What to Keep in Mind When Considering an Automatic Watering System

What is an Automatic Watering System?

Are you tired of dragging hoses and sprinklers around your yard, only to miss some spots and overwater others? Even worse, watching a small river of water flow from your yard down the street? If you choose to install an automatic watering system, the system does the work for you. Automatic watering systems will irrigate your garden with a network of hidden supply pipes and sprinkler heads that are connected to your outside tap.

At American National Sprinkler and Lighting, our experienced technicians will connect your system to a water timer, and we can give you guidance on how much time you need to water on each zone, and how often to water, whether it be daily or every other day or once a week in the summertime. It all needs to be customized to that particular zone and whether it is watering flowers, shrubs or grass. We work closely with homeowners as well as commercial building owners who want their properties to look their best.

An automatic watering system at work.
Automatic watering system sprinkler head near a rock watering the landscape.

Benefits of an Automatic Watering System

Once our technicians help you set up your system, the guesswork and back-breaking work are no more! An automatic watering system keeps your lawn, trees, flower beds and shrubs looking great, by giving them the water they need to thrive.

It is also a ‘green’ decision, because using an automatic watering system uses water as efficiently as possible. The water goes right where you need it, and is not wasted. This is a great solution for gardeners, home or business owners who are busy, or on vacation. It also saves on your water bill, which is great news in the summertime!

Don't DIY an Automatic Watering System

Installing a professional automatic watering system is not a DIY project. Our technicians have had numbers of years of experience with thousands of lawns, and know exactly what sprinkler head you need in which location to achieve your goals.

It is a complicated process, connecting to a water source, installing the timer and creating the intricate network of pipes to carry the water to your lawn. Then we install the various types of sprinkler heads that best suit that watering zone.

There are a dizzying array of sprinkler heads that have very specific tasks, and our crews at American National Sprinkler and Lighting can have you covered on the right choices for your project.

Why Your Lawn, Trees, and Shrubs Need an Automatic Watering System

It all goes back to your roots. In order for trees, shrubs, plants and grass to thrive, they need deep roots. The deeper the root, the better it is protected from drying out. Shallow roots near the top of the soil will be easily heated up and baked by a hot sun, but deep roots insure a healthier plant or yard. Having a regular watering schedule can make sure you give your yard a deep watering so the roots will grow.

Protect Your Investment with Yearly Maintenance

Once your lawn and gardens are getting the right amount of water they need, they will reward you with lush green grass and bountiful flowers. Maintenance is important to the life of your automatic watering system.

It is an investment that you want to protect, and we provide yearly maintenance to help you. As you know in our area of the country, we have dramatic changes in temperature throughout the year.

Spring Start

In the spring, it is time to get up and running! Our experts can come on-site and:

  • Prime the mainline
  • Adjust the sprinkler heads for best coverage
  • Check for any leaks and repair them
  • Make sure the main water supply is on
  • Clear the overgrowth from around the sprinkler heads

Summer Fine Tuning

Midway through the summer, your system may need some fine tuning in order for it to be operating at peak performance. Are you noticing brown patches in some areas? Horticulture experts say your lawn, shrubs and flower beds need an inch of water every few days in the heat of summer.

One way to do this is to take a watering gauge or an empty tuna can and set it in the middle of one of your zones. How long does it take for it to fill an inch? That will be your guide for setting your timer for the various zones in your yard.

But remember to adjust: if you get a big thunderstorm that dumps a lot of water on your lawn, turn your system off for a few days until the grass is ready for more.

Another issue is pressurization: If your system isn’t pressurized correctly it could waste water and money. If you notice areas that need tweaking, our team can assist in any adjustments that need to be made.

Fall Winterization

Now we turn to pumpkins and turkey. In the fall, it is imperative to have a winterization service performed by our American National team of experts.

When we are there we will blowout the sprinkler heads, rotors, lines and valves before it freezes to prevent freeze damage to your system. If you don’t winterize, you can have problems in the spring when the temperatures rise.

Automatic watering system - two sprinkler heads watering a client's yard.

Talk To A Professional Today

I highly recommend American National sprinkler and Lighting. They make the process to have our sprinklers opened and closed so easy. Jose Luis and his team always do such a great job!

Sima Nielsen Avatar Sima Nielsen
October 31, 2019
Automatic watering system in action.

The Bottom Line

Install one time...satisfaction for a lifetime!

At American National, we have:

  • 25 service technicians
  • More than 400 years of experience in sprinkler and lighting service.
  • All of our technicians and licensed, bonded and insured for your protection.
  • Our installation foremen know how to best design and install sprinkler systems for your unique property.
  • More than 300 landscape contractors, landscape architects and builders have referred us to others.
  • Our 13,000 square foot facility allows us to stock inventory, so we will have what you need for your project on hand: no waiting

Impeccable Service

The lawn sprinkler business is really a service oriented business. We are only as good as our ability to service our customers well, and we are very driven to achieve customer satisfaction! We take pride in being able to schedule the installation of your automatic watering system on YOUR schedule, and get the work done professionally in the shortest amount of time. We’ve been in business with happy customers in Chicagoland for 30 years and counting, and we would love the opportunity to talk with you about your automatic watering system needs. Contact us and we can set up a consultation! Happy summer!