RI Lawn Sprinklers Ohio Irrigation Blog

2009 Irrigation Season is coming to a close

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:34:00 +0000

Looks like the 2009 Irrigation season is coming to a close for our Cleveland and Columbus branches. Freezing temperatures are becoming the norm. Everyone have a safe winter up North. Our South West Florida branch is still open for irrigation repair and lawn sprinkler maintenance serving Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda and surrounding communities.

800-435-4979

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Time is running out to get your lawn sprinkler shut down before the cold weather gets here. There is no reason to run you systems at this time, you need to have the system blown out.

We have already winterized 99% of our systems we service.

The difference between having it done now compared to waiting until you have a broken Backflow device can be measured strictly by $$$. By waiting you are putting yourself as risk for a $200+ repair.

DON'T WAIT....... Call Today: 800-435-4979

Sprinkler Blow Out for Winter 2009

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:23:00 +0000

DO NOT WAIT, NOW IS THE TIME TO SCHEDULE YOUR LAWN SPRINKLER BLOW OUT. GET YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM WINTERIZED BEFORE IT GETS TOO COLD.

800-435-4979

Lawn Sprinkler Blow out / Winterization / Winterize Irrigation system

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:04:00 +0000

We are now starting our 2009 Winterization Service. We recommend that you have your lawn sprinkler blow out completed by mid October. If you decide to wait and winterize your irrigation system you may be putting your irrigation system at risk of freeze damage.

Call and schedule today before it's too late.

1-800-435-4979

We service the Greater Columbus, Cleveland and Akron areas.

My personal system: components and maintenance issues to date

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:45:00 +0000

My personal system: Installed Summer of 2005

Irrigation products used:
Hunter Pro-C 15 station controller
Rain Sensor
Rain Bird 5000 series rotors PLSS
Irritrol 2400T valves
RainBird JTV valves
RainBird 3500 series rotors
Hunter Pro-Spray 12" sprays
Hunter PS-04 Sprays

Break down of zones: 15 total
9 turf zones
6 flowerbed zones

Since installing the system in 2005 I have had to replace the following items:
12 rotors defective within 30 days, ever since then I have replaced 2 additional (stopped rotating 2008 & 2009)
(2) 3500 series rotors (stopped rotating 2006 & 2007)
replaced 2 diaphragms on the RainBird JTV valves (2008 & 2009)
replaced 6 Irritrol 2400T valve solenoids (2009)

I just wanted to share this information so that people realize that when a issue arises (and they will) it is very important to have a system installed by a company that stands behind their system with warranty that goes past 1 to 2 years in coverage.

All of the issues I have had have been product failure. Hunter warrantys their products on the average of two years. While RainBird warrantys their products atleast 3 years.

Our warranty starts at 3 years on defective products.

Is a sprinkler head a plumbing fixture?????

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Noun
1.plumbing fixture - a fixture for the distribution and use of water in a building
fixture - an object firmly fixed in place (especially in a household)

So my educated guess would be NO, a lawn sprinkler head is not a plumbing fixture.

But don't tell that to the Streetsboro Building Department. They are making people pay $4.00 for each lawn sprinkler head since they are saying they are Plumbing Fixtures.

Reduce your water bill

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:28:00 +0000

Do you have a water bill for your irrigation system that exceeds $600 or more for the summer?

Email me: info@rilawnsprinklers.com

Put in the subject line: Help Me Save Water

Send me the following information

# of zones (include turf/bed notation for each zone) picture for each zone would be great
include your irrigation program (run time and days for each zone)
include any notes on the system you are concerned about
Your programming habits (do you program the timer in the spring and let it go until the fall or do you change the program throughout the summer)
Do you have any rain sensors or weather sensors, if so what are they set at
Include your irrigation controller make and model
On your irrigation program that you send to me include if each zone is: full sun, shade, slope, naturally holds water, naturally drys fast. This will tell me about different hydra zones in your yard.

This service is free for anyone, not just our customers. So if you are serious about reducing your water bills and saving water then send your information in for a free review.

I will review everything and try to help you reduce your water consumption for the irrigation system by 30% or more next year. Saving water is the goal.

