Spring Sprinkler Checklist for Fort Worth Homes

Spring is the best time to get your sprinkler system in shape for the Fort Worth summer. Problems found in March and April are easier and cheaper to fix than problems found in July, when the lawn is already stressed and every day without water shows. This checklist covers what to do each spring, in a practical order.

1. Wait for the Right Time

Wait until the risk of hard freezes has passed, usually in March. Late cold snaps happen, so keep an eye on the forecast. Warm-season grasses are still dormant or just waking up in early spring, so there is no rush to start watering.

2. Inspect and Pressurize the System

Check the backflow preventer for damage from winter. Close any test cocks you opened, then turn the water on slowly: the isolation valve first, then the backflow shutoffs. Watch for leaks. Our guide on turning your system back on in spring covers the startup steps in detail.

3. Check for Leaks

With the system pressurized and nothing running, check the water meter’s leak indicator. If it moves, look for a mainline or valve leak. Our water meter leak test explains how to narrow it down.

4. Update the Controller

• Replace the backup battery.
• Set the correct date and time.
• Confirm watering days: Wednesday and Saturday for even-numbered addresses, Thursday and Sunday for odd-numbered addresses. No irrigation on Monday.
• Make sure start times let every zone finish before 10 a.m.
• Set the seasonal adjust low for spring.

Our controller programming guide walks through each step.

5. Test the Rain and Freeze Sensor

Set the sensor switch to active. Press the test button or wet the sensor while a zone runs, and confirm the zone stops. Spring storms are common in North Texas, and a working sensor keeps the system from running in the rain.

6. Run a Zone-by-Zone Check

Run each zone and watch every head. Look for:

• Broken or missing heads
• Heads that do not pop up or retract
• Sunken or tilted heads
• Clogged nozzles
• Heads spraying concrete, fences or the house
• Dry gaps between heads
• Geysers, bubbling or pooling

Flag problems as you go. Our zone-by-zone system check has the full process.

7. Clean and Adjust

• Clean nozzles and filter screens.
• Straighten tilted heads and raise sunken ones.
• Adjust spray direction and throw distance.
• Trim grass and plants away from heads.

8. Check Valve Boxes

Open valve boxes and clear out mud, roots and insects. Check wire splices for corrosion. Replace cracked lids.

9. Service Drip Zones

Clean drip filters, flush lines through the end caps and walk beds while the zone runs. Add or move emitters for plants that grew over the winter. Our guide to drip irrigation repair covers common issues.

10. Plan Yard Projects Around the System

Spring is when many homeowners add beds, fences and patios. Before digging, mark heads, pipe routes and valve boxes. Call 811 for public utilities; it does not mark private sprinkler lines. If a project will change how an area is used, such as turning lawn into a bed, plan the sprinkler changes at the same time.

11. Set an Early-Season Watering Plan

In early spring, lawns usually need little supplemental water. Spring rain often covers most of it. Increase run times gradually as temperatures rise and grass greens up. Watering heavily too early encourages weeds and shallow roots.

12. Think About Upgrades

Spring is a good time to make improvements before summer:

• Rotary nozzles for spray zones that run off
• Check valves for heads with low-head drainage
• Drip conversion for bed zones
• A smart controller that adjusts for weather

13. Schedule Repairs Early

If your check found problems you do not want to handle, schedule repairs early in the season. Irrigation companies get busy as temperatures climb.

14. Update Your Zone Map

If you do not have a map of your system, spring is the time to make one. Sketch the yard, mark each zone’s area and head types, and note where the valve boxes, backflow preventer and controller are. If you already have one, update it with anything that changed last year: new heads, capped heads, moved lines, new beds. A current map makes every future repair faster, whether you do it yourself or have a technician come out.

15. Look at the Lawn Itself

Spring is also when lawn problems from last year become clear. Areas that did not green up may have died from drought, disease or grubs rather than a sprinkler problem. Look at where the dead areas are. If they line up with the edges of spray patterns or sit between heads, coverage is the likely cause. If they are scattered randomly, look at other causes before changing the sprinkler system.

Why Spring Matters in Fort Worth

Fort Worth summers are long and hot, and the city’s two-day watering schedule leaves little room for a system that is not working well. A zone that is out or a head that sprays the street makes the most of neither your water nor your watering days. Broken heads and runoff also count as water waste under the city’s rules. A thorough spring check sets your lawn up to get through the summer. Our article on summer watering in Fort Worth covers what comes next.

When to Call a Technician

If you would rather have a technician handle the spring startup and inspection, our sprinkler repair service can check the whole system and fix what it finds.