Frequently Asked Questions
We understand that you may have questions and concerns, and we're here to help. Our FAQ funnel is designed to provide you with quick and easy answers to common inquiries. Whether you're considering our product/service or you're already a customer, we're here to assist you every step of the way. So, take a look around, and if you don't find what you're looking for, feel free to reach out to our customer support team for further assistance.
Why Irrigate:
If it rained at your house every three days, the same exact amount each time, you probably wouldn’t need a sprinkler system. But nature doesn’t work that way. In the dry season when there is little or no rain, your yard can suffer damage after just a few days without water. To learn more about how rainfall in the Rochester area has varied each month since 1940 click here to visit the National Weather Service website. Bottom line, the only way to ensure healthy, lush growth is to make certain your lawn and plants receive a regularly timed, evenly measured amount of water such as they will receive with an automatic landscape irrigation system.
To learn more, click here.
Actually, it will do a much better job because the system waters automatically, placing exactly the right amount of water on individual lawn and garden areas. It never gets too busy to water properly and it never forgets to turn off the water at the appropriate time.
To learn more, click here.
Yes. Having an automatic sprinkler system means never having to spend another minute of your valuable time watering the lawn. Your new system will do all of the watering for you, even when you’re away from home. You’ll be able to simply forget about watering and spend your time doing the things you really like to do.
To learn more, click here.
System Types:
Irrigation Tech offers custom designed underground automatic sprinkler systems from all the major irrigation manufacturers, including Rain Bird, the largest manufacturer of irrigation systems in the world. Irrigation Tech has extensive knowledge in horticulture, landscaping, and irrigation systems. Our staff has spent years developing their specialized skills and knowledge needed to guarantee a job well done. This expertise enables us to analyze factors such as water source and pressure, soil type, planting materials and weather conditions, all of which must be considered in order to determine the ideal system for your needs.
It’s important to remember, an irrigation system must be customized to meet specific site requirements because every landscaping situation is different.
To learn more, click here.
Controllers:
Backflow Prevention:
Backflow prevention devices (backflow preventers) are required to prevent possibly contaminated water from an irrigation system from backing up and mixing with the potable water (drinking water) supply when an irrigation system is sourcing water from a potable supply (e.g., public water or well).
Backflow preventers are installed near the incoming potable water supply, usually in a basement or mechanical closet.
If the water source for the irrigation system is not connected to a potable water supply (e.g., if it is fed from a pond, lake or well), then a backflow preventer is not required.
For more information on backflow prevention, click here.
Costs:
The short answer is ‘it depends’.
It depends on the size and shape and grade of the property, as well as the location of trees and configuration of plantings, turf areas, hardscapes, and pools; whether you are installing a drip system or a sprinkler system or both; the water source that will be used to supply the irrigation system; and whether or not a water pressure boosting pump, submersible pump, or New York State-required backflow prevention device is needed.
In general, irrigation systems on small areas of a quarter acre or less (i.e., less than 10,000 square feet) can be installed for around $5,000, including the cost of a backflow prevention device. If only part of the property is to be irrigated (e.g., planting beds, or only the front yard) the cost could drop to around $3,000. Simple systems for larger areas (e.g., half an acre to three-quarters of an acre) may cost $7,000-$10,000, or more. Systems for even larger areas, or sprinkler systems with a large drip system, can cost $12,000 to $50,000, and sometimes even more.
If water for the irrigation system is sourced from a lake or pond, the cost for a pump and supply line can add a few thousand dollars to the price – and, although the water costs nothing, the cost of annual Start-Ups and Winterizations will be more than if water is sourced from a well or public water supply. Similarly, a pressure boosting pump can add cost.
Properties in the Finger Lakes watershed (e.g., Cayuga, Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates counties) that need to have backflow prevention devices installed will have to pay us a fee to prepare an Engineer's Report and file the backflow prevention device permit application.
To learn more, click here.
