Quick answer: Before winter, homeowners in Forked River and Lanoka Harbor should walk every zone, fix what is broken, cut back the watering schedule, and have the system blown out between mid-October and mid-November. The checklist below takes about half an hour.
1. Run Every Zone and Watch It
Turn each zone on from the controller and walk it. You are looking for heads that do not rise, heads that spray a mist or a single weak stream, water bubbling up around a head, and wet spots between heads. Mark each problem with a flag or take a photo. Anything broken now will still be broken in April, and it is easier to have it fixed while the system is running.
2. Check the Valve Boxes
Lift each lid. A box that is full of water when the zone is off means a valve is leaking through. Near the lagoons in Forked River Beach and along the creeks in Lanoka Harbor the water table is high, so some standing water is normal, but it should not be moving.
3. Look at the Backflow Preventer
Check the brass body and the fittings for green or white crust and for drips. Salt air off the bay corrodes these faster than it does inland. A backflow that is already weak is the first thing to crack in a freeze.
4. Cut the Schedule Back
Lawns need far less water in October than in July. Drop to one or two days a week, shorten the run times, and let rain do the rest. If you seeded in September, keep the new grass damp until it has been mowed once or twice, then taper.
5. Clear the Heads
Pull grass and mulch back from around each head so it can retract fully. A head stuck in the up position holds water and gets hit by the last mowing of the year.
6. Find Your Shutoff
Know where the irrigation shutoff valve is before the first frost warning. In most homes here it is in the crawlspace, the garage, or beside the water meter. If a freeze arrives early, closing that valve and draining the backflow protects the costly parts. See how to winterize a backflow preventer.
7. If You Are on a Well
Plenty of systems west of Route 9 draw from a private well. Check the pressure tank and listen to the pump while a zone runs. A pump that clicks on and off every few seconds needs attention before winter. Well systems also need extra steps at blowout time, covered in winterizing a well-fed irrigation system.
8. Book the Blowout
The window in Lacey Township runs from about October 15 to November 15. Draining alone does not empty the lines. A proper winterization uses a commercial compressor to push the water out of every zone, two to three times through.
9. Set the Controller for Winter
After the blowout, the controller should be off or in rain mode. Leave it plugged in so it keeps its programming for spring.
10. Write Down What Needs Fixing
Keep the list from step 1. Hand it to us at winterization and we can price the repairs for the spring startup, or fix the small ones on the spot.
Local Help
We are based in Lacey Township and service both communities every week of the season. See irrigation service in Forked River, irrigation service in Lanoka Harbor, or the Lacey Township winterization page. Call or text 609-548-5187.