Sprinkler system maintenance checklist
Updated August 2026
An irrigation system revolves around two events a year: a fall blowout before the first hard freeze and a spring startup, plus an annual backflow test that many towns require by law. During the season, walk the zones about once a month to catch a broken head or a geyser before it wastes water. Skip the fall blowout and trapped water freezes, cracking PVC lines and heads that make up the bulk of spring repairs.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Run each zone and watch for broken or misaimed heads | Monthly | 15 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Recharge the lines slowly and reprogram the controller | Spring | 1 hr · DIY |
| Clean and adjust the spray and rotor heads | Spring | 30–60 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Blow out the lines with compressed air and drain the backflow | Fall | $50–150 pro |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Certified backflow assembly test | Yearly | $50–150 pro |
What neglect costs
The blowout is the one you cannot skip. Water left in the lines through a hard freeze expands and splits buried PVC or poly pipe, snaps riser heads, and can crack the brass backflow assembly, the single most expensive part at $150–400 to replace. A typical spring finds a handful of these, at $100–500 per break once someone digs, and skipping winterization is what causes nearly all of them. A well-kept system lasts 20-plus years, with heads good for 10 to 15.
Leave these to a pro
Two jobs point straight to a pro. A proper blowout needs a large air compressor moving 40 to 80 CFM, far more than the pancake unit in most garages, and too little air can leave water behind while too much pressure shatters fittings; the service runs $50–150 for a typical yard. The backflow test must be run by a certified tester and filed with the water utility in most municipalities, at another $50–150. Buried mainline leaks and dead valves also belong with an irrigation tech.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
When exactly should I blow out my sprinklers?
Before the first hard freeze of the year, which in most of the country lands somewhere between late September and mid-November. You want the ground to have started cooling but not yet frozen, so schedule it once overnight lows begin flirting with the high 20s. Miss the window and one deep freeze is all it takes to crack a line. If you check nothing else, the seasonal timing guide keeps you ahead of it.
Can I blow out the sprinklers myself?
Technically yes, but it is easy to do damage. A shop compressor rated for tire fills cannot move the 40 to 80 CFM needed to clear the lines in one pass, so people crank the pressure instead and blow apart heads and seals. Zones should be purged one at a time, below about 50 psi, until only mist comes out. Given the risk to buried pipe, many owners decide the $50 to $150 service is cheaper than a spring repair.
What is a backflow test and why is it required?
The backflow preventer stops irrigation water, which can carry fertilizer, pesticide, and soil bacteria, from being siphoned back into the household drinking supply if pressure drops. Because that is a public-health issue, most water utilities require a certified annual test, typically $50 to $150, and will send a reminder or even shut off service if you ignore it. The tester checks that the assembly's internal valves still seal, and replaces the springs or the unit if they do not.
Why are my sprinkler heads not popping up?
Usually low water pressure, a clog, or a broken head. If a whole zone stays down, suspect a stuck valve, a controller not sending power, or too many heads on one line stealing pressure. If one head sulks while its neighbors rise, grit in the nozzle or a cracked riser is the likely cause. The head-troubleshooting walkthrough covers cleaning the filter screen and testing the zone step by step.