Irrigation & Landscape Lighting FAQ

Alabama Extension's advice for home lawns is to water when the grass shows drought stress and then put down about 1/2 to 1 inch, which wets the soil 4 to 6 inches deep. Signs of stress are a bluish-gray color, folded or rolled blades, and footprints that stay in the grass. Then don't water again until you see those signs again. Rain counts, so a rain gauge helps.

It depends on the type of head, because rotors put out water much slower than spray heads. The easy way to find out: set a few empty tuna or cat food cans around the zone, run it, and time how long it takes to get 1/2 to 1 inch in the cans. That's your run time for that zone.

Early morning. Alabama Extension suggests roughly 4 to 7 a.m., when it's cooler and less windy so less water is lost, and the grass dries during the day, which helps prevent fungus. Try to avoid watering from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

No, not an established lawn. Daily watering keeps roots shallow and makes the lawn less able to handle drought. The exception is new sod or seed while it's getting established. ADECA notes established lawns usually don't need water more often than every five to seven days.

Clay takes water in slowly, so long run times just run off. The fix is "cycle and soak": split the run time into shorter cycles with a break between so water can sink in. Most smart controllers from Hunter and Rain Bird have a cycle and soak setting built in.

Brown spots in a pattern are usually a coverage problem: a clogged nozzle, a tilted or sunken head, a head blocked by grass or shrubs, or low pressure on the zone. Spots near the middle of a zone or right next to the heads can be pressure too. Not every brown spot is irrigation (insects and disease happen too), but a zone walk during an irrigation inspection will tell you quickly.

The usual suspects are a wiring problem, a bad solenoid, a valve that's stuck or has debris in it, or a controller setting (like a rain sensor or rain delay that's active). A good first check: if the valve opens using its manual bleed but not from the controller, the problem is usually electrical. If other zones work fine, it's almost always something at that one valve or its wire. We track these down every day on irrigation repair calls.

A zone that keeps running is usually a valve issue: debris keeping the diaphragm from seating, a torn diaphragm, a stuck solenoid, or a manual bleed left open. If it keeps running with the controller unplugged, it's the valve, not the timer. Shut the water off to the irrigation system and call us for a repair, since that one can waste a lot of water fast.

Most often it's low pressure or flow on that zone: a leak somewhere on the line, a partly closed valve, too many heads on one zone, or a failing valve. Sometimes it's just dirt or grass grown around the head. If only one head is stuck, it may be the head; if the whole zone is weak, look for a leak or a valve problem. See irrigation repair for how we fix it.

Misting is a sign of too much water pressure at the head. The fix is usually adjusting the valve's flow control or adding pressure regulation, and pressure-regulated heads or nozzles help too. Misting water blows away before it hits the grass, so fixing it saves water.

Most older systems can be repaired and upgraded a piece at a time. Swapping old heads, fixing valves, and adding a smart controller can make an older system work a lot better without starting over. An inspection is how we figure out which way makes sense for your yard.

We check the water supply, test and verify your controller setup, and run every zone that can run. Then we walk the property checking each head, make minor adjustments like spray patterns, and flag anything that needs attention. You get a breakdown of the repairs and suggestions we found so you can decide what to do next. More about irrigation inspections.

Once a year is a good rule, and the best time is spring start-up before the summer heat sets in. If your system hasn't been looked at in a while, or you just bought the house, don't wait for spring. Small problems like a tilted head or a slow leak get more expensive the longer they run.

No. As long as we can get into the yard and to the controller, you don't need to be there. Some controllers are in the garage, so just let us know how we can get to it. Inspections are paid ahead of time when you book, before the visit is scheduled, so there's nothing to handle on the day.

Yes. An irrigation inspection runs and walks the system zone by zone, so problems hiding underground come to light. It tells you what's working, what isn't, and what it will take to fix it, before the first big water bill shows up.

A smart controller connects to Wi-Fi and adjusts watering based on local weather, so it waters less when it's cool or rainy. The EPA says WaterSense labeled weather-based controllers can save an average home about 7,600 gallons a year compared to a standard clock timer. You also get to control everything from your phone, which most people end up loving. See smart irrigation controllers.

Both are solid, and we install both. The best pick depends on how many zones you have, where the controller is mounted, your Wi-Fi signal, and which app you like. We'll set it up, program it for your yard, and show you how to use it.

