After a long winter, your irrigation system has basically been in hibernation. Spring is when frozen fittings, cracked heads, and hidden leaks finally reveal themselves. The way you handle that very first restart often decides whether you get a smooth watering season or weeks of callbacks, soggy spots, and sky‑high water bills.
Start With The Right Spring Timing
Restarting too early is one of the fastest ways to damage an irrigation system. The goal is to wait until hard frosts are unlikely and daytime temperatures stabilize above about 10°C. In much of Ontario, that usually means sometime from early to mid‑April, but the exact date depends on current weather, not the calendar. Giving soil and piping a chance to thaw fully reduces the risk of ice pockets that can crack fittings as pressure returns.
Wake The System Up Slowly
When it is finally time to turn the water on, opening the main valve all at once is asking for pressure shock. Instead, the valve should be opened slowly so the mainline fills gently. This prevents water hammer that can burst weaker sections or blow apart couplings and fittings. Many pros also set the controller to manual and keep zones off while they fill the system, only activating them once the main line is pressurized and stable.
Inspect Valves, Backflow, And Boxes
Before any heads pop up, it pays to check the system’s heart. The backflow preventer, valves, and valve boxes should be inspected for cracks, leaks, or water that may have collected over winter. Wiring connections need to be dry and secure, and valve boxes should be tidy enough that future service is safe and straightforward. Catching damage in these components early can prevent unexplained low pressure or non‑working zones later in the season.
Check Each Zone One At A Time
The first run is not about watering the lawn; it is a test. Running each zone by itself for a couple of minutes makes it easier to spot problems: low pressure from a break, heads that do not rise or turn, or geysers where a head is missing.
Walking the zones during this test helps find sunken, tilted, or clogged heads and reveals overspray onto driveways, walks, or buildings that wastes water. Any issues should be repaired on the spot so they do not get forgotten once the full watering schedule begins.
Hunt Down Leaks Before They Waste Water
Even a small underground leak can waste hundreds of litres per week and create muddy, unhealthy patches in turf. Signs include unusually wet areas, soft spots, or water pooling in valve boxes.
If the system has a flow meter or advanced controller, sudden jumps in usage can be another clue. Repairing leaks before programming regular watering protects both the landscape and the water bill, and keeps spring irrigation from becoming a summer headache.
Set A Spring‑Smart Watering Schedule
Spring soil holds moisture longer than midsummer soil. That means a lighter schedule is usually enough to keep lawns and beds healthy. Many guidelines suggest starting with roughly 10–15 mm of water per week, including rainfall, and adjusting as temperatures rise.
Avoiding daily, shallow watering encourages roots to grow deeper, which helps landscapes handle summer heat and reduces stress on the irrigation system itself.
Give Your System A Clean Slate
A careful spring irrigation restart is not just a checklist; it is a reset for the entire year. By turning water on slowly, inspecting critical components, testing each zone, fixing leaks, and setting a realistic early‑season schedule, you give your system its best chance to survive that first restart—and every hot spell that follows.
For property managers and homeowners alike, that attention now pays off in fewer surprises, healthier plantings, and a lot less scrambling in July. Contact our experts at Pyramid Contracting. We will help you with all of your irrigation needs.
