The inherited-system problem
Plenty of Silver Spring homes change hands with an in-ground sprinkler system already in place. The new owner may not know who installed it, how many zones it has, where the backflow preventer is, or whether it was winterized last year.
None of that has to be solved before winter. What matters is getting the water out of the pipes, valves and heads before the first sustained hard freeze. Across the Mid-Atlantic, overnight lows regularly drop below 32°F from late November through February.
Who will work on a system they did not build
Some irrigation companies only service their own installations. Aqua-Bright keeps existing Silver Spring systems running no matter who originally installed them, and its service work covers broken or misaligned heads, valve and wiring problems, controller reprogramming, spring activation, certified backflow testing, and fall winterization with compressed-air blowouts to prevent freeze damage.
That matters for an inherited system, because the first winterization visit doubles as a basic inspection.
What to find before the appointment
- The controller. Usually in a garage, basement or utility room.
- The irrigation main shutoff. Often near where the water service enters the house.
- The backflow preventer. Above-ground units are common on Montgomery County homes.
- Any paperwork. A zone map or past service records saves time, but is not required.
If you cannot find something, that is fine. Finding it is part of the visit. It helps to be home for a first appointment so the technician can get to the shutoff and walk you through what they found.
What winterization involves
The visit starts with a look at the layout, the number of active zones and the controller settings. The controller goes into off-season mode, each zone is blown out with compressed air, the backflow preventer is drained and the main shutoff is confirmed closed.
The end-of-visit report is especially useful on an inherited system. It tells you about worn heads, valves showing wear or zones with low output, so you know what to plan for before the system is turned back on in spring.
After the first winter
Once the system is known, owners who would rather not track the dates themselves can ask Aqua-Bright about a seasonal maintenance plan, which handles start-up and shutdown on a set schedule. Older systems can also be upgraded with smart timers that skip cycles after storms.
Aqua-Bright works throughout downtown Silver Spring, Four Corners, Woodside Park, Sligo Park Hills, Forest Glen, White Oak, Colesville and Burnt Mills.