Spring in North Texas means warmer temperatures, longer days, and a lawn that is ready to wake up from winter dormancy. It also means it is time to get your sprinkler system back in action. A proper spring startup is essential for catching winter damage, preventing water waste, and making sure your irrigation system is ready to perform when the summer heat arrives. Whether you handle the startup yourself or hire a professional, here is a complete step-by-step checklist to follow.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the last hard freeze typically occurs in late February or early March, though occasional late freezes can hit into mid-March. The general rule is to wait until the threat of a sustained hard freeze has passed before activating your sprinkler system. For most homeowners in Plano, Allen, Frisco, and surrounding communities, mid-March is the sweet spot. Turning on your system too early risks freeze damage to exposed pipes and backflow preventers. Waiting too late means your lawn misses crucial early-spring moisture during its transition out of dormancy. Keep an eye on the 10-day forecast and plan your startup for a stretch of consistently warm weather.
Before turning on any water, visually inspect your backflow preventer assembly. This is the above-ground device near your water meter, usually consisting of two test ports and shut-off valves. Look for visible cracks in the body, damaged test port caps, and any signs that the unit was hit by equipment or displaced during winter. If you see cracks or water seeping from the body when the system is pressurized, the backflow preventer needs professional repair or replacement before you proceed. North Texas cities require annual backflow testing, so spring startup is a convenient time to schedule that inspection.
This step is critical and often done incorrectly. Do not open the main irrigation shut-off valve all the way in one quick motion. Suddenly pressurizing a system that has been dormant all winter can cause water hammer, which sends a high-pressure shockwave through the pipes that can crack fittings, blow out sprinkler heads, and damage valves. Instead, open the main valve very slowly over a period of 30 to 60 seconds, allowing the system to fill and pressurize gradually. If you hear banging or rattling in the pipes, you are opening it too fast. Slow and steady prevents costly damage.
Head to your sprinkler controller and verify that it is powered on and displaying the correct time and date. Many controllers have a battery backup that keeps the clock running during power outages, and that battery may have died over winter. Replace the backup battery if it is low or dead. If your controller was set to rain mode or off for the winter, switch it back to run mode. Do not simply turn on the old schedule from last year. Spring watering needs are different from summer needs, so start with shorter run times and fewer watering days. You can gradually increase as temperatures rise and your lawn fully greens up. If you have a smart controller, make sure it has reconnected to your Wi-Fi network and is receiving current weather data.
Use your controller's manual mode to run each zone one at a time for three to five minutes. This is the most important diagnostic step in your spring startup because it reveals problems that are invisible when the system is off. As each zone runs, walk the yard and observe carefully. You are looking for heads that do not pop up, heads that pop up but do not spray, heads that spray in the wrong direction, geysers from broken heads or cracked fittings, pooling water that indicates underground leaks, and dry spots where coverage is missing. Take notes or mark problem heads with small landscape flags so you can return and address each issue.
During the zone-by-zone test, give each sprinkler head individual attention. Over winter, heads can be damaged by lawn equipment, shifted by soil movement, or clogged by dirt and debris. Check that each head is sitting level with the ground surface. Tilted heads cause uneven spray patterns and waste water. Look for cracked or broken head bodies that need replacement. Verify that rotor heads are turning through their full arc and that spray heads have clean, even fan patterns. Adjust any heads that are spraying onto driveways, sidewalks, or fences instead of the lawn and landscape beds.
With the system pressurized and zones running, inspect every accessible connection point for leaks. Check around the backflow preventer, at the base of every sprinkler head, around valve boxes, and anywhere pipes connect to fittings above or below ground. Even small leaks waste significant water over the course of a season. A fitting that drips once per second wastes approximately 2,000 gallons per year. Underground leaks are harder to spot but reveal themselves as consistently wet or muddy areas when the system is running, or areas where the grass is noticeably greener and faster-growing than surrounding turf.
North Texas water contains high levels of dissolved minerals that accumulate in sprinkler nozzles over time. Additionally, dirt and grass clippings can work their way into heads during mowing season. Clogged nozzles produce uneven, distorted spray patterns that leave parts of your lawn dry. To clean a nozzle, unscrew it from the head body, rinse it under running water, and use a small pin or paperclip to clear any mineral deposits from the orifice. For heavy mineral buildup, soak the nozzle in white vinegar for 30 minutes before rinsing. Replace any nozzles that are cracked or too damaged to clean properly.
If you planted new shrubs, added garden beds, or made landscaping changes over fall and winter, your spray patterns may need adjustment. Newly planted areas may need additional coverage, while mature shrubs that have grown larger may be blocking spray from reaching the lawn behind them. Walk each zone while it runs and look at the actual coverage pattern on the ground. Adjust head arcs, spray distances, and nozzle types as needed to ensure full, even coverage of every planted area. This is also a good time to make sure spray heads are not watering your house siding, fence, or your neighbor's property.
If your system has a rain sensor, verify that it is functioning correctly. Most rain sensors are mounted on the fascia board or gutter of your home. Check that the sensor is physically intact, that its collection discs or cork are clean and undamaged, and that the wiring connection to the controller is secure. Test the sensor by pressing the plunger or activating the manual test feature while a zone is running. The zone should shut off when the sensor is triggered. A faulty rain sensor means your sprinklers will run even during and after rainstorms, wasting water and money.
With everything inspected and repaired, program your controller with an appropriate spring schedule. In early spring, most North Texas lawns need about half an inch of water per week, split into two watering days. As temperatures rise through April and May, gradually increase to three-quarter inch per week. Save the heavy summer schedule of one inch or more per week for June through September. Remember to use cycle-and-soak programming on clay soil to prevent runoff. Many cities in the DFW area have specific watering day restrictions, so check your local municipality's rules and set your schedule accordingly.
While many homeowners can handle a basic spring inspection, some situations call for professional help. If you find cracked pipes, broken valves, or backflow preventer damage, these repairs require specialized tools and knowledge. If you have multiple zones with coverage problems, a professional can reconfigure your system for optimal performance. And if you simply want the peace of mind that comes with a thorough professional inspection, a trained technician will catch issues that are easy to miss during a DIY walkthrough. At JC Apex Home Services, we perform comprehensive spring startup services for homeowners throughout Plano, Allen, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, and the surrounding communities. Our technicians test every zone, inspect every head, check water pressure, verify controller programming, and provide a detailed report of any issues found. Contact us today to schedule your spring sprinkler startup and make sure your system is ready for the season ahead.