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When you think of your sprinkler system, you think of a simple way to keep your lawn and yard watered throughout the year. It works automatically and all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your lush grass between those weekend mowing sessions. Though they’re durable and built to last, sprinkler systems can occasionally develop issues that put your yard at risk. The worst, hands-down, is an underground leak in the waterlines. Since it’s not visible to the naked eye, you may not always know when it’s time to call your Denver sprinkler repair team to fix the problem. Watch for these tell-tale signs that your sprinkler has a leak somewhere in the system.

Higher Than Normal Water Bills
Sprinkler systems are designed to reduce the amount of water you need to water your lawn and landscaping. It spreads water evenly and over a large area so the roots can make the most of every drop. This means your water bills will typically be lower during the growing season with a sprinkler system in place than they would be if you hand-water the entire yard. 

If you notice your water bills going up without reason and haven’t changed the way you use your sprinkler system, you likely have a leak underground. Even a small leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water—water you have to pay for every month. Compare your water bills against the ones from last year and see if they’re consistent or significantly higher. If they’re higher, you may have a leak. Once you get the leak fixed, whether it’s in the water supply line or through the pipes leading to the sprinkler heads, you’ll see your water bill go down. 

Wet Walkways
Grass can only use so much water before the roots and soil become overly wet and can’t absorb any more. When this happens, that water has to go somewhere, so it spreads out over the ground. When it hits the boundary of your walkway or driveway, it soaks the pavement or concrete. 

Take a look at your walkways, stepping stones, and driveway. If it’s dry, you’re in good shape. But if you see that the pavement is consistently wet, you need to get that sprinkler leak fixed quickly. When pavement gets wet and stays wet, it starts to deteriorate. Over time, you could end up needing to repave or add new concrete to keep those walkways in good and usable condition.

Soggy or Muddy Grass
Remember how we mentioned that grass can only use so much water? Well, excess water has to collect somewhere before it starts to spread out towards the walkways on your property. This often results in puddles throughout your lawn, but you might not know they’re there unless you’re walking on the grass.

Take a look at your lawn. Does it look relatively dry? Walk across it and see how the turf feels. If your footfalls make squelching noises or you pick your foot up only to discover that it’s covered in mud, you probably have a leak in your sprinkler system. The sooner you get it fixed, the better off your lawn will be.

Brown or Dying Spots in the Lawn
Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too much water for your lawn. When the grass is overly hydrated, it can develop root rot, fungus, and find it difficult to get the nutrients it needs to grow properly. Unfortunately, it takes time for these symptoms to develop. But if you see brown spots, dead-growth areas, or notice discoloration in your grass, you could have a leak.

The best thing you can do is get your sprinkler system inspected to see if there’s too much water flooding the roots. Keep in mind that discoloration of your lawn can also be indicative of over-fertilization, pest and rodent damage, and other issues. The only way to identify the exact cause is to perform a full inspection of your grass and your irrigation system.

Tons of Mushrooms Popping Up
Mushrooms can pop up almost anywhere with very little moisture. It’s normal and not necessarily bad for your grass when they pop up in small quantities. However, if you notice tons of mushrooms growing in different parts of your yard, even when it hasn’t rained recently, start checking for sprinkler system leaks.

Mushrooms need moisture to feed the spores that let them crop up in your landscaping. If you have a sprinkler system leak, those spores will get fed frequently. The longer this goes on, the more mushrooms will pop up. Even though they’re not harmful, they’re a great early warning sign of leaks and water issues on your property. Be mindful, look for them between rainstorms, and call your sprinkler repair team if they just keep coming back.

Low Water Pressure 
Every sprinkler system relies on water pressure to spray the water where it needs to go. When it’s high enough, your lawn gets watered properly. You won’t see any dead zones or have to waste time by hand-watering portions of the turf. Unfortunately, even minor leaks can interrupt that water pressure, causing it to drop significantly. 

Pay attention to the way the sprinkler heads are spraying. If the spray pattern looks low or you’re struggling with low water pressure throughout the system, you likely have a leak. Fixing the leak should restore proper water pressure for your sprinkler system in a matter of minutes, so you’ll be able to rely on that spray to water your yard throughout the growing season.

Watch for These Signs
These are the most common signs of leaks in your sprinkler system. If you notice even one or are just worried about the way your system is performing, don’t wait. Schedule an estimate and get your system inspected for any possible damage. Leaving even minor leaks unrepaired can cost you hundreds over the course of the year. At Water Solutions Sprinkler Service, we’ll help you keep your system in good shape whether you need a tune-up or have several leaks beneath the ground. 

