Checking and maintaining your lawn reticulation system

Your lawn reticulation system makes caring for your yard a much easier process. It keeps the gardens and lawns in good condition and only waters when, where and how much you specify. However, with this easy lawn maintenance comes the importance of maintaining that reticulation system. It can only do its job if we make sure we do occasional checks, maintenance and repair.

Unless there’s a specific problem with your reticulation system, checking the control only needs to be done once a year.

• Check the cover works and closes correctly to protect the electronics from the elements
• Check for loose wiring if possible on your system
• Replace the battery yearly to ensure all the programming information is retained during any power outages

Sprinkler heads sit under the ground and are subsequently exposed to the soil which can often enter the sprinkler and cause blockages or cause seizing of the up and down process. Turn on the system and walk around checking that each sprinkler is rising and spraying correctly.

Remove any problem sprinklers by unscrewing them from the riser. Dismantle the sprinkler taking note of how the internal parts fit back together. Wash any blocked dismantled sprinklers under running water to dislodge any dirt or sand. Put the sprinkler back together and pull up the rising spraying section. If it pulls up easily and springs back down then the sprinkler should now be working correctly and the sprinkler can be returned. Ensure that you test it again. If there is still a failure than it is probably best to replace the sprinkler.

To stop soil from getting into the sprinklers and to aid in the easy action of popping up and down, sprinkler surrounds can be installed. Cut away the lawn and remove some of the soil around the sprinkler and insert a ‘surround’. Ensure the surround sits flush with the top of the lawn.

Sprinklers must be set at the correct height or they might be damaged by your lawn mower or cause a trip hazard. If sprinklers sit at 1cm about the lawn, they are too high. Sprinklers should be just below flush when the lawn is depressed, so someone should be able to step on the lawn around the sprinkler and not feel the hardness of the sprinkler.

So take a little time before the warmer weather really kicks in and ensure that your lawn reticulation system is working at its peak condition. For more information on lawn care just contact the team at Daleys Turf.