Residential Irrigation Maintenance Checklist

List the areas served by each zone and locate accessible controllers, shutoffs and visible components. Record unknown areas for the installer rather than guessing.

Check that freezing conditions have passed and any winterization has been properly reversed under the manufacturer or installer procedure. Do not improvise a restart.

Review current settings and remove unintended duplicate starts. Retain a copy of the intended schedule; follow the manual for any battery maintenance.

Use normal controls for a brief observation and record which heads or emitters operate. Stop the test if flooding, damage or unsafe conditions appear.

Look for broken heads, leaking connections or pooling between cycles. Mark locations and arrange repair; a wet patch alone does not locate an underground leak.

Note tilted, buried, blocked or damaged heads. Clear loose surface debris with watering stopped; follow the manual or use a professional for adjustments and replacement.

Record spray onto paving or buildings, dry areas and excessive misting. Make only manual-approved adjustments with the system stopped; refer persistent coverage or pressure problems for evaluation.

Look for disconnected tubing, leaks and emitters that appear blocked or displaced. Follow component instructions for care; do not assume all emitters have the same output.

Follow the manual for isolation and pressure release before servicing accessible filters. Record when cleaning or replacement is needed; do not open an unknown pressurized assembly.

Review plant needs, soil, recent rain and local restrictions. Avoid a universal runtime; use measured application and local guidance to set the schedule.

Record where water leaves the planted area or pools. Reduce avoidable watering and review cycle-and-soak settings where appropriate; fix leaks rather than compensating with more runtime.

Use the manual-approved sensor check and review alerts, placement and enabled settings. Do not bypass a fault permanently; arrange service if the control cannot operate correctly.

Check applicable water-provider requirements and available service records. Arrange required inspection or testing by an appropriately qualified person; this homeowner checklist is not a backflow test.

Restore the intended automatic schedule and confirm test watering has stopped. Record faults, responsible person and follow-up date; repeat the zone observation after repairs and review during the watering season.