Rainy Season Tips: Preparing Your Irrigation System for Heavy Weather

Rainy seasons pose many challenges for homeowners because they make it difficult to determine how much and when to water your property. During a normal season, you’re almost completely in control of your irrigation schedule–but an unusual irrigation pattern can throw a wrench in your whole plan.

Let’s go over how to prepare your irrigation system for heavy rain weather so you can breathe easier knowing your property is getting the appropriate amount of water.

The Importance of Rain Sensors for Your Irrigation System

A rain sensor, also known as a rain switch or rain shutoff device, is a device that can be added to an irrigation system to prevent it from running during rain. When the sensor detects rain, it temporarily shuts off the irrigation system to skip watering cycles, conserving water, saving money, and, most importantly, protecting your lawn.

Rain sensors can work in several different ways: absorbent disks, rainfall collection cups, or weight-based sensors. Absorbent disks trigger an electrical switch that overrides the irrigation system when wet. Rainfall collection cups stop the sprinklers when the cup reaches a certain level. Weight-based sensors use a small dish to collect a predetermined amount of water and shut off the system when it reaches that weight.

The great thing about rain sensors is that they can be retrofitted on installed sprinkler systems. It’s important to mount them in an area exposed to rain but not in the path of the sprinklers so it doesn’t get regular irrigation confused with rainwater. A common place to put them is near the roofline on the side of a building, away from trees, awnings, and overhangs.

Protect Your Irrigation System from Water Damage

You may think it a little strange at first to have to protect your irrigation system from water damage, but it’s less about water and more about lower temperatures, higher winds, and other inclement weather damaging it. Four good practices to prepare your system for the rainy season are to inspect and maintain it, turn it off or set it to rain mode, blow out the sprinkler line, and close all the valves.

Irrigation inspections and maintenance should be performed routinely, but it’s important to do so before the onset of a rainy season so you can fix any damage before inclement weather. Check for leaks, damaged pipes, and malfunctioning sprinkler heads. Ensure the valves are working properly and are free from blockages and debris. You can also hire a professional to inspect your system so they can provide you with local climate expertise and fix any damages in due time.

You should also set your irrigation system to rain mode or turn it off 1-3 days before it’s expected to rain and turn it back on when the soil is dry–but if you have smart irrigation or a rain sensor, this may not be necessary. Blowing out the sprinkler line is also good practice to ensure the system is completely dry and water won’t cause any freezer damage. Lastly, double-check the valves and ensure they’re all closed properly to avoid overtaxing the system or wasting water.