 

As a homeowner, you know that your lawn can make or break your home’s exterior. When it looks run down and unhealthy, the rest of your property looks just as bad. But when it looks healthy and properly watered, it makes the rest of your home look well-maintained. To make this happen, you have two choices: hand water your landscaping or let a Denver sprinkler installation team install a new system. If you’ve been hand watering your yard for a while, you likely aren’t sure if a sprinkler system can make that much of a difference in your maintenance routine. Here are a few benefits you’ll see once you install an automatic sprinkler system at your home. 

Saves You Time
When you think of your landscaping, you probably think about the hours you spend mowing the lawn, weeding the garden beds, and carefully trimming overgrown limbs and branches. While these tasks take time, they’re not the part of landscaping that take up the most of your valuable days off. At least, not if you’re watering by hand. 

Using watering cans or hoses to water your landscaping can take hours every few days if you’re not careful. Installing an automatic sprinkler system will dramatically cut down on the amount of time you spend maintaining your yard. Instead of spending hours throughout the week carefully making sure your plants get enough water, you’ll be able to focus on other tasks. 

Cuts Down on Your Water Bill
It seems like watering your plants by hand would use less water. After all, you’re monitoring the way the water soaks into the soil and can stop the spray as soon as the plants get enough. But did you know that you’re actually using more water than is necessary?

When you water by hand, you’re only able to water small portions of your landscaping at any given time. The delay you have in moving the hose and shutting off the water can end up wasting gallons every time. 

With an automatic sprinkler system, the spray covers more area and wastes less water. The end result is a lower water bill month after month. Over the course of the year, you could end up saving hundreds depending on the size of your yard. 

Decreases Stress
When you’re hand watering your landscaping, you have to remember the last time you watered, pay attention to the weather, and watch for signs of excess moisture in the garden beds. Unless you live for gardening, this can create a lot of undue stress that takes away from your ability to enjoy your weekends and your time off. 

Automatic sprinkler systems can change all that. Instead of worrying about watering your lawn, you’re able to set a timer and let the system do it when needed. Even better, it works whether you’re at home or out of town and you won’t have to worry about landscaping maintenance when you’re trying to enjoy yourself. 

Saves You Money
Let’s revisit the thought of going on vacation. When you hand water your yard and landscaping, you’ll need to find someone to take care of it while you’re away from home. And it’s rare that those people will be willing to do it for free. You’ll have to pay them every time they come to water. Over the course of a two-week vacation, this can really add up!

An automatic sprinkler system will help you save money by skipping out on the watering help. Instead, your system will take care of it. But even better, it’ll do it with less water, saving you more money on your water bill! 

Adds Value to Your Home
It should come as no surprise that your landscaping can make a huge difference in your home’s resale value. But having beautiful landscaping isn’t enough to really drive the value higher. Think of it this way—buyers actively look for properties that are easy to maintain. If they have to spend hours each week taking care of the landscaping, they’ll find the property less attractive. After all, it’ll cost more to maintain.

Installing an automatic sprinkler system will increase the value of your property and can make your home more marketable if you think you’ll sell in the near future. New systems work incredibly well and are always a draw to homebuyers who fall in love with the way a property looks. The less time they have to spend taking care of it, the more tempting the home will be and the more the home will be worth to them.

They’re Low-Maintenance
Many die-hard hand waterers quickly point out that their way is the ultimate low-maintenance method. While this is technically true—you’re not going to have to maintain a watering can—it doesn’t mean automatic sprinkler systems aren’t worth the investment. In fact, they’re incredibly low-maintenance when installed correctly by an experienced professional. 

You won’t have to spend any extra time maintaining the system throughout the year as long as you schedule an annual tune-up and a winter blowout to protect the lines. These can be done by your installation team. Even better, you don’t have to be home for the appointment so you won’t have to change your schedule around!

New Systems Include a Warranty
Manufacturer defects happen and they can make it impossible for you to keep your yard properly watered. If you’re faced with paying for the repairs yourself, owning a sprinkler system can seem like quite the investment. But new systems include a manufacturer warranty to help protect against those issues.

If you ever have a problem, all you have to do is call your installation expert. If the damage is due to a problem with the components, they’ll help you get the system fixed quickly and at no or very little cost to you. 

Install One This Spring
If you’re looking to get the most out of your home’s landscaping without having to put in the work, stop hand watering your lawn and garden beds. Contact our team and let us install an automatic sprinkler system for your yard. You’ll save time, money, and get your days off back instantly. 
 