Watering Index: 9/10/09

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Irrigation for the Cleveland Area: 10 Day forecast with highs in the low 70's and Lows in the mid 50's. You can now reduce your days you run your system to either 2 days or 1 depending on how deep your watering cycle is.

Irrigation for the Columbus Area: 10 Day forecast has Highs in the mid 70's and Lows in the low 60's. You can now adjust your timer to just run 2 days a week.

If you get a decent amount of rain then just turn your timer off for a few days until things dry up.

Outdoor Landscape Lighting

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:35:00 +0000

There are many reasons why people choose to install Outdoor Lighting for their home. The main reasons are:

Increase security
Increase outdoor living spaces during the nigh time

A few things to keep in mind while in the design process:

What are the focal points (from both inside and outside of the home)
Where are the power sources (inside, outside or will there have to be additional outlets installed) Longevity of Materials (do you live close to the ocean, harsh conditions) for the application
Do you want the landscape lighting system operating on a: switch, timer, photo cell or combination
Do you want certain areas on all the time and other areas on only when you entertain?

What is the most important aspect of an outdoor lighting system?

The electrical engineering of the system will determine how well the system will operate over time. And when you combine that with the proper choice of materials and installation techniques you can have a low maintenance system that uses a fraction of electricity as other systems use.

Do you live in SW Florida?

Then you will want to install corrosion resistant materials: Brass, Copper and Plastic. You will want to stay away from Aluminum products.

Do you live in the Cleveland or Columbus area?

Then aluminum products can provide a long product life under normal conditions.

Lee County, Collier County, Charlotte County, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Ft. Myers Beach, Bokeelia, St. James City, Pine Island, Estero, Bonita Springs, Sanibell, Captiva, Naples, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Placida, Englewood, Boca Grande, Cleveland, Westlake, Avon, Avon Lake, Strongsville, North Ridgeville, North Olmsted, Berea, Middleburg Heights, Medina, Brunswick, Rocky River, Bay Village, Summit County, Portage County, Geauga County, Lake County, Cuyahoga County, Stark County, Medina County, Copley, Bath, Akron, Fairlawn, Richfield, Hinckley, Sagamore Hills, Nordonia, Northfield, Macedonia, Hudson, Boston Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Akron, Kent, Streetsboro, Mantua, Twinsburg, Aurora, Solon, Orange, Chagrin Falls, Auburn, Concord, Kirtland, Chardon, Pepper Pike, Mooreland Hills, Highland Heights, Mayfield, Bentleyville, Mentor, Willoughby, Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Brecksville, Walton Hills, Seven Hills, Broadview Heigthts, Independence, Parma, Reminderville, Bratenahl, Franklin County, Delaware County, Columbus, New Albany, Gahanna, Powell, Dublin, Westerville, Lewis Center, Hilliard, Blacklick, Arlington

Watering Index: 9/5/09

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Greater Cleveland / Akron area: Seasonal adjustment 70-80% looking for up to 1" of water per a week between mother nature and irrigation

Columbus Ohio area: Seasonal adjustment 80% looking for up to an Inch of water per week between mother nature and irrigation

Lawn Sprinkler Winterization / Blow Out

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:15:00 +0000

It is that time of the year to get your lawn sprinkler blown out. We are currently booking lawn sprinkler winterization appointments for October. We will start the irrigation winterizing process the first week of October for the Cleveland area. For the Columbus are we will irrigation start blow outs the second week of October.

Cleveland, Westlake, Avon, Avon Lake, Strongsville, North Ridgeville, North Olmsted, Berea, Middleburg Heights, Medina, Brunswick, Rocky River, Bay Village, Summit County, Portage County, Geauga County, Lake County, Cuyahoga County, Stark County, Medina County, Copley, Bath, Akron, Fairlawn, Richfield, Hinckley, Sagamore Hills, Nordonia, Northfield, Macedonia, Hudson, Boston Heights, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Akron, Kent, Streetsboro, Mantua, Twinsburg, Aurora, Solon, Orange, Chagrin Falls, Auburn, Concord, Kirtland, Chardon, Pepper Pike, Mooreland Hills, Highland Heights, Mayfield, Bentleyville, Mentor, Willoughby, Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, Brecksville, Walton Hills, Seven Hills, Broadview Heigthts, Independence, Parma, Reminderville, Bratenahl, Franklin County, Delaware County, Columbus, New Albany, Gahanna, Powell, Dublin, Westerville, Lewis Center, Hilliard, Blacklick, Arlington

SW Florida Irrigation Report: September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:02:00 +0000

Its that time of the year. The rainy season is in full effect. With the amount of rain we have seen there is really no need for irrigation at this time. Just a reminder that you should have your system checked for maximum efficiency prior to the dry season.

