Changes, add-ons and upgrades

WOW!! After record high temps in March, snow every weekend in April, and a mix of hot dry weather and lots of rain in May, we have finally slowed down. Very unpredictable spring so far.

We are now pretty much through the initial period of start ups and repairing freeze damage. Now is the time to have us make any changes, add-ons, or upgrades. Landscaping changes and matures over time, which means the sprinkler system needs to be changed and adjusted as well. Sprinkler heads need to be moved to accommodate new or over grown shrubs, and some need to be raised and straightened over time.

Some upgrades can be made to your system to either save on water, give better coverage and water distribution, or just to be more user friendly. There are rain sensors to turn off the system when there has been enough rainfall, "smart" controllers that adjust the watering schedule according to the weather, easier to use controllers than some of the older models, and newer heads and nozzles that water more efficiently.

Some water districts give rebates for making some water conserving upgrades. Colorado Springs Utilities, Donala Water and Sanitation, and Woodmoor Water all have different rebate programs.

Warm, dry, early March

This first week of March has been VERY warm and dry. Breaking records of temperatures in the low to mid 70s. And I know you are tempted to start up your system, and water those plants, shrubs and turf.

BE AWARE!! we will most likely get another freeze, and more snow. March is typically our snowiest month in Colorado Springs. Even April and early May can see freezing temperatures. If you do turn your system on this early, or have us take care of it, please make sure to watch the weather and drain the system when it gets cold again. Anything above ground, such as the backflow preventer and copper pipes, can still freeze overnight, and have damage occur. These components are costly to repair or replace.

Time to look at water conservation

Over the next few months, I'll be talking a little more on ways to conserve water by changing the way we water our lawns. Here in Colorado Springs, water rates will raise by 40% and more for Colorado Springs Utilities customers. This could mean HUGE water bills in July and August.

There are two ways to save water with the sprinkler system. Products and Techniques.

There are many different products that can be used to save water:

• check valve heads
• pressure compensating heads
• rain sensors
• ET (evapotranspiration) controllers
• high efficiency nozzles
• drip vs. microsprays
  

And there are many less expensive ways by using different techniques

• changing the way we set controllers for water scheduling
• routine tune-ups throughout the year
• changing the scheduling on the controller many times throughout out the season
• aerating
• correct fertilizing
• raise and straighten sprinkler heads

Please visit periodically as we discuss these different elements

Protect your sprinkler system!!!

Now is the time to think about protecting your sprinkler system from freezing temperatures. Water left inside the pipes, heads, valves, and backflow preventers will freeze over the winter. When water freezes it expands and cracks these components, causing hundreds, and even thousands of dollars worth of repairs.

Blowing out the sprinkler system is the best protection for this. Blowing out the system consists of hooking up an air compressor and forcing all the water out through the sprinkler heads. Unfortunately, small home style air compressors are not the best for this. They can not sustain pushing out enough air volume continuously. We use larger tow behind gas or diesel engine air compressors.

This style of compressor can sustain the volume needed. High pressure is not the key to blowing out a system properly. We can actually do this with very low pressure, but high volume is needed.

Around 2002 we kept track and found that almost 70% of NEW customers in the spring time called us due to freeze damage to the sprinkler system. Protecting your system from freeze damage is the absolute best preventive maintenance you can do to prolong the life of your sprinkler system.

August update

Wow!! This "sprinkler season" was a hectic one. We didn't slow down until just now. Hmmm.... funny how lots of rain will do that. This July was the driest ever recorded in Colorado Springs. Grass was drying up and dieing no matter how much water we were giving it. It didn't matter if the systems were installed by homeowners or designed by architects and engineers, every system lawn was having hot spots. Now the phone won't ring!!! Which is also good as we can catch up on add ons, redesigns, and extras that customers have requested. And it gives us some time to relax. Todays high temp on August 15th was 57 F degrees.

A few things to consider for our area. Most of the systems we work on were NOT installed by our company. So there could be many design and installation flaws. We also live at about 6500'-7000' in elevation. As those of us who live here know, sunburns happen a lot quicker. Same thing with grass. We also have virtually no humidity here, and lots of wind. One last thing, is that most of our lawns here are Kentucky bluegrass, which is not ideal for our climate. It takes lots of water to stay green, and is not designed for our elevation and climate. So all of these factors caused a lot of dry lawns and unhappy customers. But there is only so much we can do with the existing installed systems, without making major changes which can cost lots of money.

Springtime availability

Colorado Springs and other "cold weather" cities have two rush times for sprinkler work. Springtime and in the Fall. Right now my company is currently booked up for over two weeks for all three technicians. What happens is that everybody wants their system on at the same time, so everybody calls at the same time. We can get 20-60 calls a day for start ups and repairs. And then to top it off, we have already had three days of cancellations due to cold and snow. So trying to fit those appointments back in is also tough. And THEN we show up for a simple start up job that should take 30-45 minutes, and find there is 3-4 hours worth of freeze damage repairs needed. So a 2-3 week backlog is typical for us, and other local companies this time of year.

Unfortunately we occasionally lose good longtime clients because of this. I apologize, but there is only so much we can do. Right now, we are even turning away new potential clients that call in. Right now in early May, grass is not dieing, and is just coming out of it's dormant stage. A few waterings with a hose and one or two rain storms will keep the grass fairly healthy.

This may sound rude but it's not meant to be. I have one analogy to this - if your car breaks down and the mechanic can't fix it for two weeks, you don't just stay home from work and not go anywhere. You find another way to get there - second vehicle, spouse or partner drives you in, bus, taxi, walk, bike, etc. So if the sprinkler system breaks down, find another way to water. A hose and basic sprinkler should always be on hand. Our winters here can be very dry and warm at times, and a few good soakings will help keep the grass healthy and make it easier to rebound in the spring.

And another FREEZE ALERT!!

Looks like another cold snap coming in this weekend of April 26th - 28th. If your sprinkler system is already operating, please shut down and drain your systems, or heavily wrap and insulate the above ground pipes and backflow preventer. Hopefully this will be the last for this spring, but honestly, I have seen systems freeze up in mid-May.