Sprinkler System is IN!!!

Just call me, "Mr. Irrigator." No, that's not my name after a night of drinking... or... well... maybe it is. But NOT in this sense. You see, my sprinkler system has finally been installed!

WHOO HOO!!!

As you know from a previous post, I have been without a system for 7 years. As much as I enjoy working in my yard, I simply felt that dragging the hoses around was fine and dandy.

Well, not anymore!

The process took almost 3 days. It began last Saturday when Ducky's Sprinklers came out to start digging. I think most people, myself included, figured they'd bring a machine to do the trenching. Nope... 3 guys with shovels.

They must have dug all day. When I came home around 6:30 that evening, they were gone. In fact, there were trenches all over the front and side of my house. They hadn't started digging the back. Nor had they laid any pvc pipe in the trenches.

Hmmm....

Sundays they don't work, so Monday morning they showed up about the same time: 9:00. Sure enough, they went back to digging. This time there were 5 of them. While some worked on the front of the house with the pipes, the rest were digging in the back. What a day to work in the yard - it was bordering 100 degrees!

Right around 6:00 PM, they cleaned up and drove off. It looked complete, but I was a little surprised they hadn't walked me through the controller (above) yet. Sure enough, I see it's not connected to any power source, and I see some heads in the yard that aren't completely buried.

Jerry and I spoke on the phone and he needs to send his crew back on Tuesday. They show up that morning and completed the job. They still had to install the rain sensor, and then test the entire system. As well as to go over everything with me.

Man... all I can say is it is awesome! I have 9 zones and 54 sprinkler heads. They ring the entire foundation of my house (no more soaker hoses!), and are scattered about to provide total coverage of the yard and flower beds.

What I'm impressed with is the professionalism of the install. There is very little damage to my existing plants or yard, and the heads work perfectly to soak everything. The controller is a snap to use, too.

This morning was the first day I had it scheduled to water. I'm pretty particular, so I had it timed to not be going in the front yard when my paper arrived. I also knew exactly when it would start in the back yard. Sure enough, at 5:10 AM, I heard the sound of misting water shooting out from the sprinkler heads near my window.

Ahh... good times.

So, what advice can I give you... the ones that are desperate for a system (or need to repair their current system). First, see if you can find a company that you trust. I actually searched the BBB to find one in my area. I also relied on friends to provide references.

This leads to getting several of the companies to come out. Honestly, knowing what I know now, I'd recommend being there to speak with the representative. This will let you know how comfortable you feel with them "tearing up your yard." All 3 bids had different plans, so it's good to find the one that you like the best.

And finally, go with the company that has the most experience. I think that really helps because they've seen all types of situations. For me, the problem was low water pressure. This company installed the most zones... thus... I've got great water pressure and coverage!

Oh, and one last thing: It wasn't that expensive. Just food for thought...

Well, good luck and happy watering!

I'm Finally Doing It...

This may surprise a lot of people, but I don't have a sprinkler system.

(pause for laughter)

Yes, it's true. I live in Texas... in one of the hottest cities in the state... enduring scorching 100-plus degree days (day after day after day)... and I don't have a sprinkler system.

Well, that's all about to change...

When I first moved into my house, back in 2001, I knew what I wanted to purchase first: a sprinkler system. Back then I relied on my folks to recommend residential companies. Given that they had recently installed a sprinkler system (I come from a long line of "irrigationally stubborn" people), I decided to use their company.

Not only did they recommend the company, but so had Neil Sperry, the local/Texas expert on all things "yard." So, "Company A" came out and gave me a bid... to the sum of $4,500. My jaw dropped, especially after my parent's MUCH LARGER lot came in around $3,500.

So, I did what any other new homeowner with a depleted bank acount would do: I didn't seek out any other bids.

Ok, maybe others would have pursued more estimates. I guess I was naive enough to figure, "Well, if that's how much it's going to cost, then I'll just water it myself."

That worked out fine for the first few years. I'd go out and drag the hoses around the house... spending hours of my evenings to make sure proper coverage allowed for proper greenage!

Then we went into a drought... and half my front yard just died off. It was dreadful. I'd water, but my time was limited and by late August it resembled something from a Mad Max movie.

Last year my yard started to recover. In fact, it's looking pretty good right now. However, I know that it's going to get hotter (and harder) in the coming weeks.

So everything changed recently when my good friend Jason informed me that he purchased a sprinkler system. Given that he's probably one of the tightest (er... cheapest!) people I know, I was shocked. But when he told me the cost, I was intrigued enough to get another bid.

In fact, I got several. All were right around the same dollar amount. After meeting the owner, I decided to go with Ducky's Sprinklers. They're out of Royce City, and I actually found them via the BBB website.

Anyway, my life of dragging hoses in the oppressive heat will end next week. They arrive on Monday to trench the yard (and anything else that stands in their way). I'm excited... so we'll just see how much of an impact this will make!