Cleveland, Columbus Ohio Irrigation Report: September 2009

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:52:00 +0000

The watering season for Ohio is starting to descend and here is a few weeks you will be able to turn your system off for the season and have it winterized before the first frost. With the cooler temperatures you can decrease your station run times accordingly. You can decrease your seasonal adjustment by 20-30% at this time. Once the temperatures average close to 70 you can either turn your system off or just run a manual cycle as needed. This will not only reduce your water bill but more importantly it will conserve water.

Current Watering Restrictions: Collier County Florida

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Collier County Florida Water Restrictions

At the advice of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, information available on this web site regarding your public water supply is limited. If you have specific questions or concerns, please call the Water Department at 239.252.6245.

EFFECTIVE APRIL 18, 2008, AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT WATER-USE RESTRICTIONS PHASE II ARE IN EFFECT. Click here for the PHASE II Irrigation Schedule.

Click for the answers to some Phase II Water Restrictions Frequently Asked Questions

Water Conservation
Don’t just tell me to save water, show me how! Click here for 50 ways to save water.

For 25 interesting facts about water, click here!

To learn what we as individuals can do to help "Save Water," please visit http://www.savewaterfl.com/.

If you have questions about the Collier County Water Department, need additional information, or would like to request a speaker for your next meeting or event, please email PublicUtilities@colliergov.net.

Current Watering Restrictions: Charlotte County Florida

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:16:00 +0000

The following information was taken from the Charlotte county website:
February 24, 2009

Almost half of the counties within the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 16-county region are now under a Phase III “Extreme” Water Shortage Alert.

The District identifies four possible levels of water shortage, beginning with “moderate” and increasing in intensity through “severe,” “extreme” and “critical.”

With river flows, aquifer levels, and lake levels remaining far below normal, the region’s water shortage status ranges from “severe” to “extreme.” The District’s color-coded Water Shortage Alert Map (attached) graphically identifies the status for each county in the District.
Tampa Bay RegionHillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas countiesExtreme (Red) Alert

The tri-county Tampa Bay area remains under an extreme water shortage alert. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 representing the lowest and 100 the highest, current Hillsborough and Alafia river flows are hovering around the 2nd percentile. Aquifer levels remain below normal, and lakes are averaging more than a foot and a half below the lowest normal readings. As of Feb. 23, Tampa Bay Water’s 15-billion-gallon C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, which supplies the Tampa Bay area, was down to 520 million gallons of water, and is expected to be depleted by the end of March.

The District’s Governing Board voted Tuesday to enhance the District’s Modified Phase III (or Extreme) Water Shortage restrictions, which were first approved by the Board in October 2008. The Governing Board requested that Tampa Bay Water and its member governments more effectively implement the Phase III restrictions before the Board approves moving to Phase IV restrictions, which are the District’s highest level of water shortage measures.

“Our goal has been to reduce demand by 10 percent through conservation,” said David Moore, executive director. “We have achieved less than five percent. And while many people are working hard to conserve, there are others not doing their part.”

The enhanced restrictions approved by the Governing Board include:
Requiring water utilities and local governments to contact and strive to significantly reduce water use among their high-use customers.

Asking water utilities to consider implementing a drought surcharge for the same group of high-use customers.

Asking water utilities to consider implementing a reclaimed water availability fee as a means of encouraging customers with access to reclaimed water to hook up to the system.

Requiring restaurants to only serve water upon request.

For a complete list of the Modified Phase III water shortage restrictions, please see the attached fact sheet. These restrictions are in effect through June 30, 2009.

