Sprinkler & Irrigation Questions

Most Upstate homeowners fire theirs up in late March or early April, once the last hard freeze has passed. Greenville and Spartanburg typically see their final frost around the first week of April, so waiting until then protects your backflow preventer and above-ground piping. We'll test every zone, check for winter cracks, and set your controller for spring watering before the heat arrives.

Our red clay soil holds water longer than sandy soil, so deep and infrequent beats short and daily. Aim for about one inch per week total, split into two or three sessions. In July and August that may climb to an inch and a half. Fescue lawns need more consistent moisture through summer; bermuda and zoysia tolerate more heat and less water.

Between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. Early morning watering lets grass blades dry before evening, which reduces brown patch and other fungal diseases common in our humid summers. Evening watering leaves the lawn wet overnight, which is exactly what fungus wants.

Yes. Upstate winters are mild compared to the mountains, but we regularly drop into the teens in January. Water left in backflow preventers, valves, and shallow lateral lines can freeze and crack. A blowout in late fall costs far less than replacing a cracked backflow assembly in the spring.

Usually a solenoid on the zone valve, a wiring break, or a clogged filter. Sometimes it's a controller programming issue. Roots and clay shifting can also pinch a lateral line. It's a common call and typically a same-visit repair.

The most frequent culprit is a leak in an underground lateral line or a valve that isn't sealing shut. Look for a soggy patch of lawn that never dries, or grass that's noticeably greener in one spot. A system audit will find it quickly.

It keeps irrigation water — along with any fertilizer or pesticide residue — from flowing backward into your drinking water supply. Many South Carolina water providers require annual certified testing. We test, document, and file the paperwork with your utility.

For most Upstate homes, yes. Smart controllers pull local weather data and skip cycles after rainfall, which matters in a region that can go three weeks dry and then get four inches in a weekend. Most homeowners see a meaningful drop in summer water bills, and many utilities offer rebates.

Absolutely. Modern trenching and pipe-pulling equipment installs lines with minimal disruption. Most lawns look fully recovered within two to three weeks.

A well-maintained system runs 20 years or more. Sprinkler heads and nozzles are the wear items, usually needing replacement every 8 to 10 years. Valves and controllers typically last 10 to 15.

Yes. Drip lines deliver water straight to the root zone, which suits Upstate landscape beds well — less evaporation, less runoff on sloped yards, and no water sitting on foliage.

Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Easley, Greer, Simpsonville, Taylors, Mauldin, Fountain Inn, and surrounding communities.