Checking Your Sprinkler System After Spring Storms and Hail

Spring in North Texas brings strong thunderstorms, heavy rain, high winds and sometimes hail. Most of the attention after a storm goes to roofs, cars and trees, but storms can also affect your sprinkler system. Fallen limbs break heads, flooding fills valve boxes, lightning can damage controllers and debris clogs nozzles. This article covers what to check after a storm.

Right After the Storm

• Leave the system off while the soil is saturated. A working rain sensor should do this automatically, but a rain delay on the controller adds a few more days.
• Stay safe. Watch for downed power lines and do not work near them. Let tree crews clear large limbs.
• Look for obvious damage from a safe distance: broken heads, limbs lying across the lawn, water spraying where it should not.

Check the Rain Sensor

After heavy rain, the sensor should keep the system off until it dries out. Hail and wind can knock sensors loose or break them. Check that yours is still mounted in an open spot and its wire is intact. Leaves and debris piled on the sensor can keep it wet longer than it should be, holding the system off too long. Our article on rain and freeze sensors explains how to test it.

Check the Controller

Lightning strikes near the house can send surges through power and low-voltage wiring. After a storm, check that the controller display works, the clock and program are intact and zones run when started manually. If the controller is blank or acting strangely, see our guide to a controller that is not working. A surge protector on the controller’s outlet offers some protection.

Walk the Yard for Head Damage

Fallen branches, tree crews, trucks hauling debris and people cleaning up can all damage heads. Once the lawn is dry enough to walk on, run each zone and look for:

• Broken or missing heads
• Heads pushed over or buried under debris
• Nozzles clogged with leaves, twigs or grit
• Heads that no longer pop up

Our guide to sprinkler head repair covers repairs.

Check Valve Boxes

Heavy rain can fill valve boxes with water and mud. Most valves are made to handle some water, but mud can bury valves and cover wire splices. Once water drains, clear mud from the boxes and check the splices. If a box stays full of water long after the rain, there may be a leak at the valve. Our article on finding buried valve boxes includes tips for keeping boxes clean.

Check the Backflow Preventer

Falling limbs and flying debris can damage an exposed backflow preventer. Look for dents, cracks or bent pipe. If it leaks, shut off the irrigation water and see our article on a leaking backflow preventer.

Look for Washouts and Erosion

Heavy rain on clay and slopes can wash soil away from heads and pipe, leaving heads sticking up or exposing pipe. Fill washed-out areas and reset heads. If water regularly flows across your yard during storms or collects against the house, our drainage service can help with grading and drainage.

Hail and Your Lawn

Hail can shred grass blades and strip leaves from shrubs. A hail-damaged lawn usually recovers on its own as it grows. Resist the urge to water heavily to help it along; the soil is likely already saturated after the storm. Return to your normal schedule once the soil dries.

Tree Work and Sprinkler Lines

After storms, tree crews may remove limbs, grind stumps or bring in heavy equipment. Stump grinding can destroy nearby pipe and heads. Before work starts, mark heads, valve boxes and pipe routes near the work area. Our article on tree roots and sprinkler lines covers other tree-related issues.

Resuming Watering

Once the soil dries, check it with a screwdriver before restarting. If it slides in easily, the lawn does not need water yet. Resume your normal schedule on your assigned days when the soil starts to firm up. Fort Worth’s rules prohibit watering during rain, and there is no reason to water soil that is already moist.

A Post-Storm Checklist

1. Leave the system off while soil is saturated.
2. Check the rain sensor and clear debris from it.
3. Confirm the controller works and kept its program.
4. Run each zone and look for broken or clogged heads.
5. Clear mud from valve boxes.
6. Inspect the backflow preventer.
7. Fill washouts and reset exposed heads.
8. Mark sprinkler parts before tree work.
9. Resume watering only when the soil dries.

Keep Records for Insurance

If a storm damaged your property, take photos of any sprinkler damage along with other damage before repairs begin. Note the date of the storm. Some homeowners include irrigation repairs in storm claims, depending on their policy. Keep receipts for any repair work. Even if you do not file a claim, the photos help you remember what was fixed and where.

Prepare Before Storm Season

A few steps in late winter make storm cleanup easier: mark heads near trees so crews can see them, trim dead limbs that could fall on the backflow preventer, plug the controller into a surge protector and make sure your rain sensor is working.

When to Call a Technician

If the storm left broken heads, a damaged controller or a leaking backflow preventer, our sprinkler repair service can repair the damage and get your system back on schedule.