.com/request-service/  or call us at 402-312-8933. We serve Gretna, Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion, Elkhorn, and surrounding communities. And if you want to make sure spring and fall are covered every year without having to remember to call – ask about our Gold Membership! It’s the easiest way to permanently take irrigation off your mental to-do list.