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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Winterization is necessary and should be completed before the first freeze to prevent freeze damage. While Minnesota winters are unpredictable, we recommend having your system winterized between September and mid-October.
If temperatures are beginning to fall, or already below freezing - please cover your vacuum breaker or lake pump with a towel, rug or blanket to prevent damages.
Cover vacuum breaker/lake pump with items such as old blanket, rug, towels, moving blanket, etc.
Before & after examples of a covered backflow preventer.
Before & after examples of a covered lake pump.
Check out the link to the Hunter website here.
To find information and tutorials on programming your controller and adjusting your run times, please visit the Hunter site here.
The backflow preventer (vacuum breaker) is required by all cities in the communities we provide our services to. It is typically located directly outside of the home adjacent to where the water source connects to the irrigation mainline. The backflow preventer prevents water from siphoning back into the house. Make sure to have your system winterized in the fall to prevent this unit and your system from freezing over the winter.
If the leak only occurs when a zone is running, turn the time off for that zone on the controller. If the system is constantly leaking, go to the backflow preventer (typically on the back or side of the home) and turn the handles perpendicular to the pipe or turn the "wheel" handles to the right until tight.
It is good practice to irrigate turf with 1" of water per week, watering every other day with rotor zones for about 25-35 minutes and spray zones for about 10-20 minutes (drip irrigation requires a longer duration of time). The best time to water is early morning between 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Soil type and weather conditions can affect watering times; sandy soil will require longer watering times, while clay soil may require multiple run times (cutting watering time in half and running the system twice daily). July and August will typically have the longest run times during our Minnesota summers. Be sure to check with your city's guidelines to ensure you are watering on the correct days- determined by your house number.