You’ve scheduled your sprinkler system blowout and are all ready for the cold temperatures to hit in earnest. But what do you do with your landscaping that’s not actively growing? Do you let your yard slide into a winter slumber without doing anything to spruce it up? Or should you find fun ways to add color and pizzazz to your yard until the temperatures go back up? Your trusted Denver sprinkler repair experts believe that winter is the perfect way to play with your landscaping and add color to your home. Here are a few simple ideas that will make your yard stand out even during the off-season.

Play with Your Landscape Lighting
Even during the winter months, you can use your landscape lighting to highlight certain features of your yard. Use this to your advantage. Keep the lights on and show off the silhouettes of your trees or shrubs. Change out the light bulbs for different color options and add flair to your yard as the seasons change. You can even reposition some of the lights to call attention to different features like seasonal decorations. Whatever you do, just make sure to use high-quality LED bulbs. This way, you’ll still be able to enjoy your lights without having to pay high energy costs each month.

Repurpose Holiday Lights
Holiday lights are ideal for making your home feel more festive, but that doesn’t mean you have to take them down as soon as the holidays are over. Instead, repurpose them and hang them elsewhere in your yard. Use clear lights to add warmth to patios or porches and hang colorful lights in the backyard to create an air of whimsy that you and your family can enjoy at night. Instead of leaving the lights on the trees’ canopies, consider wrapping the strands around the trunk. This highlights your trees without making it feel like you’re leaving holiday lights up past the season.

Add Color with Evergreens
Your trees may be leafless and bare during the winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add color to your yard. Instead of relying on fake flowers that look both tacky and cheap, opt for evergreens. Young evergreens are great potted plants that, with the right care, can stay small for years without outgrowing their pots. Arrange these in your yard, on your porch, or along your walkway to add life to your winter landscape. If you want to make a more permanent addition to your yard, transfer the evergreens in the spring and let them grow to their full height.

Hang Bird Feeders
Most of the birds may leave the Denver metro area during the winter, but some species like to stick around even into the colder months. Draw them to your yard by hanging bird feeders around your property. This will make your yard look alive even when it’s covered in snow. Just remember to hang the bird feeders away from your house. Use the trees or decorative stakes to hold them out in the open. This way, you won’t have to worry about insects or pests getting too close to your home or worse, slipping inside when you least expect it.

Show Your Mailbox Some Love
You may not think much about your mailbox, but it’s one of the most visible things in your front yard. When it looks run down, it only makes your winter landscaping look more barren. Instead of leaving your mailbox in place, give it a facelift. Give it a coat of fresh paint to protect it from rust and make it look like-new. 

If you’re not sure what color to use, look at your house and try to match the paint to the colors of your home’s exterior. For example, if you have gray siding and white trim, a fresh coat of white paint will make the mailbox seem like an intentional yard decoration. 

Spread Fresh Mulch
Spreading mulch is a great way to insulate your plants and your garden beds against the cold temperatures. But it also adds a touch of color to your yard. Use enough to completely cover the exposed soil around the base of your trees and your flower beds and leave it in place once the weather warms up. As the mulch breaks down, it will distribute nutrients into the soil. This will help your plants thrive during the growing season and increases the health of your soil without the use of chemical fertilizers.

Keep Your Driveway Clear
When the snow falls, it’s beautiful to look at. But once traffic kicks up road grime onto the white stuff, it quickly loses its appeal. Though you can’t control the amount of grime that kicks up onto the part of your yard by the street, you can help the rest of your front yard look pristine until the snow melts. The easiest way to do it is to keep your driveway clear and free of ice and snow. Shovel it thoroughly after the storm and move the snow before it has a chance to get dirty. Once your driveway is clear, the debris and dirt clinging to your car will fall to the pavement instead of staining the snow. The result will be a cleaner looking yard and pristine landscaping until the snow melts.

Make a Plan for Spring
Though you shouldn’t try to add new plants to your yard during the winter, you can create a winter landscaping strategy for the following year. Make a plan to plant winter-friendly plants in your yard. Shrubs like holly and trees like the red twig dogwood provide color even when the world is blanketed in snow. And if you plant them early enough, their roots will have a chance to grow and get established before the growing season ends. 

Give Your Winter Landscaping a Helping Hand
Protecting your landscaping during the winter months doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun with it. Use your imagination and add color where you see fit. And if you haven’t already, schedule a sprinkler system blowout to protect your lawn and your water bill.
 
