Spring start-up will be you off to a good start. May is the start of a short season here in Alberta and we often have to assist Mother Nature to make the best of our summer months.  Have Park Irrigation pressurize your irrigation system, inspect the nozzles and align your sprinkler heads.

Simply opening the valve, resetting the timer and watching it go … if it were only that simple.   Your home sprinkler system needs to be thoroughly checked by a certified irrigation technician every spring.   Checking for damage to your water lines, valves, fittings, spray heads and rotors ensures that your system is functioning as designed and minimizing any water waste.

Home sprinkler updates 

Spring is a great time to update or modify your system.   Is your sprinkler system more than 5 years old?  There is a good chance that the controller is out of date and does not have the latest in “smart” technology.

“Smart” controllers determine how much water your lawn and landscape need on a daily basis.   The use of rain sensors and in-ground moisture sensors are well worth the investment. 

Just think, if only 250 ml (1 cup) of water leaked per minute, it results in water waste of over 71,915 Litres (19,000 gallons) over an average summer use.  Checking your sprinkler system, by a professional service, every spring  will identify concerns.  The professionals have the equipment, knowledge and experience to fix these problems.

Irrigation system repairs

Some repairs may seem simple; unscrewing a broken spray head and replacing it with a new one, but what happens if the supply line is damaged? Digging up the lawn to fix the break is a difficult task without the proper knowledge or tools.  Similarly, the same is true when faced with repairing a solenoid switch within a valve box.

Make PARK IRRIGATION your preferred irrigation and landscape lighting professionals.

Make Park Irrigation your preferred irrigation and landscape lighting specialist.

An early spring means we can get your irrigation system going again and bring your yard back to life! After a long winter where your system has been sitting idle for several months, it is important to do a proper start-up.

1. Properly get the water going to avoid the dreaded water hammer
2. Comprehensive inspection to check each and every sprinkler head
3. Adjust heads for optimal water coverage
4. Check for leaking irrigation lines/valves
5. Set watering schedule

Full inspection gives us the opportunity to evaluate your irrigation system and fix any minor issues. Catching damage, as a result of our harsh Alberta winters, ensures that small repairs do not become larger concerns.

This is also a great opportunity for you to make any changes to your system. We can assist you to make your sprinkler system meet your needs. Along with that, upgrades mean saving water and probably some money too.

We look forward to working with you again this year! Contact us to schedule your irrigation spring start-up or read a little more about our services.

Make PARK Irrigation your preferred irrigation & landscape lighting specialist

Although spring may seem like the best time to install a new watering system, fall is actually the time to make those changes. Park Irrigation provides those fall sprinkler services and will design and install your irrigation system before the snow flies.

Firstly, the ground is not frozen and there is no need to delay. Spring is unreliable and the ground must be thawed to bury the irrigation pipes properly. Secondly, once the installation is complete your grass can be over-seeded to prepare for next spring’s growth. You will have a head start in the new year and start your spring off right. Lastly, let’s be honest, we all want the best bang for our buck. With product manufacturers updating, and often, increasing their prices in the new year, you will benefit from this season’s rates!

Most importantly, your lawn will love you for starting now. With the heat of the summer behind us and the snow holding off, your lawn is at the perfect temperature. The grass will recover more quickly than in the heat of the summer leaving you with a healthy, beautiful lawn.
Contact us today for your free consultation!

Fall sprinkler services: Irrigation Winterization

Fall sprinkler services are a necessity in our northern climate. Park Irrigation prepares your irrigation system to survive our harsh winter. In other words, blowing out your irrigation pipes and heads, along with, ensuring the water lines and manifolds are water free. We inspect your system and recommend upcoming service needs. This is a great time to consider system updates or modifications or to make plans for the new year.

Read more about our fall sprinkler services …

Sprinklers help keep your lawn and garden properly watered and looking their best. But at the end of the watering season, irrigation winterization is the key to avoiding unnecessary damage. It is critical to clear your sprinklers so that the water does not freeze inside the system and cause damage.

Understanding more about the timing of winterization, and the possible effects of not doing so on time, will help you make an informed decision about when it is time to winterize your sprinkler system.

Watching the Weather

When temperatures start to fall it’s time to consider winterizing your sprinkler system. Your lines must be drained or blown out using an air compressor before that first hard freeze. A hard freeze is when the outdoor air dips below -5 C. Below the freezing point, some of the most critical components of a sprinkler system can be damaged. Keep an eye on the local weather reports in the newspaper or on television for when the first freeze of the year is expected. As a general rule, you should winterize your system at least a week before the first freeze is expected. Your grass will survive without regular watering during that time, as the plants are already preparing for the dry winter season.

Effects of Frozen Pipes

If you fail to blow out your pipes before the first freeze of the season, it’s likely that the water inside will freeze. With no room for the freezing water to expend, the pipes can crack or burst in large sections. Frozen pipes are one of the most costly and difficult repairs to make, given that the pipes are installed underground. The key to avoiding this type of damage is to drain as much water as possible from the lines before they freeze.

Effects of Frozen Sprinklers

Water can also freeze inside sprinkler heads themselves. As the frozen water expands the pressure from the ice can pop off sprinkler heads. Another possible effect is that the water will expand inside the plastic body of the sprinkler and crack the sprinkler down the side. Water can also freeze inside the small supple tube that pushes the nozzle above ground. Any of these problems requires you to replace the entire sprinkler head with a new unit.

Effects of Frozen Manifolds

The manifold is the heart of your sprinkler system. This device consists of a main pipe with several valves attached. The valves control the flow of water from the manifold main line to the rest of the sprinklers. If water is allowed to freeze inside the main pipe it can crack the plastic and damage the attached valves. Replacing a damaged manifold is the most labour intensive part of any sprinkler repair and should be avoided by draining as much water as possible from inside the manifold. Most manifolds have a drain cap installed for easy draining.

Irrigation winterization: A little bit of winter preparation will save a lot of time and expense in the spring and bring your backyard to life without distress.

Make PARK Irrigation your preferred irrigation & landscape lighting specialist