Save water with these simple irrigation leak repairs.
1. Repair Irrigation Leaks
Irrigation leaks waste water fast. A single broken irrigation head can send 800+ gallons a month down the cutter. Of course irrigation heads and lawn mowers don’t mix well and the lawn mower always wins.
2. Only Water the Landscape
If someone was pushing you with 30 – 80 psi several times a week you might get a little twisted. Make sure the irrigation heads are watering the landscape and not the pavement.
3. What’s in Your Contract?
Most irrigation contracts (at a maximum) only call for monthly ‘inspections’ of the irrigation system. Often the number of ‘wet checks’ where the entire system is inspected while running is limited to 1 or 2 times a year. In some markets the only ‘in contract’ irrigation service is a spring startup and a fall shut down while in other markets irrigation is ‘as requested’. Imagine how much water could be wasted. Why not utilize weekly checks by the landscape company?
4. Get Smart and Let’s Flow
Regardless of what’s in your contract, every 30 days or even every 7 days is not often enough to ensure there is no water leaking from the irrigation system. Would you prefer to get an email or text message about leaks as they happen? Ask us about smart controllers, and a master control valve.
5. Follow the 3 Fix a Leak Tips from EPA WaterSense
- An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing. NOTE: if the polar vortex wreaked havoc on municipal water mains in your city there is a better than average chance there will also be freeze damage to your irrigation system.
- An irrigation system that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.
- To ensure your irrigation system is not leaking water, consult with an irrigation partner who has passed a certification program focused on water efficiency.