Expansions usually cost less than the initial system because the backflow prevention device (if required) or pump, and controller are already in place. Small expansions may cost only a few thousand dollars, larger expansions can rival the cost of a small-to-medium size system.
To learn more, click here.
First, we meet with you to learn what you would like to do and over what period of time. Then we will review a plot plan provided by you showing your property boundaries and improvements (e.g., drives, walks, buildings) and we will compare it to a very high-resolution aerial photo of your property that also shows boundaries. After that we will walk the property and prepare a preliminary layout which from which we will create a Proposal.
In preparing your Proposal, we carefully examine your property to learn more about soil type, slopes, plantings, microclimate variations, and undocumented improvements or features, and we consider the type of permit (if any) that will be required.
Once again, the short answer is ‘it depends’.
It depends on the weather, our installation backlog, and whether you are located in the Finger Lakes Watershed and plan to use a public water supply. If your are located in Cayuga, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Steuben, or Yates county, it can take six months to receive approval to install a backflow prvention device from the NYS Department Health in Geneva.
We install 45-60 residential and commercial systems each year and by mid-February can be booked through mid-summer. Bad weather can also delay or prolong scheduled installations. So, it’s a good idea to schedule a current year installation before summer begins or arrange for an early season installation next year by placing your order when the leaves begin to fall, or the snow begins to fly.
In most cases, the answer is NO! In fact, it could cost you much more money in the long run. Trust us to design and install the most cost effective and energy efficient system possible. We understand and give special attention to such significant factors as sprinkler patterns (it is very important to overlap the patterns so the outer edges receive sufficient water for healthy growth) and backflow prevention (which is necessary to protect your drinking water supply and required by the NYS Health Dept.). Furthermore, because we’re experts in local plumbing and electrical codes, you won’t have to worry about costly mistakes in wiring or pipe installation.
Click here to Contact Us about scheduling an estimate.
Installation, Modification & Expansion:
A properly installed underground irrigation system won’t damage lawns and plantings or buried wires, cables, and pipes – if they are identified before the installation starts.
Installing an Irrigation System Will Not Damage Your Lawn
The reason there is virtually no damage done to your turf when we install an irrigation system is because we use special (and expensive) machines called vibratory plows to lay the underground piping. The vibratory plow’s non-destructive operation slits the turf and pulls the plastic underground piping through the slit, eliminating the need to disturb lawn areas by digging ditches – except in areas that cannot be accessed with the plow.
If boring under a sidewalk or other hard surface area (e.g., patio, driveway) is required to install a conduit sleeve for an irrigation supply line, some digging-related disturbance will be necessary. These areas will be repaired with soil and sod removed during the boring operation, and reseeded if necessary.
Installing an Irrigation System Will Not Damage Underground Cables
An irrigation system will not damage underground cables that have been identified in advance by the property owner or the national call-before-you-dig-service (1-811). So, before Irrigation Tech can begin work on your property, we call 1-811 to have them flag all publicly recorded underground utilities. When we arrive at your property, we consult our drawings to see if there are other underground services (e.g., dog fences) or obstacles (pipes, abandoned wells, etc.) that were not identified by 1-811 that we need to avoid. After that, we use our own electronic tracking devices to double-check the work done by the call-before-you-dig service, because the service relies on plans to identify where underground utilities are located – and things are not always where they are shown on plans. If we find that cables are in different places that were identified by UDIG-NY, the call-before-you-dig service we are required to use, we will mark or reflag them.
To learn more, click here.
No. One of the first two things we will do upon arriving on your site is track your cable and telephone. Every truck in our fleet has a very sophisticated device for sending an audible signal down wires which can then be tracked with our second device which hears that signal. As the technician tracks the wire, he marks it with either paint or flags. This way we know exactly where the line is which we need to avoid.
To learn more, click here.
Once again, the short answer is ‘it depends’.
It depends on the weather and our installation backlog. We install 45-60 residential and commercial systems each year and by mid-February can be booked through mid-summer. Bad weather can also delay or prolong scheduled installations. So, it’s a good idea to schedule a current year installation before summer begins or arrange for an early season installation next year by placing your order when the leaves begin to fall, or the snow begins to fly.
