If you choose to take on this project, since your system has been shut down for the winter, you will need to close the drain valves, and turn on the main water supply. In most homes, mains are located outside, on the side or near the front on the house. You will see two pipes coming from the ground; one goes to your house, and the other is the sprinkler main. Close the drain valves first, then slowly open the sprinkler main to avoid damaging your pipes. Next, turn on your controller and manually cycle through each zone, letting the sprinklers run for a couple of minutes in each zone. You will be able to see pretty quickly if you have any leaks or broken sprinkler heads.

To fix a broken pop-up sprinkler head, dig out a small trench to expose it. Keep the work area tidy by putting the turf on one side and dirt on the other. Unscrew the broken head. Take care not to remove the riser with the head. Use pliers to hold the riser in place. Avoid getting soil or grass in the sprinkler line. Screw the replacement sprinkler head onto the riser. Turn on the water to test the new sprinkler.

Fixing a broken pipe is a little more involved. The location will be obvious. You will have either a pond or a geyser in your lawn when the sprinklers are on. Shut off the sprinkler main and dig out a trench running alongside the pipe. The trench needs to extend at least one foot on both sides of the break and be deep enough to allow you to reach under the pipe.

The easiest and quickest way to fix the line, unless you have experience working with PVC, is to replace your broken section with a prefabricated expansion repair coupling. Place it alongside the broken section to measure how much line you need to remove. Cut out the broken section with a hacksaw or pipe cutter. Make the cleanest cuts you can, as a messy cut will cause problems when you try to adhere the new section. Remove any dirt from the inside of the sprinkler line and make sure it is dry.

Now it’s time to glue the replacement coupler to the existing pipe using blue PVC glue. Coat the outside of both cuts ends and the inside of the coupler with the glue. Quickly secure the coupler over the line by expanding it to fit the section and then giving it a small turn. Give the glue about ten minutes to cure. Then, turn on the water and be amazed at your fix-it ability. Turn off the water, replace the dirt, and put your sod back in place.

Now that you have repaired your system, you need to check its application rate to determine how long you need to run your sprinklers to properly water your yard. You can hire a professional irrigation auditor, or you can try doing it yourself.

You will need to gather a few materials, and be prepared to do some math. Round up ten or more straight-sided cups or cans. Coffee cups or soup cans work well. Make sure all cans have the same diameter, and are at least 4 inches to 8 inches deep. Grab some paper, a pencil, a ruler, and a calculator.

Place the cans haphazardly around your lawn. Turn the sprinklers on and run each zone for 15 minutes. If you notice water puddling or running off the lawn onto the sidewalk, record the elapsed time and turn off the sprinklers. Wait for an hour, and then turn the sprinklers back on long enough to complete the 15-minute test. Using the ruler, measure and record the amount of water in each can. Ideally, there should be about the same amount of water in each can. If you find major differences, you may have a more serious problem that may be best solved by hiring an irrigation professional. If you have only minor differences, it’s time to do the math. Add all of the measurements together and divide by the number of cans. This gives you the average application rate of your system.

Armed with this information, you can water your lawn most efficiently by using the ET (evapotranspiration) rate. The ET rate is the amount of water used by lawns on a given day, which depends on a variety of conditions, such as humidity, wind, and temperature. You can find real-time ET rates on the Washoe County ET Web site, http://www.washoeet.dri.edu. The most efficient way to water is to split up the total application time needed into several shorter cycles, and water only in the morning and evening.

For example, if given the ET rate, you calculate the need to water for 60 minutes, you should run your sprinklers for two 15-minute cycles in the morning, allowing an hour between each cycle and ending the last cycle before 11:00 a.m. After 7:00 p.m., run the sprinklers for 2 more 15-minute cycles, again allowing an hour rest in between cycles. However, if you know from your catch-can test that water begins to run off after 10 minutes, adjust your run times to no longer than 10 minutes each and start them earlier in the day. No matter how you apply your water, avoid applying it between 12:00 and 6:00 p.m., and NEVER let it run off your lawn.

If you don’t want to check the ET rates on your assigned water days, you can follow the chart below for general suggested watering amounts.

Technophiles and/or those desiring to be as water-conservative as possible can bypass all of the manual calculations by purchasing an ET controller or “smart controller.” These controllers, once programmed, use real-time ET data to apply the precise daily amount of water needed by your lawn. Truckee Meadows Water Authority has just completed a 3-year study of the effectiveness of using ET controllers on commercial and common homeowner association property. They found that when ET controllers were used, there was a 20 percent drop in average water use and no decrease in lawn health.

Leslie Allen is commercial horticulture program coordinator for the Western Area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.