Sprinkler Blowout Land: Locked Gates, Cold Nights, and Other Forms of Entertainment

Another day in Sprinkler Blowout Land, where the compressors are running, the gates are locked, and my carefully planned routes apparently exist for entertainment purposes only.

Between homeowners who forget to unlock their gates, falling temperatures forcing us to rearrange priorities, and the occasional surprise that arrives without an invitation, I’m beginning to think our scheduling department needs either a magician or a psychiatrist.

Preferably one who makes house calls.

The Great Locked Gate Mystery

We encountered another locked gate yesterday.

Now, I realize unlocking a gate may sound like a relatively simple task, but apparently we’ve underestimated the complexity of the operation.

We’ve tried text messages. We’ve tried emails. We’ve mentioned it repeatedly in this blog.

I’m beginning to think our next notification system needs to involve a brick with a note attached.

Unfortunately, our insurance company has expressed concerns about the delivery method.

Here’s the problem: When our technician arrives and can’t access the sprinkler equipment, that stop becomes a wasted trip. It also disrupts the route and affects other customers who are waiting for service.

And no, our technicians aren’t equipped with lock picks, grappling hooks, or the ability to teleport through a six-foot privacy fence.

At least, not that I’m aware of.

So here’s your friendly reminder:

Please unlock your gates, secure your pets, and make sure your sprinkler equipment is accessible before we arrive.

It makes everyone’s day easier, including yours.

Cold Nights and Changing Priorities

The temperatures are dropping, and that means we’re making some temporary adjustments to our routes.

We’re prioritizing certain irrigation systems supplied by city water or wells, particularly those with above-ground backflow preventers.

Those assemblies can be vulnerable to freezing temperatures, and we’d much rather get them winterized before there’s a problem than have somebody discover their expensive backflow preventer has developed a new and completely unnecessary water feature.

This doesn’t mean we’re forgetting everyone else or abandoning our regular routes. We’re simply adjusting the order of service to protect the equipment most at risk.

Think of it as irrigation triage.

Except instead of an emergency room, we’ve got air compressors, pickup trucks, and a guy in an office staring at four monitors while wondering which spreadsheet just changed.

Again.

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

If your sprinkler system hasn’t been winterized yet, now is a good time to familiarize yourself with the equipment you have.

At the bottom of this blog, you’ll find our Important Links section, which includes instructions for protecting various types of backflow preventers, pumps, valves, and irrigation filters.

Find the instructions that match your equipment. Print them if necessary, and leave them near your sprinkler timer where they’ll be easy to find.

You can also read our article, Understanding Freezing Temperatures and Sprinkler Systems, for more information.

A few minutes of preparation now could save you an expensive repair later.

And unlike most mechanical projects, this one shouldn’t require searching the garage for a 10mm socket that apparently entered the witness protection program sometime around 2017.

Meanwhile, Back at Mission Control

The daily routine continues.

Routes are prepared. Notifications are sent. Customers respond. Schedules change. More notifications go out.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I’m trying to keep the entire operation moving without developing a permanent indentation in my forehead from the edge of my desk.

The four monitors help, though sometimes I suspect they’re conspiring against me.

One shows the routes. Another shows the spreadsheets. Another has customer communications. The fourth is usually displaying something that seemed important when I opened it six hours ago.

At some point, I look up and realize the sun has gone down, the technicians are still finishing their routes, and my Coke Zero has reached room temperature.

That’s when you know it’s been a productive day.

Or at least a long one.

The Sprinkler Blowout Widow continues to demonstrate extraordinary patience. I’m fairly certain she’s considering putting a forwarding address on my office door.

Husband temporarily unavailable. Expected return: Sometime after Thanksgiving.

No guarantees.

The Three Things That Make Our Lives Easier

As we continue working through the Treasure Valley, there are three simple things homeowners can do to help keep everything moving:

1. Unlock your gates. If we can’t reach the equipment, we can’t do the work.
2. Secure your pets. We love dogs, but we’d prefer not to negotiate backyard access with a territorial German shepherd.
3. Make your equipment accessible. Know where your sprinkler timer, valve boxes, and shutoffs are, and make sure we can reach them.

We know everyone has busy schedules. So do we. That’s why we organize our routes geographically and notify customers the night before service.

A little cooperation goes a long way toward helping us get as many systems winterized as possible.

Until Tomorrow

The compressors will keep running, the routes will keep changing, and we’ll keep working our way through the list.

The weather may be getting colder, but things around here certainly aren’t slowing down.

And if you’re wondering whether we’ve finally figured out how to get through a locked gate without the homeowner’s help, the answer is no.

Although I haven’t completely ruled out the brick idea.

Apparently, the insurance company wants to have another meeting about it.

Here are our routes for today:

Eddie in the Boise 83702 with Blowzilla

Colonial Dr
Madison Ave
Brumback St
19th St
19th St
16th St
14th St
13th St
7th St
6th St
6th St
Sherman St
Eastman St
Sandstone Ct
11th St
11th St
12th St
17th St
Bella St

Jesse in the Boise 83702 with Orange Julius (OJ)

26th St
25th St
Sunset Ave
Dora St
18th St
Dewey St
La Fontana Way
Ranch Rd
Braemere Rd
Wyndemere Dr
Arran Ct
Harcourt Rd
Sandpoint Way