It depends on the size and complexity of the system, the weather, and whether or not a permit is required. Small systems can usually be installed in one-to-two working days. Mid-size systems usually require three-to-six days to layout and install, and larger or more complicated systems may take seven or more days to install.
For more information on installation, click here.
When it’s time for Irrigation Tech to install, expand, or replace your landscape irrigation system the work will proceed as follows:
- Your yard will be staked out for utilities by UDIG-NY contractors, so they are not damaged during work. This process can begin up to two weeks before your installation is scheduled.
- Our Installation Manager will reach out to you in the days before your installation is scheduled to begin to advise of any changes to the schedule due to weather and other delays – or if we’ve completed other work sooner than expected and are able to start work on your system sooner than planned.
- On the day your work is to begin, a friendly, polite, respectful, knowledgeable, efficient, and hard-working two-to-four-person installation team from Irrigation Tech will arrive in clean vehicles with top-of-the-line equipment in top notch condition.
- The installation team will layout sprinkler head and drip line locations in the lawn and planting beds.
- A member of our installation or service team who is an experienced plumber – and certified backflow tester - will go into the basement or mechanical closet to make the plumbing tie-in and install the backflow preventer. The plumber will be in the basement for about 90 minutes and will wear boot protectors while working inside your home.
- When the plumbing is complete, flexible irrigation system supply lines (pipes) will be put into the ground with a machine called a vibratory plow. The vibratory plow does not have to dig or trench so there is minimal damage to your lawn.
- After the supply lines are laid, sprinkler heads will be installed. If drip irrigation is required for planting beds, that will be dug and/or laid by hand at the same time the sprinkler heads are installed.
- When the sprinkler heads and drip lines are installed, control valves will be installed, and after that, the automatic controller will be installed – usually in a garage or other location readily accessible to the outside.
- After the controller is installed, a gutter-mounted rain sensor linked to the controller will be installed.
- When our work is complete, you will receive a system demonstration and we will answer any questions that you have about how to use the system and what to expect when it is operating.
- Then, before we leave your property, we will rake and clean up the areas we disturbed, thank you for choosing us, and leave you ready to enjoy your new automatic landscape irrigation system.
- Finally, sometime during the winter after your installation or expansion, you will receive a laminated ‘as built’ drawing of your irrigation system to post near the controller. This plan can be used to help you identify watering zones that need adjustment or repair. It can also be used to help lawn maintenance suppliers and contractors understand how your system is configured so that it is less likely to be damaged by their work.
When it’s time to start-up, reset, inspect, repair, refurbish, upgrade, expand, replace, or winterize your lawn sprinkler system, turn to the professionals at Irrigation Tech in Pittsford, NY. Their team of irrigation experts has been installing and servicing high-quality residential and commercial systems throughout Monroe County and The Finger Lakes Region for nearly 40 years. They're fully certified backflow prevention specialists who can ensure you have access to the latest innovations in irrigation systems and quality installation. They've also been chosen by the Irrigation Association twice as one of the Top 100 Contractors in the country. To learn more about the Irrigation Tech team, visit our website or call (877) 8-IRRIGATE to speak with a customer service representative.
- Schedule an appointment with us well before construction or landscaping activity begins so that we can flag and mark you supply and drip lines and sprinkler heads. This will help your contractor avoid driving over them or storing materials on top of them, and it will enable them to minimize the damage to your system if they have to dig in areas where supply and drip lines are located.
Depending on how your system is configured, we may be able to perform some simple modifications so that it can run on the parts of your property that are not affected by construction or landscape activities (e.g., we might be able to keep the portion of the system that serves the front of your property operating if work is being performed in the rear). We can also turn your entire system off if requested.
- Give your contractor a copy of your irrigation system layout if you have one (do not give them your only copy).
