Another Monday has arrived in Sprinkler Blowout Land, and apparently Mother Nature spent the weekend reviewing her calendar and realized she’s running behind on fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forecast for Meridian calls for a high of around 56 degrees today, with showers possible and overnight temperatures dropping into the upper 30s. Tuesday looks considerably nicer, with sunshine and temperatures climbing back into the mid-60s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, typical Idaho weather. Yesterday you were considering shorts, today you’re looking for a jacket, and tomorrow you might need both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The weather doesn’t seem particularly concerned about our scheduling arrangements, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We’re entering our second week of sprinkler blowouts, and things are moving along. Eddie will be working his regular schedule, while Jesse, our field supervisor, will start later than usual because of family responsibilities this morning. When you’ve got several young children in the house, the home front occasionally takes priority over managing a crew of technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frankly, I’ve seen what happens when a group of adults is left unsupervised. I can only imagine what happens when the participants are considerably shorter and have access to crayons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We’ll adjust the schedule accordingly and keep moving. After all these years in business, I’ve learned that a schedule is a wonderful thing to have, provided you don’t become emotionally attached to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the compressors are being prepared, the routes are being organized, and the Coke Zero supply is being monitored with the seriousness normally reserved for military logistics. I don’t drink coffee, never have needed it, and at this point I’m fairly certain my bloodstream has a carbonation rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people start their mornings with a fresh cup of coffee and a peaceful moment of reflection. I start mine with a Coke Zero, a computer screen full of addresses, and the realization that somebody has probably submitted another sprinkler blowout request while I was sleeping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference is that my beverage doesn’t require a brewing cycle, and I can open another one without waiting for permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With overnight temperatures flirting with freezing, homeowners should start paying closer attention to their irrigation systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A brief frost doesn’t necessarily mean the underground sprinkler lines will freeze. Soil retains heat, and buried components generally have more protection than anything exposed to the air. Backflow preventers, exposed valves, and above-ground piping, however, can be vulnerable much sooner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s why we encourage homeowners to know where their irrigation shutoff is located and how to protect exposed equipment if a freeze arrives before their scheduled blowout. Simply shutting off the water supply doesn’t remove the water already inside the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A sprinkler blowout removes water from the irrigation system before winter conditions can cause damage. It’s considerably easier to deal with in October than to discover cracked components when you’re trying to get the lawn watered next spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And as much as I appreciate the repair business, I’d rather see customers spend their money on something more enjoyable than replacing a backflow preventer that lost an argument with January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our technicians will be traveling throughout the Treasure Valley again today, working through their assigned routes and encountering the usual assortment of gates, irrigation boxes, backyards, and four-legged security personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dogs are particularly interesting. Some greet our technicians as long-lost friends. Others act as though the arrival of an air compressor constitutes an invasion requiring an immediate response from every canine within a three-block radius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve often thought that if we could harness the energy of a determined Chihuahua, we might be able to run a compressor without diesel fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The technicians also occasionally encounter sprinkler systems that seem to have been designed by someone who considered accessibility an optional feature. Irrigation shutoffs hidden behind shrubs, buried under landscaping, or tucked into places that require a treasure map are not unusual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little homeowner preparation can save everyone time. Make sure gates are accessible, pets are secured, and you provide any unusual instructions when requesting service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our technicians are pretty good at finding sprinkler equipment, but we haven’t started issuing archaeological excavation permits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for the Sprinkler Blowout Widow, she’s now well into the annual period when her husband spends more time with spreadsheets, compressors, and a computer than with anything resembling a normal domestic routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news is that she knows where to find me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bad news is that it’s usually in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least Coke Zero doesn’t complain about being neglected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that’s where we stand as the second week gets underway. Eddie is on his normal schedule, Jesse will join the operation a little later, and the rest of us will keep the wheels turning while Idaho reminds everyone that summer is officially over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’ve already submitted your sprinkler blowout request, remember that our routes are organized geographically, not strictly by sign-up date. We send notifications the night before service, so please keep an eye out for yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you haven’t signed up, now’s a good time. The cooler mornings are a reminder that winterizing your irrigation system is one of those chores best handled before the weather makes the decision for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mother Nature doesn’t send a courtesy text before freezing your pipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And even if she did, she’d probably send it at 11:57 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until tomorrow, stay warm, keep your gates accessible, and remember that winter doesn’t care whether you’re ready for it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 The Maintenance Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reporting from Sprinkler Blowout Land, where the compressors are running, the Coke Zero is cold, and the weather is developing an attitude.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the routes for today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eddie in the Meridian 83646 with Blowzilla<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sparkling Pl Jesse in the Meridian 83646 with Orange Julius (OJ)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Milano Drive Sprinkler Blowout Land: Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat Another Monday has arrived in Sprinkler Blowout Land, and apparently Mother Nature spent the weekend reviewing her calendar and realized she’s running behind on fall. The forecast for Meridian calls for a high of around 56 degrees today, with showers possible and overnight temperatures dropping into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":"","tiny_slug":"smylx"},"categories":[140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sprinkler-blowouts"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Steven Crist","author_link":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":14,"uagb_excerpt":"Sprinkler Blowout Land: Mother Nature Has Entered the Chat Another Monday has arrived in Sprinkler Blowout Land, and apparently Mother Nature spent the weekend reviewing her calendar and realized she’s running behind on fall. The forecast for Meridian calls for a high of around 56 degrees today, with showers possible and overnight temperatures dropping into…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5389,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388\/revisions\/5389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treasurevalleyrepairs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Nyborg Place
Rainycreek Place
Glennfield Way
Chateau Drive
Shortridge Pl
Leann Way
Janelle Street
Kandice Court
Marianna Place
Rainwater Court
Silver Falls Court
Linder Rd
McGlinchey Street<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quintale Drive
Patimos Avenue
Oakstone Avenue
Exeter Avenue
Eynsford Avenue
Joy Way
Farleigh Avenue
Joy Avenue
Sand Bagger Way
Diamond Creek Avenue<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"