Overhaul your irrigation system during the autumn and winter months

By Seamus Rotherick October 14, 2022 09:45

Now is the perfect time to do some ‘housekeeping’ which could dramatically improve your greens and tees when the summer heat strikes again, writes Peter Robin, Origin Amenity Solutions’ irrigation product manager.

Winter is the time of year when it could be easy to forget all about your irrigation systems. If you don’t do anything this winter don’t be surprised if you experience the same problems next spring and summer.

Now is the perfect time to do some ‘housekeeping’ which could dramatically improve your greens and tees when the summer heat strikes again.

My first suggestion derives from all the courses I visit where the pop-up rotors have sunk in the ground, often from years of topdressing. The top of a pop-up sprinkler should sit flush with the surface of the soil when it’s not operating. I see many that sit several inches below the soil surface which means that when the sprinkler pops up to irrigate, a significant amount of the water just hits the turf directly in front of the sprinkler and makes a mess! This affects the sprinkler’s ability to operate properly, and you’ll often have poor water coverage as a result.

Lifting a sprinkler is relatively simple if you have swing joints installed. Dig down far enough that you can pull the swing joint to lift the sprinkler. Use a flat edge like a rake handle across the ground surface to gauge the correct height of the rotor as you backfill the hole, leaving half an inch difference to allow for the turf; pack the soil down around the swing joint and rotor. Finally make sure the rotor is vertical; this can make a huge difference to its throw and uniformity of coverage. You don’t need the irrigation system to be operating to make this important adjustment. If your sprinklers haven’t been functioning as well as you would like or are just old, then now is the perfect chance to change them for new ones. Winter is an ideal time to speak to Origin Amenity Solutions or your local irrigation contractor to purchase new quality Rain Bird rotors.

While you’re in the process of lifting sprinklers, check the solenoid valve boxes. These are well known for having slumped over time and can become a hazard to players. Digging up the box, cleaning out the soil from the solenoid manifold and reinstating the box at the correct height will make the area look much better and is safer for players. If valves or boxes are broken, now is the time to install new ones. Rusty gate valves can be replaced too.

Lots of courses have automatic control systems that aren’t working properly. If you have areas of the course that used to be automatic but now the system won’t talk to the controller, it’s likely to be a solenoid cable fault. Often this is caused by cable connections that have corroded over time. Use a cable locator to track the cable path; you should be able to hire one. Most cable locators will alert you if there is a significant earth leakage (such as a cable break) and this is where you should start digging. If you repair a cable, always install the cable connections in a valve box so you can find them again.

Most irrigation cable connectors are filled with grease. Don’t reuse the cable connectors. If the copper in a cable joint is black from water ingress, cut the cable back a few inches and make a new connection. This sort of work isn’t difficult, and it is good for you to get proficient at repairing your own cable breaks. After a bit of time and patience you’re likely to find that your automatic irrigation system becomes automatic again!

Most controller systems on golf courses use decoders. If you have a solenoid valve that isn’t responding to your controller, but you have power getting to it, the simplest way to test it is to swap the decoder for a new one that you know is working. You’ll need to have the new one programmed into the controller, then turn it on. If the sprinklers come on, you know it was the decoder (or the cable connections to the decoder).