- Call UDIG-NY (1-800-962-7962) or have your contractor call them at least 10 business days before work begins. UDIG-NY will schedule public utility contractors to stake out underground utilities (e.g., electric, gas, cable, telephone, sewer, water) so they are not damaged by your construction or landscaping work.
When it’s time to start-up, reset, inspect, repair, refurbish, upgrade, expand, replace, or winterize your lawn sprinkler system, turn to the professionals at Irrigation Tech in Pittsford, NY. Their team of irrigation experts has been installing and servicing high-quality residential and commercial systems throughout Monroe County and The Finger Lakes Region for nearly 40 years. They're fully certified backflow prevention specialists who can ensure you have access to the latest innovations in irrigation systems and quality installation. They've also been chosen by the Irrigation Association twice as one of the Top 100 Contractors in the country. To learn more about the Irrigation Tech team, visit our website or call (877) 8-IRRIGATE to speak with a customer service representative.
Operation, Maintenance & Repair:
Today, automated sprinkler systems are very easy to operate – and can even be operated remotely if you have a WiFi connection. We will set the system’s controller to fit your individual watering schedule; then all you have to do is sit back and let the system do all the work for you. If you need to change the watering schedule, there are easy instructions on the inside of the controller – or you can call or email us, and we will have one of our technicians get back to you. If you think your system is not working properly or may be damaged, you can call or email us as well to schedule a check-up or repair visit with one of our technicians. And, when it’s time to start your system in the spring, or blow it dry for the winter, we perform these services for nearly all of our customers as well.
For more information on operation, maintenance, and repair, click here.
Starting-up and running your system every year is a good idea - even if you use it only occasionally during the watering season. why? Because starting your system and using it - even if only occassionally - can prevent sprinkler heads from being buried by new turf growth which makes them inoperable. Starting-up and running the system will also help identify issues such as leaks, broken lines, and controller malfunctions that if repaired promptly won’t evolve into something bigger and more costly by the time the next watering season arrives.
For more information on operation, maintenance, and repair, click here.
Keeping it Green:
Whether your lawn is getting enough – or too much – water can depend on the soil type, weather, system configuration, planting beds, and lawn maintenance practices such as fertilizing and mowing.
If your lawn is browning out and the grass is dry and brittle and does not spring back after walking on it, then it is probably not getting enough water and it’s possible that it is being cut too short. If it’s squishy under foot, or seems brown and damp, then it’s getting too much water for the soil or season and could be suffering from mold or root rot.
For more information on how to tell if your lawn is getting enough – or too much water – and what to do about it, click here.
There are many things that can be done with an automatic irrigation system to keep things ‘green’ during the spring, summer, and fall including:
The Basics
- Applying fertilizer at the beginning and end of the watering season and during the mid-season as well.
- Mowing properly. Develop a mowing pattern that cuts the grass in a different direction every other week. Make sure mower blades are sharp to prevent unnecessary damage to the lawn. Raise the mower’s cutting height to three inches—a level that helps keep the soil shaded to prevent excessive evaporation. Collect grass cuttings – if you are not using a mulching blade - to discourage mold growth.
- Setting the controller to water in the early morning to ensure that water soaks into the soil instead of evaporating before it hits the ground - which happens when systems run in the late morning and afternoon.
- Avoiding watering in the evening because that can create an environment in which browning molds will take hold.
- Adjusting the controller to change the watering schedule based on the season and weather.
- Syringing (i.e., running your system for 1-3 minutes in the afternoon) to cool your plantings and lawn during the hottest days of summer (85F° and higher).
- Arranging for mid-Season Check-Ups by one of our technicians to make sure that the system is working properly and that watering intervals are appropriate for the season’s weather.
System Enhancements
- Installing a WiFi controller connected to a local weather service that will adjust watering schedules based on forecasted and actual weather.
- Upgrading sprinkler heads to distribute the right amount of water more evenly – and to save water.
- Installing drip irrigation for planting beds instead of watering by hand or relying on overspray from a sprinkler head.
For more information, click here.