Recommender: What’s your No. 1 tip for effective irrigation system maintenance?

Logging all relevant client data, goals of the system and maintenance calls helps your technicians easily get up to speed when arriving at a client’s property. (Photo: Artsiom Malashenko/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)

Paul Schultz

Paul Schultz
Irrigation resource manager, Cagwin & Dorward

Work with your customers to agree upon a preapproved dollar amount for incidental repairs so that right after checking their irrigation system you can make at least the immediate basic repairs, such as broken heads and nozzles, and maybe even a broken pipe — if it’s within their preapproved amount versus waiting. It reduces water waste, keeps plants healthy and saves the customer the added cost of your time to return to their site. It is not something everyone will do. The key is to earn their trust. They must believe in you. You must never abuse that trust. And lastly, be sure to document what you see before repairing it if they have concerns afterward.

Russ Jundt

Russ Jundt
Founder and president, Conserva Irrigation

My No. 1 tip for effective irrigation system maintenance is to establish a scalable, repeatable and reliable method of assessing irrigation systems. Then, consistently record that data in your CRM enterprise system. When a technician arrives at a property, they should have instant access to every detail of that system — just like a doctor. The “patient chart” should include the original assessment along with incremental repairs and improvements along the way. Additionally, it should have the system goal, as established by the customer and maintenance company, so that the technician is aware and can help achieve that goal. For example, is the goal to maintain the status quo by only fixing critical issues, or is it to upgrade inefficient components proactively and incrementally along the way?

DJ Seeger

DJ Seeger
President, Seeger Water

The best tool for effective irrigation system maintenance is a flow sensor. You cannot manage what you cannot monitor. A flow sensor calibrated to your system’s consumption will save you time and water.