In addition to enhancing the Modified Phase III water shortage restrictions, the District has taken a series of emergency water supply measures to assist Tampa Bay Water (the regional wholesale supplier for the Tampa Bay area) including:

Allowing Tampa Bay Water to increase withdrawals from the Tampa Bypass Canal to help meet the city of Tampa and the region’s potable water demand.

Allowing increased withdrawals from the Alafia River when sufficient flows are available.

Testing the possibility of using the Morris Bridge Sinkhole as a potential temporary water supply.

Allowing the City of Tampa to withdraw water from Sulfur Springs to augment its reservoir.

Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority RegionCharlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota countiesExtreme (Red) Alert

The four-county area is now under an extreme water shortage alert. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 representing the lowest and 100 the highest, current Peace River flows are hovering around the 6th percentile. Aquifer levels are well below normal, and lakes are averaging more than four feet below the lowest normal readings.

Like the Tampa Bay region, the Authority’s area will now follow the District’s Modified Phase III (or Extreme) Water Shortage restrictions. The District’s Governing Board approved this change on Tuesday.

For a complete list of the Modified Phase III water shortage restrictions, please see the attached fact sheet. These water restrictions are in effect through June 30, 2009.

In addition to declaring the Modified Phase III Water Shortage, the District has taken a series of emergency water supply measures to assist the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority (the wholesale water supplier for much of the four-county region) including:

Allowing the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to increase withdrawals from the Peace River when sufficient flows are available.

Allowing the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to withdraw groundwater from its Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wellfields after all previously-stored river water has been recovered.

Allowing the Englewood Water District to increase groundwater withdrawals to provide extra water to Charlotte County through a recently constructed interconnection, temporarily reducing the county’s reliance on river water deliveries.

Remaining Counties (see map)Severe (Orange) Alert

The remaining counties in the District remain subject to a different level of water shortage alert. River flows, aquifer and lake levels remain significantly below normal. The area remains under the District’s Modified Phase II (or Severe) Water Shortage restrictions, which were approved by the District’s Governing Board in January 2007. District water restrictions include limiting lawn watering to a maximum of one day per week.

Residents are also urged to continue conserving water indoors and outdoors of their homes and businesses. Residents should also consider turning off their irrigation systems when it rains.

With outdoor irrigation accounting for as much as 50 percent of residential water usage, skipping a week of water can result in a significant water savings.

These water restrictions are in effect through June 30, 2009 and include eastern Marion County, as part of an interagency agreement between the Southwest Florida and St. Johns River Water Management Districts.

Marion County is divided between the two water management districts, with the boundary roughly being Interstate 75. The interagency agreement allows Marion County to have uniform restrictions and eliminates confusion. Under the agreement, Marion County follows the Southwest Florida restrictions when there is a water shortage order in effect.

For more information about watering restrictions in your area, contact your local utility, or visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/restrictions/.
Fact sheet for Modified Phase III (or Extreme) Water Shortage restrictions
New Lawns
New and replacement turfgrass (sod, plugs, seed, etc.) has a 30-day establishment period. On days 1-15, the new or replacement turfgrass may be watered any day of the week. On days 16-30, the turfgrass may be watered approximately every other day. Even-numbered addresses may only water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Odd-numbered addresses may only water on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
New Plants
New plants (other than lawns) has a 60-day establishment period. On days 1-30, new plants may be watered any day of the week. During days 31-60, new plants may be watered approximately every other day. Even-numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Odd-numbered addresses may be watered on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Hand-watering and micro-irrigation
· Although handwatering and microirrigation of plants (other than lawns) can still be done on any day, it is now limited to the hours of before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
Fountains
· Aesthetic fountains and other water features may only operate four hours per day. The regular hours of operation can be selected by the owner, but must be posted.
Enforcement
· Water utilities and other local enforcement officials must increase their enforcement efforts, including responding to citizen complaints, monitoring water use through patrols or customer records, and issuing citations without having first issued a warning.
Other Water Utility Responsibilities
· Utilities must contact and strive to significantly reduce water use among their high-use single-family customers (those using 15,000 gallons per month or more).
· Utilities must consider implementing a drought surcharge to address their high-use single-family customers
· Utilities must consider implementing a reclaimed water availability fee (to encourage customers with access to reclaimed water to use it for irrigation, instead of using drinking-quality water).
· Utilities must continue implementing Phase II water conservation efforts, including customer education about the current water shortage and ways to conserve water.
· Tampa Bay Water and the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority must each hold a drought summit, in conjunction with the utilities they serve, to explore additional conservation options.
Restaurants
Requiring restaurants to only serve water upon request

