A properly operating water sprinkling system is essential if you want to have a properly maintained landscape around your home. A water sprinkler system is an exact science. If you over water, you have mushy ground with diseases, dying vegetation, shifting foundations, a high water bill and many other problems. If you under water, you have dry ground with diseases, dying vegetation, a not so high water bill, shifting foundations and many other problems. If you apply the right amount of water, you have flourishing vegetation, a predictable water bill, stable foundations, and minimal problems.
Here are five tips to ensure you are getting the most out of your water sprinkling system:
- Have your new water sprinkling system designed by—or existing one evaluated by—an experienced technician and designer. Their experience will make sure your watering system is functioning as efficiently as possible.
- Really understand how your water sprinkler controller works, or pay someone who does to monitor it for you. The controller needs to be adjusted as the seasons change and climate conditions warrant. The number of days it operates and the number of minutes each station operates both need to be considered. The results of your watering efforts and the existing climate are also crucial elements of effective sprinkler adjustment.
- Make sure you are not watering the pavement. If you see that your walks or drive are wet, and worse, if there is any runoff water, that is literally money down the drain. Sometimes it is as easy as brushing grass away or tweaking a head. Sometimes, it means replacing a head. Do what it takes to stop the waste.
- If you have an old system, find a reputable water sprinkler company to evaluate it and suggest upgrades or replacements. If the company suggests a major upgrade or replacement, get at least two more opinions from reputable water sprinkler companies. The best way to find and hire one is to ask your friends and neighbors who they use. Ask the water sprinkler company for references and call at least five of them, and ask the references if they felt like they got the results that were promised, if the estimated cost held, and if the work was done in the time promised. Make an informed decision from your research.
- Take no short cuts, and don’t use low quality materials or components. When a water sprinkling system doesn’t work properly or breaks, it is amazingly expensive to fix the issues. When interviewing potential water sprinkling companies, listen for the drum beat of quality, not low price.
If you are looking for a reliable water sprinkler company, and if you live in Arlington, Texas or the surrounding cities, I highly recommend Adam Maxwell, owner and operator of Texas Turf Masters Irrigation, 817-861-8873, www.texasturfmasters.net. I trust he will do a great job for you.
Happy Sprinkling,
Mike
