No. In fact, an automatic sprinkler system may actually save you water. A well designed, efficient irrigation system applies exactly the amount of water needed by your landscape. You will never again have to worry about wasting water if you forget to turn off the hose or move the sprinkler.

The cost of a sprinkler system will vary depending on the property. The main determining factor is the total number of sprinkler heads it will take to properly irrigate your yard. Some companies reduce the number of heads in their estimate to lower the final cost. In doing this they are compromising the efficiency of the sprinkler system and can cost you more money in the long run. At Evergreen Irrigation, we combine the best products available and superior design to ensure the most efficient system possible.

If you decide to hire a professional irrigation contractor, here are some tips that will help you select the right contractor for the job.

Before a contractor can present you with a bid, they must do their homework. This includes coming to your property, meeting with you face-to-face, looking at the property, locating the water source, taking a read of the water pressure and finally, understanding your needs and what you want to accomplish.

Experience does count – make sure you are comfortable with the experience level of the contractor. If you are not sure, the best reference is a recent customer.

It’s not all about price – often times, we use price as the only deciding factor. Contractors who have a significantly lower price than their competition, have to cut corners in order reduce their costs. This could mean leaving out a backflow preventer, not using the proper installation techniques or even, not completing the work. Make sure you have selected a contractor based on their service, design plan and ability to install the system properly.

A typical system is comprised of a controller (which functions as the brains of the system), valves (which open and close to release and stop the flow of water to underground pipes) and sprinklers (which distribute water to specific areas). The sprinkler system can be customized further with rain shut off devices, soil moisture sensors and drip irrigation zones.

An automatic sprinkler system will do a more efficient job because it will be designed based on your landscapes diverse watering needs, using specific products designed to water grass, trees, shrubs or garden plants.

The disruption of the lawn area has a lot to do with the actual lawn itself. If the turf has a deep thick root structure, then the lawn area tends to go back together nicely. If the root structure is shallow or sporadic, the lawn area will be disrupted more. However, the turf and areas affected will be raked and within a couple of weeks of running your system, the grass areas will fill in. When the sprinkler heads and valves are installed, the sod will be cut out. After installation, the dirt is put back in place and the sod is replaced, to make sure everything is a neat as possible.

There are 2 steps in the annual care of your lawn irrigation system. The first one being the spring startup. Evergreen can perform this service for you each spring to check for problems, adjust head coverage and set the controller for springtime watering. A must for all systems is the fall closing or winterizing. Each system has to be blown out with compressed air to prevent major damage to your system.

The type of work being done will ultimately determine the time frame. For instance, if you are having a new lawn installed or repaired, we would be the second to last step in the process, the last being either your hydroseed or sod. In the case of general building or construction, we can typically work around other contractors unless a large portion of our installation area is obstructed. In this scenario, it would be best to wait until completion of the project.

One can usually always add onto a system after it is installed. It is helpful to know where existing irrigation is before adding on. It is also very helpful to have enough extra wire and space in the controller for additional zones. If you are thinking of expansion in the future mention this to the foreman before installation.

A homeowner should call us during the early spring to let us know when they would like to have their start up completed. A spring turn on consists of a technician coming to your residence. The technician will turn your water on, program your controller and run and adjust all heads. At that time they will do any repairs on the system.

Your system should be winterized any time after you are through using it for the season, usually from the middle of September to the end of November. A technician will come to your home turn off your water, drain the water from pipes. Use a compressor to blow air through your lines to prevent freezing, as well as shut off the controller for the season.