Spring Sprinkler Start-Up Checklist for Bozeman Properties

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• When to Start Your System in Montana

• Quick Pre-Season Inspection

• The 30-Minute Start-Up Process

• Zone-by-Zone Testing

• Setting Your Timer for Montana Weather

• Water Conservation

• Common Problems & Easy Fixes

• Monthly Maintenance Calendar

• When to Call a Professional

• Conclusion

Introduction

This guide is for regular Montana homeowners who want green grass without the hassle.

We'll focus on what actually matters: turning on water without breaking anything and making sure your lawn doesn't turn brown by July. The whole process takes about 30 minutes, and you probably already have everything you need.

When to Start Your Sprinklers in Bozeman

Here's the deal with Montana weather – that warm week in early May is a trap. The basic rule? If you're still wearing a jacket in the morning, it's too early for sprinklers.

For much of Montana, end of May (Memorial Day) is your target. When in doubt, wait another week. A brown lawn in May grows back quickly; frozen pipes mean calling a repair guy.

Quick Pre-Season Inspection

Take a 5-minute walk around your yard. You're looking for obvious problems, not conducting a scientific survey. Check if any sprinkler heads are sticking way up (trip hazard) or buried under dirt (they won't work). See any soggy spots where it hasn't rained? That's probably a leak.

Find your backflow preventer – that brass thing near your house. Make sure it's not obviously cracked or leaking. If everything looks roughly normal, you're ready to start.

The 30-Minute Start-Up Process

Turn On the Water

Find your main sprinkler shut-off valve – usually in the basement or crawl space. Turn it on SLOWLY. Like, ridiculously slowly. Quarter turn, wait, quarter turn, wait. You'll hear water moving – that's normal. If you hear banging or hammering, you turned it too fast. Shut it off and try again slower.

Check the Backflow Preventer

Go outside and find that brass backflow thing.

• Look for leaks. A few drips? Normal.

• Water spraying everywhere? Not normal – shut off the water and call someone.

Activate Each Zone

Go to your controller and run each zone for 2 minutes. You're just making sure water comes out, not trying to water anything yet. Start with zone 1, watch sprinklers pop up, move to zone 2. If a zone doesn't work, make a note and move on. Don't try to fix anything yet.

Zone-by-Zone Testing

When you run each zone you should actually watch what happens. You're checking exactly three things:

1. Do all the heads pop up?

2. Is water going mostly where it should?

3. Any geysers or flooding?

If you spot problems, stick something next to that sprinkler head to mark it – a stick, a golf tee, whatever. Don't fix anything during this walk-through unless water is flooding your foundation. Just mark problems and keep moving. Most issues can wait until you're done testing everything.

Setting Your Timer for Bozeman Weather

Basic Programming Tips

Bozeman has strict watering policies for sprinkler systems. As of this writing, rules as follows:

• EVEN number physical addresses: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

• ODD number physical addresses: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

• Public Parks, private open spaces, street right-of-ways: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

  
  

• Watering is permitted on your allowed watering day before 10 a.m. and after 8 p.m.
  

Set your timer to water between 4-6 AM. Early morning means less wind and no water restrictions. Program each zone for about 10-15 minutes – less for flower beds, maybe 20 minutes for big rotor zones. If water runs off onto the sidewalk, you're watering too long. Cut the time and run it twice if needed.

Find the "rain delay" button on your controller and learn to use it. When those May thunderstorms roll through, hit that button to skip a few days. It's way easier than reprogramming everything.

Seasonal Adjustments

Most timers have a percentage adjustment feature. Use it. May = 50%, June = 75%, July-August = 100%, September = back to 75%. Takes 10 seconds to adjust each month and saves tons of water. Don't overthink this.

Water Conservation

Montana's water isn't unlimited, and your water bill proves it. The good news is that saving water is mostly about timing and paying attention, not buying fancy equipment.

Here's what actually makes a difference:

• Skip watering after rain.

• Water only when grass needs it – Here's the footprint test: walk across your lawn. If the grass springs back up, skip today's watering. If your footprints stay visible, it's time to water.

• Deep watering early in the morning is most efficient.

• Fix leaks right away – One broken head can waste hundreds of gallons per watering cycle.

• Don't water the street – Adjust those heads spraying onto concrete.

• Let grass go dormant in late summer.

Common Problems & Easy Fixes

Low Water Pressure

Sprinklers barely spraying? Check three things:

1. Are all valves fully open?

2. Is more than one zone running?

3. See any obvious leaks?
   

Heads Not Popping Up

Grab the head and pull it up manually, then let go. Fixed? Great. Still stuck? Unscrew it and let water flush out for 10 seconds. Still stuck? The head probably sank over winter. Dig around it a bit and pull it up to the right height. Pack dirt under it. Good enough for now.

Dry Spots Despite Working Sprinklers

Before you panic about coverage, check if heads are aimed right. Winter often spins them around. Adjust the spray to hit grass, not concrete. Still have dry spots? Run that zone 20% longer rather than installing new heads.

Monthly Maintenance Calendar

Keep it simple:

• End of May: Start up your system, set timer to 50%. That's it.

• June: Bump to 75%, take one walk-through to check for obvious problems.

• July: Full watering at 100%. Check for broken heads once (mowers eat them).

• August: Keep watering, watch your water bill for spikes that mean leaks.

• September: Drop to 75%, call to schedule October winterization before everyone else does.

When to Call a Professional

Be realistic about your limits.

• Can't figure out the controller after 20 minutes? Call someone.

• Water bubbling up between zones? That's a mainline break – call someone.

• Backflow preventer leaking badly? Definitely call someone.

Electrical problems, major leaks, or anything requiring digging means it's time to pay a professional. Most repairs run $150-300 and take an hour. That's cheaper than flooding your basement trying to be a hero.

Conclusion

Starting your sprinkler system isn't rocket science. Turn on the water slowly, check that things work reasonably well, and set your timer for early morning watering. The whole process takes 30 minutes if nothing's seriously broken.

Your lawn doesn't need perfection – it needs water on a regular schedule. Get that right and you'll have a green lawn all summer. Call us for blowouts in the fall and maintenance in the spring & summer!