In most homes, yes. Standard residential valves run on 24-volt AC, so most smart controllers can wire into the same valve wires your old timer used. We check the wiring, Wi-Fi reach at the mounting spot, and any extras like a rain sensor or master valve.

With a smart Wi-Fi controller, yes. You can turn zones on or off, set a rain delay, change days, and check what ran, from anywhere. That's handy for rentals, lake houses, and commercial properties too.

Yes, but it looks different here than up north. We do get hard freezes, and the parts at risk are the ones above ground: the backflow device, exposed pipe, and valves. In central Alabama a full compressed-air blowout usually isn't necessary, so winterizing here means setting the controller for winter, insulating the backflow and exposed pipe without blocking vents or drains, and making sure the irrigation shutoff works. We offer winterizing, or you can do the basics yourself.

For most homes in central Alabama, no. Our freezes are usually short, so a compressed-air blowout like they do up north isn't necessary; protecting the backflow, exposed pipe, and controller is what matters. Some commercial clients have a company policy that requires winter blowouts on all their properties, and we can do that for them.

Turn the controller to off or rain mode so it doesn't run in freezing weather and ice up sidewalks and driveways. Wrap the backflow and any above-ground pipe with foam insulation. If you can, shut off the water to the irrigation system before the freeze hits. If you'd rather have it handled before the cold sets in, we offer winterizing.

You can, but you don't have to. Rain Bird points out that "rain mode" (or off mode) stops the valves but keeps your programming and clock, while unplugging may mean reprogramming in the spring. Smart controllers are easy to just turn off in the app.

Usually very little. Alabama Extension says little or no supplemental water is needed from November to March, since that's typically the rainy season and warm-season lawns are dormant. Most people can set the controller to off or rain mode and check it during long dry spells.

Irrigation is usually the biggest outdoor use, and a system that runs too long, runs after rain, or has a hidden leak can drive the bill up fast. For scale, ADECA says it takes about 660 gallons to put 1 inch of water on 1,000 square feet of lawn. A tuned-up system and a smart controller that skips rainy days are the two biggest fixes.

Look for a soggy area, water bubbling up, a sunken spot, or grass that's greener than everything around it. If you have a separate irrigation meter, watch it with the system off; if it's still moving, water is getting out somewhere. A head that keeps dribbling after the zone shuts off can also point to a valve that isn't sealing. We find and fix leaks on repair calls.

That usually means a leak on the line that stays pressurized all the time (the main line before the zone valves) or a valve that's not closing all the way. Turn off the water to the irrigation system if you can find the shutoff, and get it looked at. Leaks like this run 24 hours a day and show up on the water bill.

The Auburn Water Works Board says it allows a one-time high bill adjustment per three-year period for irrigation meters. Call the Utility Billing Office to ask. Either way, get the leak fixed fast so it doesn't happen again.

For most homes, yes. Good lighting makes steps, walkways, and driveways safer at night, makes the house feel welcoming, and shows off the trees and features you already have. The key is placing lights with a plan so it looks natural, not like a runway. See landscape lighting design and installation.

We install, inspect, and repair low-voltage LED landscape lighting for homes and businesses, like path lights, up-lights on trees and walls, and lighting for entries and steps. We'll talk through the look you want when we come out.

Yes. We inspect and repair low-voltage LED landscape lighting. When a few lights go dark, it's often a damaged or loose wire connection, a cut line from edging or digging, a fixture that's been knocked over, or a timer or transformer setting. When the whole system is out, we start at the transformer and work out from there. See lighting repair.

Yes. We light docks at Lake Martin so you can see the edges, steps, and walkways after dark and enjoy the lake at night. Lighting a dock is about safety first and good looks second.

We don't do free estimates. Your estimate comes from a paid inspection or a service call, because we actually run the system and find the problem instead of guessing from the curb. That way the numbers you get are based on what's really going on in your yard. Repairs carry a service call fee, which we quote when you book.

Unlock gates, put pets inside, and make sure we can reach the controller. If you know of a problem area (a soggy spot, a zone that won't come on, a head the mower clipped), tell us when you book so we look there first. That's really it.

Yes. We handle residential and commercial irrigation, including inspections, repairs, additions, and smart controllers. Commercial sites like offices, retail, HOA common areas, and multifamily properties benefit a lot from a yearly inspection because nobody is walking those zones every day. Request service to get started.