Nobody Left Behind!

Well, here we are, another day closer to the end of sprinkler blowout season, and another day of answering questions that occasionally make me wonder what people think goes on behind the scenes at The Maintenance Shop.

We’ve got a full day ahead, some colder weather to keep an eye on, and a few things I’d like to clear up before someone starts a rumor that we’re choosing customers by throwing darts at a map of Meridian.

🚛 Thursday’s Sprinkler Blowout Routes

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29, Jesse and Eddie will work exclusively in Meridian ZIP code 83642.

We have 40 sprinkler blowouts scheduled between the two technicians.

We currently have 126 customers on our list for 83642, which means 86 will remain after Thursday’s scheduled work, assuming we complete all 40.

And before anyone asks:

No, we’re not working in 83646 tomorrow.

Yes, 83646 is also Meridian. No, that doesn’t automatically make it part of tomorrow’s route.

Apparently, I need to explain that Meridian has more than one ZIP code. Who knew?

🤔 AM I STILL ON THE LIST?

THREE different people asked me today whether they were still on our sprinkler blowout list.

I’m not entirely sure what people think happens around here, but I can assure you I don’t sit at my desk randomly deleting customers because:

• “I don’t like the name of that street. DELETE!”
• “345 sprinkler zones? Absolutely not. GET RID OF THAT ONE!”
• “That phone number has too many 6’s in it. Suspicious. DELETE!”
• “That house number ends in a 13. Nope. Bad luck.”
• “This guy lives on a cul-de-sac. I don’t feel like turning the truck around. GONE!”
• “That last name has too many consonants. I’m not even going to try pronouncing it.”
• “I don’t like the color of their mailbox. NEXT!”

I promise you, we’re not running some kind of Sprinkler Blowout Survivor, where I sit around voting customers off the island.

Although, now that I think about it, that might make for an interesting television show.

“The tribe has spoken. Your sprinkler system will remain pressurized.”

Relax. I’m kidding.

Here’s how it actually works.

Once you’ve signed up, your request stays on our list until one of two things happens:

1. You cancel your request through our official cancellation process.
2. We complete your sprinkler blowout.

That’s it. No dartboards, no spinning wheels, and no secret customer elimination committee.

📍 BUT YOU’RE IN MY ZIP CODE!

Another question we hear regularly:

“Hey! You’re working in my ZIP code today, but I didn’t get a notification!”

That’s correct. We’re working in your ZIP code.

That doesn’t mean we’re doing every house in that ZIP code today.

Take tomorrow, for example.

We have 126 customers in Meridian 83642, and 40 are assigned to Thursday’s routes.

That’s nearly one-third of the list in a single day.

Unless Jesse and Eddie have figured out how to clone themselves overnight, the other 86 customers will have to wait for another route.

We organize our routes by location, workload, available technicians, and how many stops we can reasonably complete in a day.

We don’t cross into 83642 and announce:

“Nobody leaves Meridian until every sprinkler system in this ZIP code has been blown out!”

And no, our compressors don’t come equipped with a magical ZIP-code-wide sprinkler winterization button.

Although, if somebody invents one, I’d certainly be interested.

If you haven’t received a notification for a particular day, you’re not on that day’s route.

We assign routes one day at a time, and customers receive their notifications the evening before their scheduled service.

Being in the same ZIP code as one of our technicians doesn’t mean we’ve scheduled your address.

❄️ COLD WEATHER IS COMING — PLEASE PAY ATTENTION

We’re getting into that time of year when overnight temperatures can dip toward freezing, and the weather doesn’t particularly care whether we’ve made it to your neighborhood yet.

The forecast for the Boise area calls for chilly nights, with rain moving into the Treasure Valley over the weekend.

If your sprinkler system hasn’t been winterized, don’t assume that waiting for your blowout means you can ignore freezing temperatures.

There are things you can do to temporarily protect vulnerable components, particularly your backflow prevention assembly, before we arrive.

We’ve provided information about pre-winterizing your sprinkler system and how freezing temperatures affect irrigation equipment.

Please take a few minutes to read the cold-weather and pre-winterization links at the bottom of this post.

ESPECIALLY “Understanding Freezing Temperatures and Sprinkler Systems”: https://treasurevalleyrepairs.com/blog/?p=5192

Those links aren’t there just to decorate the page.

A few minutes of preparation could save you from a rather unpleasant repair bill.

And remember, temporary freeze protection is not the same thing as having your sprinkler system professionally blown out.

NOW, ALL JOKING ASIDE — NOBODY LEFT BEHIND

I enjoy poking fun at some of the questions we receive, but there’s something I want everyone to understand.

In 30 years of business and more than 50,000 sprinkler blowouts, we have NEVER missed a customer who chose to remain on our list. Not one.

Weather, workload, and the sheer number of customers in certain areas can sometimes require patience, but our commitment has never changed.

If you’re on our list, we’ll get to you.

Nobody Left Behind.

Thanks for your patience, your understanding, and your continued trust in The Maintenance Shop.

Today’s Routes

Eddie — Meridian 83642 with Leroy

West Wave Drive
West Littleton Drive
North Manship Avenue
North Wolfsburg Avenue
West Hearst Drive
North Lambert Way
North Glamorgan Avenue
North Traquair Place
North Tessa Lane
West Franklin Road
West Bayeux Drive
West Gander Street
West Eider Drive
West Loon Street
West Egret Drive
West Greenhead Street

Jesse — Meridian 83642 with Orange Julius (OJ)

East Wrightwood Drive
South Overhill Way
East Mona Lisa Drive
East Sicily Street
East Ionia Drive
South Ascaino Avenue
South Leanato Avenue
East Romeo Drive
South Montague Way
East Santo Stefano Drive
East Mount Etna Drive
East Ashlar Drive
East Lawton Drive
South Pioneer Trail Way
South Wayland Way
East Angus Hill Drive
East Levin Street