Dangers

The biggest danger in turning on your sprinkler system too early is causing costly damage to the back flow device.  This device is subject to the wild swings in air temperature between the day and night. At times this could be upwards of a 25 degree difference.  Another danger in turning on your sprinklers at this time of year is run-off and over-spray freezing on the sidewalk and driveway’s.  This will cause slippery conditions that may cause falls on the ice. Your system’s sprinkler heads will need to be adjusted so it does not overspray, run too long, and run onto your walkways and driveway.

What we do to protect against the back flow device freezing is installing an insulation bag.  We sell a high-quality insulation bags that will last for years, or you can buy one online. As of right now it is hard to find one of these insulation bags in town for purchase.

The Hose Option

Worried about your back flow breaking in the cold weather?  The solutions is using a hose.  Pull it out and hand water the landscaping plants to ensure they are happy. VERY IMPORTANT – Make sure to disconnect the hose when you are done and drain it before rolling it up for the day.

Timing Depends On Location In Town

Now that we have the added insurance of the insulation bag on our back flow, we are set to schedule turning on the sprinklers.  There needs to be some flexibility in setting up dates.  This can be affected by snowy conditions in April. We have a great map you can look at our schedule. You can click here. Also there is a Google calendar with the tentative dates of turning on our irrigation systems.

When To Turn On My Irrigation System

When turning on irrigation systems, we like to start in the warmer locations around town.  So we’ll start in Greenlaw, Upper Greenlaw, Swiss Manor around the base of Mount Elden. The next section of town we work on is on the east side and Country Club.  Once the east side of town is complete, we will start heading over to westside.  After getting most of town done we will start in the outlying areas. These areas are normally much colder than areas within town and up against the base the mountain.  Fort Valley Road is one of the coldest areas within the city limits of Flagstaff so we do that area towards the end of the Flagstaff route. To find out all the  dates and locations, it will be easier if you just click on this link and go to our website.  We also post a chart on our Facebook page.

Well I hope that helps you out! If you need any assistance with turning sprinklers on, or repairs, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 928.225.2224.