 

Getting your home ready for winter is tough. There are decorations to plan, plants to care for, and snow shovels to unbury in the garage or storage shed. But the sooner you start, the better and one task you can and should take care of now is a sprinkler system blowout. Hiring your Denver sprinkler repair team to take care of this simple pre-winter maintenance task is a great way to save money. But it’s also one of the most misunderstood maintenance tasks homeowners need to take care of. Check out these top myths about the process and see for yourself why it’s so important. 

Sprinkler blowouts are incredibly expensive.
No one likes to spend money on home maintenance, but it’s a necessary evil of owning your own house. But not all maintenance tasks cost thousands of dollars. In fact, some, like sprinkler blowouts are downright cheap. You will have to pay for the service, but you’ll save hundreds in unexpected repairs by setting your system up for a safe and secure winter. 

Just turning the water off is enough.
Turning off the water supply to your sprinkler system is a great place to start when you’re getting your home ready for colder weather. But it’s not the only thing you need to do. Think of it this way: your sprinkler system has water lines running through your yard. Turning off the water supply keeps new water from going into those lines but it doesn’t get rid of that existing water. 

When the temps drop, that water can freeze and damage your sprinkler system’s supply lines, sprinkler heads, and electronics. Blowouts remove that excess water completely, virtually eliminating the likelihood that your water lines will freeze and break during the winter.

Blowouts will damage my landscaping.
Blowouts involve running highly compressed air through the lines and pushing the water out through the sprinkler heads until no more water comes out. This may seem like it will damage your landscaping, but nothing could be further from the truth. The amount of pressure used is just enough to expel the water. The pipes and fittings underground won’t be damaged and neither will your plants. 

However, if you don’t schedule a blowout, you could cause damage to your landscaping when you turn the water supply back on. If the lines are broken, you could oversaturate the soil and encourage mold in your landscaping’s roots.

Blowouts will hurt the sprinkler system.
Blowouts don’t hurt your sprinkler system. They help it. Getting rid of standing water inside the lines helps keep your system in good condition when the temperatures drop while leaving the water in the lines puts your system at risk. Keep in mind that the only way to guarantee the safety of your system is to work with an experienced technician. They’ll make sure the process is done correctly every time. 

I have to be at home for the blowout.
We know you’re busy and your schedule may make booking routine repair and maintenance appointments a challenge. Luckily, you don’t have to be home for your sprinkler system blowout. You just need to turn the water supply to the system off and make sure your technicians have access to the sprinkler system control panel. If you’re not comfortable letting technicians on your property unsupervised, you can always ask a neighbor to be present. 

It takes too much time to take care of it.
Sprinkler blowouts are quick and easy to take care of. Once the water supply is turned off, your technician can get started. Once they start sending pressurized air through the supply lines, it’s only a matter of minutes until the last bit of water gets pushed out of the system. The entire process typically takes less than an hour and all you have to do is watch—we’ll take care of the rest. You’ll be free to go about your day in no time. 

I can save money doing it on my own.
Believe it or not, it’s cheaper to hire an experienced professional. If you choose to perform the blowout on your own, you’ll need to rent a high-pressure air compressor, spend time learning how to hook it up to your system, and make sure you do everything correctly. When you hire a professional, they bring all the tools and equipment they need with them and get the job done quickly. You’ll save money, time, and spare yourself the frustration of going it alone.

It’s too late to take care of it now.
It’s only too late to take care of a sprinkler blowout when the water supply lines are frozen. As long as the ground is soft enough for your sprinkler heads to raise and lower, you can schedule a blowout. The sooner you take care of it, the better off you’ll be, but don’t panic if you’ve waited this long. You can still schedule an appointment. 

I won’t be able to turn the system back on in the spring.
While it’s always best to schedule a tune-up before turning your sprinkler system back on, that doesn’t mean you have to. A blowout just removes the excess water from the sprinkler system’s lines and pipes. It doesn’t render the system inactive. 

Once you turn the water supply back on and set the system up for your desired watering schedule, you’ll be good to go. Keep in mind that tune-ups help keep your system running efficiently. This means you’ll get more reliable service from your sprinkler once the growing season is in full swing. 

Don’t Wait
Taking care of a sprinkler system blowout  in Denver, CO before the first hard freeze is the best way to keep your system working properly for years to come. Don’t put off the appointment. Contact our experienced team and schedule a blowout today. We’ll make sure your sprinkler system can survive the winter so you can rely on it as soon as the weather warms back up. And if we see any damage before the blowout, we’ll help make sure it gets taken care of quickly and affordably. 
 