Current Watering Restrictions: Lee County Florida

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 08:54:00 +0000

The following information was found on the Lee County Website:

Lee County has passed the Water Conservation Ordinance (05-10) that includes year-round water restrictions. These water restrictions include all of unincorporated Lee County and those with private wells.
If you have any questions regarding the Water Conservation Ordinance or to report a watering restriction violation, you can call 239-274-2547 during normal business for assistance.
APPROVED WATERING DAYS:
Odd numbered addresses (1,3,5,7,9,) - Wednesdays and/or Saturdays
Even numbered addresses (0,2,4,6,8) or no address - Thursday and/or Sundays
APPROVED WATERING TIMES:
Midnight to 8 a.m.
NO WATERING IS ALLOWED:
Between 8 a.m. to midnight OR
Mondays, Tuesdays, or Fridays
FULL AND PARTIAL EXEMPTIONS:Full exemptions to this ordinance are agriculture, athletic playing fields, golf courses, and low-volume hand watering*. Full exemptions are also given in the event of the planting of new landscape or sod. Watering is allowed until established or up to sixty (60) days.
Partial exemptions include reuse/reclaimed customers and the use of low volume irrigation systems**. The partial exemption allows watering seven (7) days a week, but does not allow watering from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Low-volume hand watering - This means that you are allowed to hand water with a hose, but it must have an automatic shut-off nozzle on the end. At no time will an open hose be allowed to flow freely unattended, wasting water ** Low volume irrigation systems - These are irrigation systems such as misting or drip irrigation which are specifically designed to allow the volume of water delivered to be limited to a level consistent with the water to be placed with a high degree of efficiency in the root zone of the plant, thereby conserving water.
Violations/Fines:1st violation - $25.002nd violation - $100.00 3rd violation - Not to exceed $500.00 and/or more than 60 days in County jail
If you are not in unincorporated Lee County and would like to find out what your watering days/hours are, please visit the South Florida Water Management Ditrict's website at www.sfwmd.gov/curre/watshort/index_tips.html

Randy Peska Century 21 Sunbelt Realty My Experience

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:21:00 +0000

RANDY PESKA: Shame on you !!!!!!!!

Randy Peska is a Real Estate Broker for Century 21 Sunbelt Realty in Southwest FLorida that believes anyone who purchases a home with financing should feel lucky that any seller will consider an offer from them. And that cash offers are the only ones that are taken seriously.

Randy Peska ALSO believes that if you are a buyer and use him that "he is working for you" BUT since the seller is paying him so that he is equally working from them as well if not more since that is how he gets paid.

MY ADVICE to RANDY PESKA: When a buyer hires you or someone else form Century 21 SunBelt Realty you should always represent them and their best interests at ALL TIMES, it may be hard for you to comprehend but I really think you will be better off by doing so instead of just worrying about your commission. And Randy if you treat people right then you will benefit from it down the road. What is the purpose of a buyer having a agent to represent them if they are just pretending to help you while they are really just trying to work with the seller and what's in their best interest.

My opinion is Randy Peska needs to brush up on his people skills and reevaluate what it takes to be a professional in the industry while representing Century 21 Sunbelt a company that is know internationally in high regard. Randy Peska you really let me down and you blew my mind with your behavior and your disappointing candid comments.

Randy Peska
Century 21 Sunbelt Realty, Inc.
506 SW 47th Terrace
Cape Coral, FL 33914
239-443-2470
Fax: 239-443-2452
RandyPeska@NUMBER1EXPERT.com

Watering Index: 8/19/09

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Cleveland Ohio lawn sprinkler / irrigation watering recommendations:
1.25" of water a week with the rain sensors set at 1/4"

Columbus Ohio lawn sprinkler / irrigation watering recommendations:
1.5" of water a week with the rain sensor set at 1/4"

The main difference between our recommendations in the Cleveland and Columbus Ohio market is simple: the average yard in Cleveland is seeded while the average yard in Columbus is sod and sod requires more water to flurish.

