Moving into a new home is exciting, and the to-do list is long. If your home came with a sprinkler system, it's easy to put it at the bottom of that list. Most new homeowners aren't sure where the controller is, what the system covers, or what they should be doing with it.
Here's a simple checklist for your first year in a new Omaha-area home.
1. Find the Controller and Learn the Basics
The controller (the timer box) is usually in the garage, a utility room, or the basement. Check that you can see the schedule, and write down how to turn the system on and off. If you don't know which zones water which parts of the yard, run each one for a minute and make a quick map.
2. Know Where the Shutoff Valve and Backflow Preventer Are
Two locations are worth knowing right away:
The main irrigation shutoff valve, usually inside near your water meter or where the line enters the house
The backflow preventer, the device on the outside of the house where the irrigation line exits. It protects your drinking water, and it's one of the most vulnerable parts of the system in freezing weather.
If you ever need to shut things off in a hurry, you'll be glad you already know where both are.
3. New Sod and Seed Have Different Needs
New lawns need more frequent watering than established ones, especially in the first few weeks. Your sprinkler schedule from the builder or the previous season may not match what a new lawn needs. We've written about how often to water new sod and new seed, and it's worth following that guidance rather than leaving the system on a default setting.
4. Check Your Coverage Early
New systems sometimes need small adjustments after the lawn is in. Run each zone while you watch, and look for these issues:
Heads spraying the driveway, sidewalk, or house
Heads blocked by landscaping or sod that has settled around them
Dry areas or spots that stay soggy
Misting or weak spray, which can point to a pressure or nozzle problem
Heads caught on the netting under the sod. Many sod rolls have a plastic netting layer underneath. When the sod is cut around a head, the grass gets trimmed away but the netting sometimes doesn't. It can keep a spray head from popping all the way up, or stop a rotor from rotating.
If a head isn't popping up fully or a rotor is stuck, check for netting around it. Carefully cutting away any netting that's snagged on the head usually solves it, and the head can come up and turn as it should.
It's much easier to catch these in the first season than to find out after a summer of uneven watering.
5. Plan for Your First Freeze
Omaha winters are hard on irrigation systems, and your first fall is when this matters most. Find out what type of system you have and what it needs before the first hard freeze. That might be a professional winterization, or it might be shutting off the water and preparing the backflow preventer, depending on the system. If you're not sure, ask. A quick call in September or early October is much better than a scramble after the temperature drops.
6. Before You Dig, Plan Around the Lines
Putting in a fence, patio, trees, or a garden bed? Sprinkler lines and heads are buried throughout the yard. Call 811 before any digging so public utilities are marked, and think about where your sprinkler lines run before you start. A cut line is an easy repair to avoid.
7. Keep Your Records
Save any paperwork you got about the system, including the installer's name, the zone layout, and any warranty information. If something goes wrong in year one or two, you'll want to know who installed it and what's covered.
Questions About Your New System?
Alternate Rain has been serving the Omaha metro area, including Elkhorn, Papillion, Bellevue, Gretna, Bennington, Waterloo, La Vista, Blair, and Valley, for over 40 years. If you're a new homeowner with questions about your sprinkler system, want a coverage check, or need help getting ready for winter, contact us. You can also look at our seasonal care packages, which cover startup, a mid-season check, and winterization in one plan.