Every year tons of cash is wasted due to broken sprinklers.

On any given morning or evening I can walk or drive through my neighborhood and will see multiple yards with water spraying 10 feet in the air.  It is not cheap to water your lawn.  If you have broken and or leaking sprinklers can more than triple your water bill.   Every time your lawn is mowed your sprinkler heads can get hit.  If you are paying someone to mow your lawn the chances are even higher.

What should I do?

Testing your sprinkler system once a month or at least every other will really help.  Get your kids involved and have some fun with it.

Not sure where to start.

Your Sprinkler control box will either have a test mode or a manual mode.  Check with your owner’s manual to see which is the easiest and fastest.  Start with zone one and set it for at least 2 minutes.  This will give you time to walk to each sprinkler head.  The broken heads are easy to spot but not the ones leaking.  It is important that you walk to each sprinkler.  Many times the ground has moved thanks to our clay soil here in the DFW area and you may have a leak at the base.   Water will be bubbling up or you will see a large amount of water running off the lawn or sidewalk.  You will need to get up close and sometimes wet to see these leaks.   Making adjustments to the sprinklers is a good idea as well.  You want water on the grass.

Now it is time to repair the sprinklers and there is good news.

If you repair the broken/leaking head or have someone else, it will still save you money.  Once you have them repaired, check your bills from the 3 month prior.  Most cities offer a leak forgiveness once a year.  You need your water bill for the months of the leak and 3 bills before the leaks.  Turn these bills into your city water department with an invoice showing the repairs and you will either get a credit or some money back for the amount the leak cost you.

Remember, a Well Maintained House is a Happier Home!