Is Your Irrigation System Ready for Spring? Here's What to Check

Spring has arrived in central North Carolina, and for homeowners with in-ground irrigation systems that means one important question: is your system actually ready to run? After months sitting dormant through winter, a sprinkler system needs a proper activation — not just a turn of the valve — before the growing season begins. Skipping that step is one of the most common and costly mistakes homeowners make every spring.

Why Spring Startup Matters

A lot happens to an irrigation system over a central NC winter. Freeze-and-thaw cycles shift heads out of alignment and heave fittings loose. Any water that was not fully cleared during winterization can freeze, expand, and crack heads or split pipe. Controllers lose their programming after a power interruption, and valves seize up after months of inactivity.

None of this is visible from the outside. You will not know a problem exists until the system runs — and by then you may have a flooded zone, a dry patch, or a head spraying your driveway instead of your lawn.

Your Spring Irrigation Checklist

Walk through these before you rely on the system for the season:

• Inspect every head for cracks, clogs, and alignment. Winter soil movement is the usual culprit for a head that now waters the sidewalk.
• Run each zone one at a time and watch the full cycle. Look for heads that will not pop up, weak spray, or misting (a sign of pressure problems).
• Check the valve boxes for pooling water, which points to a leaking valve or fitting.
• Test the backflow preventer and confirm it holds pressure.
• Reprogram the controller for spring — what worked in October is wrong for April. Verify the rain sensor still works.
• Pressurize gradually. Charging a dry system all at once causes water-hammer shock that can crack pipe. This is a key reason a professional spring startup is worth it.

Warning Signs Something Is Wrong

Watch for these as the season gets going:

• Dry or dead patches that do not recover as temperatures climb
• Soggy areas near valve boxes
• Water hitting driveways or sidewalks instead of turf
• A water bill that jumps after activation — often the first sign of a hidden leak

Any one of these means it is time for irrigation repair before the summer heat leaves your lawn depending on a system that cannot deliver.

Catch Problems While They're Cheap

The best time to service irrigation is early spring, while issues are still small fixes. The same problems left undetected into July mean a stressed, damaged lawn that can take the rest of the season to recover — plus wasted water on every cycle. Seasonal maintenance is inexpensive insurance against exactly that.

Let Us Get You Ready

Our irrigation team handles startups, inspections, and repairs across Sanford, Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and all of Lee, Moore, Harnett, and Chatham counties — and irrigation is built into our Elite membership. Call 919-478-1852 or request service online to get your system spring-ready.