Two things go wrong with irrigation systems around here, and they happen at opposite ends of the year. In April people turn the system on and find out what broke over winter. In November people forget to shut it down and find out in January what a frozen backflow preventer costs.
Capstone Landscapes handles irrigation startup, shutdown, and repair across Wake Forest, Rolesville, and northern Wake County. Call or text (919) 671-7296.
Spring startup
Turning the water back on is not just opening a valve. Done in a hurry it sends a pressure surge through a system full of air, which breaks things that were fine a minute earlier.
A proper startup means charging the system slowly, running every zone, and walking the property while it runs. That’s when you find the head that’s clogged, the one that got clipped by a mower, the head that’s been sinking into the soil and now sprays the fence instead of the lawn, and the small leak that will quietly triple a water bill by August. Then the controller gets programmed for the season and the backflow gets checked.
Watch a system run once in spring and you’ll usually find something. Almost nobody does, which is why so many lawns have a dry patch that nobody can explain.
Fall shutdown
North Carolina winters are mild enough that people get away with skipping this for a few years, and then one hard freeze takes out a backflow preventer, which is the most expensive component above ground and sits fully exposed.
Shutdown means closing the supply, blowing the lines out with compressed air, draining and insulating the backflow, and putting the controller into its off season. It should happen before the first hard freeze, which in this area usually means sometime in November.
It’s a cheap service that prevents an expensive repair. That’s the whole pitch.
Repairs
- Broken, clogged, sunken, or misaimed heads
- Zones that won’t turn on, or won’t turn off
- Valve and solenoid failures
- Leaks and wet spots that never dry out
- Controller programming and replacement
- Adjusting coverage after a new patio, bed, or fence changes the layout
One thing worth mentioning: an irrigation system that’s been running the same program for five years is almost certainly watering wrong. Landscapes change, plants grow in, shade increases, and the schedule someone set at install doesn’t match the yard anymore.
Watering the way a Triangle lawn wants
Most systems here are set to run a little every day, which is close to the worst possible schedule for an established lawn. Frequent shallow watering keeps roots near the surface, and shallow roots are exactly what fails in July.
Established turf wants roughly an inch of water a week, delivered in one or two long soakings rather than seven short ones, and it wants it early in the morning. Watering in the evening leaves grass wet overnight in summer humidity, which is how brown patch gets started.
New seed and new sod are the exception and want the opposite: light and frequent until they root.
Also worth knowing that Raleigh and surrounding towns have had watering restrictions in dry years. Worth checking your town’s current rules before assuming you can run whatever schedule you like.
We’re already there
If we already maintain your property, irrigation startup and shutdown are part of the annual program and you don’t have to think about them. The crew that mows your lawn is the crew that notices the head spraying the driveway.
If we don’t maintain your property, we’ll still come do the startup, the shutdown, or the repair. No contract required.
Get in touch
Call or text (919) 671-7296 or email capstonelandscaping@gmail.com.
Serving Wake Forest, Rolesville, North Raleigh, Youngsville, Wendell, Zebulon, Knightdale, and Garner.
Common questions
When should I turn the system on?
Once the risk of a hard freeze has passed, usually April. There’s no benefit to being early, and a late freeze on a charged system causes damage.
Do I really need to winterize in North Carolina?
You can skip it and be fine for a few winters. Then one cold snap cracks the backflow preventer, and that repair costs many times what the shutdown would have.
Why is one part of my lawn always dry?
Usually a coverage gap: a head that’s blocked, misaimed, sunk too low, or a zone with pressure problems. It’s normally an easy fix once somebody actually watches the system run.
Do you install new systems?
Our irrigation work is startup, shutdown, repair, and adjustment. Tell us what you’re after and we’ll be straight about whether it’s something we take on.