How to Run a Zone-by-Zone Sprinkler Check at Your Fort Worth Home

A zone-by-zone check is the single most useful thing you can do for your sprinkler system. It takes about an hour, needs no special tools, and catches small problems before they become dead grass, wasted water or a violation notice. This article explains how to do it on a typical Fort Worth home, what to look for, and how to write it down so repairs go faster.

When to Do a System Check

The best times are in early spring when you turn the system back on, once in early summer before the heat sets in, and after any major work in the yard such as new fencing, a patio, tree planting or bed changes. It is also worth doing after a hard freeze or a hail storm. Our spring sprinkler checklist fits this check into a larger seasonal routine.

Because irrigation systems cannot run between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. in Fort Worth, do the check early in the morning or in the evening on one of your assigned days. You can also run the zones for just a minute or two each, which is enough to see what you need.

What You Need

• A notepad or phone to record notes
• A few small flags or pieces of tape to mark problem heads
• A flat screwdriver for nozzle adjustments
• Access to the controller and the irrigation shutoff valve

Step 1: Look at the Controller

Start in the garage or wherever the controller is mounted. Check that the date and time are correct, the backup battery is good if your model uses one, and the program matches your assigned watering days. Write down how many zones the controller has and which ones are in use. If you do not have a map of which zone covers which area, this check is a good time to make one.

Step 2: Check the Backflow Preventer

Walk to the backflow preventer, which is usually near the house or the meter. Look for drips, cracks, or water around the base. A leak here affects the whole system. If the device is leaking, read our guide on a leaking backflow preventer before you do anything else.

Step 3: Run Each Zone Manually

Use the controller’s manual or test mode to run one zone at a time. Stand where you can see the whole zone and watch for these things:

1. Heads that do not pop up or pop up only part way.
2. Heads that spray sideways, at the house, or onto concrete.
3. Geysers or bubbling at the base of a head.
4. Weak or misty spray compared with other heads on the same zone.
5. Rotors that do not turn through their full arc.
6. Dry gaps where the spray does not reach the next head.
7. Shrubs or tree limbs blocking the spray.
8. Water running off onto the sidewalk or street.

Mark each problem head with a flag and write down the zone number and what you saw.

Step 4: Watch the Zone Shut Off

When the zone shuts off, the heads should drop back down within a few seconds. If water keeps flowing, or if the lowest head keeps draining for several minutes, note it. Continuous flow points to a valve problem. Slow draining from the lowest head is called low-head drainage, which we explain in our article on puddles at the lowest sprinkler head.

Step 5: Look at the Valve Boxes

If you know where your valve boxes are, lift the lids and look inside. Standing water, mud up to the valve, chewed wires or a hissing sound are all worth noting. If you cannot find the valve boxes, our guide to finding buried valve boxes can help.

Step 6: Walk the Yard With the System Off

With all zones off, walk the lawn and beds. Look for soggy spots, sunken areas, and places where the grass is greener than the rest. A spot that stays wet when the system has not run can mean a mainline leak. Check the curb and gutter for water that should not be there.

Step 7: Check the Water Meter

With everything off inside and outside the house, look at the water meter. If the leak indicator is moving, water is flowing somewhere. Our article on using the water meter to test for leaks explains how to narrow it down to the irrigation side.

Making Sense of Your Notes

Once you finish, sort your notes into three groups:

• Quick fixes you can do now, such as cleaning a nozzle or turning a head.
• Parts to replace, such as broken heads or missing nozzles.
• Problems to diagnose, such as a zone that will not turn on, a suspected leak or a valve that will not close.

Handle the quick fixes right away. For the rest, a technician can work faster with your notes and flags, which usually means a shorter visit.

Why This Matters in Fort Worth

Fort Worth lists water waste from runoff and from missing, misaligned or broken heads among its watering violations. A yearly check keeps you ahead of those problems. It also helps the lawn: on the heavy clay found in much of Tarrant County, uneven watering shows up quickly as dry patches next to soggy ones.

If your check turns up problems you would rather not handle, our sprinkler repair team can pick up where you left off.

If you just moved in and are doing this check for the first time, our article on what to check in a new home’s sprinkler system lists a few more things to find and set up.