Home Owners - Maintenance

Every irrigation system needs dome TLC from time to time to make sure that any dirt or debris that has built up over the life of the system does not cause the system to malfunction. Maintennance packages can generally be arranged with your local installer, but below we have included a few pointers to help you on your way.

To help you effectively clean your system we have provided a few guidelines to help you.

• Remove any soil or plant material from the nozzles/sprinklers.
• Clean the filters screen by rinsing it in clean water.
• Re-assemble the emitters and replace them.
• Turn the water back on and check for leaks.

Grass and overhanging vegetation can interfere with the spray pattern of pop-sprinklers and the like, so take care to ensure that these are kept trimmed back.

Most filters require cleaning on average once a month. All filters should be disassembled once a year to check for signs of wear and tear. If the filter screen shows sins of damage then have it replaced before continuing irrigating.

In the case of Drip irrigation, once a month you should remove the end cap from each line and flush it thoroughly until the water runs clear. Once this has happened – replace the end cap.

Winter

Before the onset of winter, you must completely drain the system of all water and ensure that it is dry. This is the best way to prevent damage to your system and each of its components.

Water Tanks

If there is a tank installed, firstly turn off the water supply that fills it and either completely empty the tank of water during the last irrigation cycle of the year – being very careful not to allow the pump to run dry – or alternatively, drain off some of the water to allow for expansion. Switch off the valve that feeds from the tank to the pump and fully insulate.

Pumps

If fitted this is the most expensive part of the system.

• Isolate the pump from the mains supply
• Open any drain plugs on the pump allowing the water to evacuate from the body.
• Leave the plugs out and store safely.
• If the pump is a cast iron model, lubricate the plugs and holes to prevent rust build up.

Manual Drains

• Ensure that the systems water supply is switched off.
• Open all drain valves downwards from the Zone valves.
• Leave valves open for a few days to ensure that all water has drained.
• Open the drains ahead of the Zones in order to let the supply line to drain.

Automatic Drains

• Close main water supply
• The lines down from the automatic zones will drain automatically.
• Ensure that the main irrigation line is also drained.

Controller (if fitted)

Keep the controller switched on to ensure it remains dry. Turn of the automatic programs.

Spring

In-order to reduce the risk of damage, you must ensure that your system is started up with the same amount of care that you took to shut it down for the winter. This help to keep you system effective and reliable.

• Make sure that the soil is free from frost up to 12 inches below the surface. – One way of doing this is to use a shovel.
• Remove the sprinklers/emitters that are located at the highest point of the system.
• If installed open the water supply to the water tank allowing to fill
• Replace the lower pump plugs and fill the pump body until the air is evacuated.
• SLOWLY fill the system with water, starting from the main irrigation line.
• Carefully open the shut off valve that controls the flow to the rest of the system.
• Fill each zone by manually opening the valve. You can do this by opening the bleed on the valve.
• Once all air has been expelled from the system (you can tell this by the absence of air bubbles) close the zone valve.
• Each zone can take up to 30 minutes to fill properly so be patient!
• Once the zone is filled, replace each nozzle you have removed.
• Repeat this process for each zone.
• Once the system is filled operate the control system on an automatic cyle and physically check if everything is operating correctly.

Once you have done this process for each zone, run each one separately for a couple of minutes to test the control system, flush out any air, and that the spray heads are spraying properly.