This is heat of the summer. If you notice your lawn needing additional water you may run an additional cycle during the evening time or bright and early in the morning to compensate.

Within a few weeks the lawns will bounce back and we will be able to reduce run times once we get a few remnants of tropical storms.

SW Florida Lawn Sprinkler Service

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:33:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce that we are in the process of opening up service locations in SW Florida with strict emphasis on lawn sprinkler service, repair and backflow testing.

We have started the paper process of getting our business liscense and proper paper work so that we will be able to service the following areas:

Naples, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and surrounding communities.

As of now we do not plan on offering new irrigation systems in the Florida market and will just concentrate on irrigation service and additions to existing systems.

We will provide more details as they are available.

Cracked Irrigation Valve

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:05:00 +0000

Irrigation Valves that develop a crack and fail:

OK- a side note since one valve had a bad production run and I want to bring this to your attention so that it is not confused with valves that fail due to improper installation techniques: Rain Bird had production issues with their Jar Top valve in the past and have since corrected the problem. If you have a Rain Bird Jar Top valve(s) that have failed along a seam then you should consult your local Rain Bird supplier for any options you may have.

Valves that develop cracks other then the Rain Bird Jar Top.

The short answer is they most likely the valves were over tightened when they are installed if they are the female thread style. Each female thread valve is connected to a male thread on the manifold tee. By design the male threaded fittings are slightly narrower at the end of the fitting and gradually widen towards the base of the fitting. When someone is assembling a female valve onto a male threaded fitting they should follow the following rule: hand tighten the valve and then turn one additional rotation with the proper tool and as always only use the proper amount of Teflon tape (no dope.)
If someone wrenches the valve one and applies too much pressure they have pushed the female threads into the wider area of the male threads causing an increase of pressure on the valve that will some day fail under the increase of pressure. If you have this problem and you have to replace a valve you should consider replacing the remaining valves if they have to be excavated since the chances are good that the other valves were installed in the same manner.

Zone with low water pressure?

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:21:00 +0000

If you have multiple zones on your lawn sprinkler system and one of them is under low pressure, this is a sign that you have pressure loss on that zone. Which is usually caused by a leak, if you found a saturated spot in that zone then you should dig up that area to locate the source of the leak and make the necessary repair. If a saturation area is not obvious then you will need to run that zone until you able to locate area of saturation. If after running the zone for a period of time there is still no obvious area of an leak then you will need to call an irrigation professional for further troubleshooting.

Mid Summer Sale

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Our postcards will be mailed within the next two weeks: Take advantage of the savings early.

1st COUPON
$10.00 OFF (Valid 8/2 - 9/18, cannot be combined with another offer or discount)

2nd COUPON
FREE SPRINKLER HEAD with service call. (Valid 8/2 - 9/18, cannot be combined with another offer or discount). Hunter PS series spray head for calls with less than 30 minutes of labor or your choice of spray or rotor with calls over 30 minutes of labor and service call)

3rd COUPON
Winterization Coupon: Save $5.00 when you have us winterize your home along with a neighbor’s home on the same day. Each house saves $5.00. Ask us how you can save another $5.00 for a total of $10.00 off your winterization service when you call in to book your appointments.

4th COUPON
Outdoor Lighting System Installed w/ 5yr Warranty $900.00
6 professional lights installed with transformer, up to 150' wire, 5 year warranty on Transformer
(Valid until September 18th, limited areas)