Fall is here and the snow will start to fall before you know it. Winter weather has a way of wreaking havoc on your landscaping. But did you know the cold temperatures can hurt more than just your plants? It can also hurt your plumbing and the pipes that supply your sprinkler system with a reliable source of water are more at-risk than the rest of your home’s plumbing. 

Why? Because they’re more exposed to the changing weather conditions. Hiring your trusted Denver sprinkler service to do a blowout of the system can help protect it even when the snow starts to fall. If you’ve never scheduled a blowout before, you’ll likely aren’t sure what to expect. Read on to get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. 

1. What’s involved in a sprinkler system blowout?
During a blowout, your sprinkler system repair experts will turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system. Then, they’ll force all the remaining water out of the lines up through the sprinkler heads in your yard. This clears the lines of excess moisture that could otherwise freeze and expand once the temperatures drop. 

Without removing the water from your lines, you risk rupturing the water lines underneath your yard. Though you may not notice a problem during the winter, you’ll see it immediately when you try to turn on your sprinkler system for the first time in the spring. The blowout will help guarantee that your system works as it should when you’re ready to start giving your landscaping a little pre-growing-season TLC. 

2. Can I do it on my own or do I really have to make an appointment?
While it is possible to do your own sprinkler system blowout, it’s not the best idea. You need an incredibly high-powered air compressor to push the water through the lines. But you also need to know how the system works and the signs of damage to watch for that could lead to extensive and expensive repairs in the future. 

When in doubt, leave it to the pros. They have all the right tools and experience in place to make sure your system is in good condition both prior to and during the blowout. Even better, they’ll get the job done quickly so you can get back to enjoying your day. 

3. Do I need to be there during the blowout?
Not necessarily. As long as your technician can get to the water shutoff valve and access the control panel for your sprinkler system, they can get the blowout done. But if you want to be on-hand in case they find damage or simply want to see the process for yourself, you’re encouraged to stay  and watch. 

If you’re not comfortable leaving the area around the control panel unsecured while you’re away from home, try to schedule the appointment when you’ll be at the house. Our technicians are happy to work with your schedule to find a time that’s convenient for your needs. 

4. What happens if I don’t get the blowout done?
If this is the case, hopefully nothing. But Denver weather is unpredictable. Cold moves in quickly and hard freezes can happen as early as mid-October. If a hard freeze does happen, your plumbing system is at risk. The water lines under your lawn can freeze and rupture. But that’s not the only issue you could run into.

If the weather is bad enough, the pipes could burst inside your house. This can create a major flooding issue in the walls, do damage to your home’s electrical system, and potentially damage your foundation. When in doubt, schedule the blowout before the cold weather hits. This way, you’ll be prepared no matter what the season throws your way. 

5. When should I make the appointment?
Generally speaking, you should schedule the appointment when you’re no longer relying on your sprinkler system to water your landscaping and your lawn. Ideally, this should happen before the first hard freeze of the year. But if the first freeze has already happened, you should schedule the appointment as soon as possible. The warm Denver afternoons often heat the soil back up enough to allow your sprinkler repair technician to take care of the appointment quickly. 

Unfortunately, we can’t perform a blowout during freezing conditions. Doing so could end up damaging your system and your landscaping. 

6. What happens if there’s existing damage to the sprinkler system?
Any repairs need to get taken care of before the blowout. That’s why your technician will do a thorough inspection of your sprinkler system prior to starting the blowout. If they notice any problems, they’ll let you know and can make arrangements to take care of the necessary repairs quickly. Once the repairs are done, they can take care of the blowout. 

7. How much will it cost?
Every sprinkler system is unique and this means there’s no single flat rate for the blowout. The best thing you can do is schedule a consultation with your sprinkler service. During the consultation, they’ll inspect your system and can give you a firm quote for the blowout. Keep in mind that the cost of the blowout will always be less than the cost of repairing burst water lines and ruptured pipes. Think of it as preventative maintenance that can save you thousands of dollars in the future.

Schedule a Blowout Now
At Water Solutions, we believe your sprinkler system should work flawlessly. Our blowout services will help make sure your system can handle everything the bitter winter weather can throw its way. Don’t put off scheduling an appointment until it’s too late. Contact us today to book your system’s blowout.

If we notice any issues with your sprinklers during the inspection, we’ll take care of them immediately, saving you money and frustration down the line. This small task will help your sprinkler system stay in good condition throughout the winter so you can start relying on it immediately once the weather warms up.