How do I turn on my sprinkler system?

[kristi752]

I had a new sprinkler system installed last year, and it was winterized by a landscaping company. They said all I had to do was turn it on this spring, but I'm not sure how to do that. I stopped at Home Depot and asked the plumber there, and he was giving me all of these instructions. I was completely lost and had no idea what he was describing. Instructions need to be in layman's terms -- I am a divorced woman and my husband used to do all of this stuff. I can't afford to call a plumber for every little thing so I have to learn how to do some of it myself. These are the things I know:
- there is a valve on the outside of the house on the long copper pipe coming out of the house, - there is a lid in the ground next to the long valve (I think that's the sprinkler system), - there is a valve inside the wall of the house attached to the long copper pipe on the outside of the house. Can you help, please? I need to cut the lawn and water today or tomorrow. Thank you.

[Gary Swart]

A few pictures would help a lot, but let's see if we can muddle our way through this. It sounds like the water splits off of your household water in the house. It would do no good to turn it off outside unless it turned off deep underground because it would freeze. This makes me suspect the valve you found inside is the one that needs to be turned on. It also makes sense that all valves should be turned on. Try that. Even if that doesn't work, nothing is harmed. I am concerned that you may not have a backflow prevention device in you system. Do you know if this system was a DIY project or if it was installed professionally? Without backflow prevention, you risk serious cross contamination of the city water supply as well as your own house water. Again, pictures can really help. It might be necessary to have a sprinkler repair person analyze your system to determine not only how to operate it, but it's safety as well.

[hj]

Somewhere, and we cannot tell you where without being there, there is a valve that controls the supply to your sprinkler system. Turn it back on, and then set the control box switch to automatic.