Sprinkler Blowout Prep: A Short Checklist Before We Arrive
None of this is required. But five minutes of prep is the difference between a smooth appointment and a return visit, and return visits are the most avoidable cost in this business.
1. Find your controller
Garage, basement, utility room, exterior wall. If it is behind boxes, move the boxes. If it is in a locked space, plan for how we get in. We need to run every zone from it, so it has to be reachable.
While you are there, glance at how many stations are programmed. That is your zone count, and it is the number we price from.
2. Find your backflow assembly — or admit you cannot
It is usually outside, near where the water service enters, sometimes in a small enclosure or under a cover. It is the brass-looking device with a couple of small valves on it.
If you have no idea where yours is, say so. That is genuinely common, especially on older systems and on properties that have changed hands. Finding it is part of the job — we just want to know we are looking rather than assuming it is obvious.
3. Clear the path
Trash cans, patio furniture, a boat on a trailer parked over the shutoff, firewood stacked against the backflow enclosure. Anything sitting on top of the things we need to reach.
4. Handle the gate and the dog
Gate codes, lockbox codes, where the key is. And if there is a dog in the yard, tell us — not because we mind dogs, but because we would rather not surprise one.
5. Flag anything already wrong
If a zone has not worked since July, a head is snapped off, or something has been leaking, mention it when you book. It changes what we bring and gives us a chance to sort it out in the same visit instead of scheduling a second one.
6. Turn off any automatic schedule
Not essential, but helpful. If the controller tries to run a cycle mid-appointment it is a small nuisance.
What we do not need
You do not need to drain anything yourself, open drain valves, disconnect hoses from the irrigation system, or be home. See the post on unattended appointments if that last one is your situation.
Where to put all this
The notes field on the scheduling form. Zone count, where things are, access details, anything odd. The more that is in there, the less back-and-forth on the phone.
Or just call (609) 971-9044 and tell us. A real person picks up.
We cover Forked River, Lanoka Harbor, Waretown, Barnegat, Manahawkin, Long Beach Island, Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor.