Noisy Pipes when Irrigation System is running

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:13:00 +0000

NOISY PIPES

Does your irrigation system make a loud noise (sounds like someone is hitting your house with a baseball bat) when your system is running? Well I know this can be an extremely frustrating issue with owners that have a two story home or a home with hardwood, marble or tile floors which are more and more popular in newer homes. I have heard some homes where it sounds like the copper lines in the basement are so loud one would think they could break. I am now going to go over the different types of noises. I would like to break the noise down into 3 different types. One would be when the system is pressurizing or basically there is a lot of noise for few seconds when each zone is starting but then goes away. The second type would be a steady noise during the duration of the time the system is running. The last type would be only when a zone is shutting down and will only last a second or two. Before I go into possible solutions, I would like to simply explain a few things about water needs: irrigation vs. house. When you flush a toilet in your home you may use 1.6 gallons per a flush. Now when compared to a residential irrigation system you would have to flush that toilet 6.25 to 7.5 or more times a minute, every minute to realize how much water you are using when irrigating. So if your overall run time is 2 hours it is like flushing your toilet 825 times. The reason for that explanation is when you flush a toilet or take a shower you are only using a fraction of the available water supply in your home. When a irrigation system is running it will pretty much demand the majority of the water supply, this is another reason why systems are best utilized early morning before everyone is up and either cooking or taking showers.

System is making a loud noise when the zones are starting, then the noise goes away until the next station/zone starts or only on specific zones.

The cause for this is when a zone starts where water has drained out of the sprinkler heads the force of the water flow does not have any resistance and it will cause the pipes to make noise until the zone is under pressure. Also it could be caused by water turbulence in the interior plumbing of the home. Here's an explanation on how that may occur: When a irrigation system is connected to the house it is done by tapping into a water line (usually close to the meter) the tap is usually a Tee type fitting. Well when the irrigation is running it pulls water from both sides of the Tee fitting. We have found that if you place a check valve on the side of the Tee fitting furthest away from the meter so the water flows through the meter then out to the irrigation it will solve majority of problems associated with noisy pipes. By doing this your are preventing the irrigation system from pulling water from your house pipes which is usually the cause of the noise. If the noise is not that bad and only happens on a few zones then you may want to strategically place check valves on the zones that have elevation change to reduce drainage after that station runs.

Steady noise during the entire time the system runs, sounds like a thumping noise.

Your water meter is making the noise and you need to have it replaced. What do I do if the water department says it is not the meter? Tell them you want a new meter or a larger meter, my experience is that if you are hearing a constant noise during the entire time the system is running that it is the meter and take a firm stance to have it replaced.

Loud noise when the system shuts down

Water hammer, is caused when a flow of water comes to a fast stop and causes extra force to be applied to various fittings which causes the noise you may hear. You can strategically add a hammer arrestor, I would recommend a 3/4" arrestor and nothing smaller. There are a few different key locations to install it. Email me and describe your set-up and I will make a recommendation. You may also consider to install a pressure tank which will act like a large shock absorber to help reduce the force caused by the sudden stop of flow. You may consider zone valves that are designed to close at a slower rate.

If you are having any of these problems you should call a professional plumber or experienced irrigation professional. There is no one solution for every house, it is similar to finding a needle in a haystack. One thing to keep in mind that any irrigation system will make some noise since you do have water flowing at a high rate through pipes and meters and not to expect it to run silently.

Written by: Robert Diersing

Email if you have any questions; info@rilawnsprinklers.com

Dbowers question regarding humming noise

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Hello,

Here is a pic of a boiler drain:

Here is a pic of an atmospheric vacuum breaker

I have seen both cause a humming noise on sprinkler systems.

If the boiler drain is the cause you will just need to make sure that it is closed ALL THE WAY. The one system I had seen was a boiler drain on the outside of the house, not even connected directly to the irrigation system causing a humming noise. I would just go around and make sure they are all properly closed even they looked closed give them a twist anyway.

If you have a boiler drain w/ an Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker on it causing the humming noise then try to remove the atmospheric vacuum breaker to see if that is the source of the noise. I had seen a system this spring with a AVB causing the noise, after removing the AVB the noise stopped. An Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker is a backflow device and should be installed on certain applications. If installed properly they will not be easy to remove and you might just want to remove the entire boiler drain /AVB combo and insert a threaded plug to test.

I hope this helps you. If not I will probably refer to my plumber and may have a few more questions. Either way please let me know.

Regards,

Bob

Correction: Online Specials

noreply@blogger.com (RI Lawn Sprinklers) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:17:00 +0000

We have not been able to edit the website due to problems with the host. Our online specials expire September 20th, 2009. Our online Special for Winterizations will be introduced when our current Special expires on September 20th, 2009.

Sorry for any confusion or inconvenience.