Time to Turn the Water Back On: How Irrigation System Startup Protects Your Lawn in Spring
There is a right way and a wrong way to bring an irrigation system back online after a New England winter — and the difference between them can cost you a few hundred dollars in repair bills, or just a smooth spring morning with the system running exactly the way it should.
Every spring, T&B Landscaping handles irrigation system startups for homeowners across Andover and the Merrimack Valley. We see the same mistakes over and over: systems turned on too early, valves opened too fast, and cracked components that could have been caught before they became a costly problem. This post walks you through what proper irrigation startup in Andover, MA actually looks like — and why it is worth doing right.
Why You Cannot Just Turn It On in April
Your irrigation system spent the winter dormant. Before it was winterized in the fall, a licensed technician blew out the lines with compressed air to evacuate water before ground freeze. What is left now is a network of pipes, valves, heads, and controller wiring that has been through months of freeze-thaw cycling, soil movement, and dormancy.
The moment you introduce pressurized water too quickly — especially before the system has been inspected — you risk cracking or bursting pipes from residual air pressure, blown valve diaphragms from sudden full-pressure activation, damaged sprinkler heads that shifted over winter, and controller or wiring issues that went unnoticed during fall shutdown.
A proper spring irrigation startup is not just opening a valve. It is a zone-by-zone inspection and commissioning process. Much like spring cleanup clears the surface of your property before the season begins, irrigation startup clears and confirms what is happening underground.
What a Professional Irrigation Startup Includes
When T&B’s licensed irrigation specialists handle your spring startup in Andover, the process starts with slow, controlled water reintroduction. The main shutoff is opened gradually to allow water to fill the system at a safe rate and let air escape without pressure spikes.
From there, we power up your controller, review the seasonal schedule, and update programming for spring and early-summer watering needs. Then we run every zone individually — watching for broken or tilted sprinkler heads, poor coverage patterns, stuck valves, and any signs of leaks at connections and fittings.
Heads that have shifted over winter or been disturbed by snowplowing are adjusted for proper arc and throw, ensuring you are watering lawn and beds — not sidewalks or driveways. If we find anything that needs repair, we document it and walk you through options before any additional work is done. No surprises on your bill.
When Should Irrigation Startup Happen in Andover?
Do not rush it. The risk of a late frost damaging newly pressurized components is real in New England, and we typically see conditions stable enough for safe startup in mid-to-late April, though some years early May is the right call.
The safest rule: wait until the forecast consistently shows overnight temps above 32 degrees and the ground has thawed to a reasonable depth. What you do not want to do is wait too long. Starting the system in late May means weeks of hand watering — or worse, weeks where a lawn that has just been fertilized and freshened up is not getting the consistent moisture it needs. Especially if you have had spring cleanup, overseeding, or new plantings done, proper irrigation timing makes or breaks how well those investments take hold.
Thinking About a New Irrigation System?
If your current system is aging, losing coverage, or constantly in need of repair, spring is an ideal time to explore a new sprinkler system installation in Andover. A modern system with smart controller technology can significantly reduce water waste while keeping your lawn and landscape beds in better condition than manual or timer-based watering.
T&B handles full irrigation system design and installation — and financing is available through Enhancify if you are ready to make the upgrade but want to spread the investment out.
Irrigation as Part of Your Full Spring Property Plan
At T&B, we think about irrigation startup as one piece of a coordinated spring property plan. When we are already on your property doing spring cleanup, assessing the lawn, and prepping beds for mulch installation — adding irrigation startup to the same mobilization just makes sense. One team, one visit, the whole property ready to go at once.
Our licensed irrigation team has served Andover and surrounding communities since T&B was founded in 2003. We handle installation, spring startup, mid-season adjustments, and fall winterization — so you are covered all year with one trusted team.
Do Not Wait Until the Lawn Is Already Suffering
The best irrigation startups happen before the lawn needs them. By the time dry patches appear or new plantings are stressed, you have already lost ground.
Get your free estimate and schedule your spring startup today. Call T&B Landscaping at (978) 296-5290 or request service online at tblawncare.com. Spots fill fast once spring season kicks in.