Every spring, one of the most important tasks that we accomplish is recharging the irrigation system. Especially after a winter like we just had, any number of issues can arise. But we charged the system last week, and thus far we have had no major problems.
The irrigation system circulates the water to turfgrass
across the property. Every December we drain and blow out the system in
preparation for the winter. Then, for 4 months the irrigation system is out of
our minds. But by the end of February or early March, we are planning the time
to pump water back into the pipes. We try to do it early enough to allow for
repairs, but not too early that we risk freezing again.
Although it isn’t hard to recharge the system, it does take
patience. It is not as simple as cranking the pumps up to full power, forcing
water back to all the corners of the course and walking away. Firing the system
up to quickly can cause breaks in the pipe and rushing water can blow right
through corners or at the end of a line. Keeping the pressure low while the
water slowly moves through the system is key.
Once the entire system has reached full pressure we start
monitoring for leaks. We will spend an entire afternoon riding around the
entire course, inspecting sprinklers, looking for wet areas or possibly visible
water, and periodically checking the pressure gauge at the pump house. We will continually
check pressures and watch for leaks all season, but this first afternoon after
recharging is a very common time for problems to arise so extra time is given
just to observing everything.
Our next step is testing all the sprinklers. We
systematically work through every sprinkler on the property, making sure they
turn on and operate correctly, clearing the last remaining air from the lines,
and most importantly, making sure they turn off when the allotted time is done.
Just like we monitor for leaks during the whole season, we are constantly
keeping an eye on the sprinklers too, but working through each one now catches
90% of the problems. Spotting and correcting that many problems now gives us
confidence as we head into the season that we can rely on the system to operate
correctly, rather than discovering issues only once we need to depend on the
system for watering.
It is the same routine every season to get water back into the pipes. But taking our time to recharge methodically, checking every sprinkler makes the process smooth and mostly trouble-free.
Etiquette Reminder of the Month
Please don't start off 10 tee
without permission from the Golf Pro Shop.
Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve
course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course
etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:
Ball
Marks - How to properly repair
See you on the course!
Joe
jvillegas@bwrc.org