Sprinkler System Inspection Checklist for Glendale Homes
A sprinkler system inspection checklist for Glendale homes: controller, backflow assembly, valves, heads, drip lines and runoff, with the city rules to check.
Irrigation Guides5 min read
A sprinkler system inspection runs every zone while you watch, from the controller and backflow assembly out to the last head and emitter. In Glendale, run it at the scheduled hour, because the city says pressure can drop from 6 to 8 a.m., and look hard for water reaching pavement.
This checklist is a starting point for homeowners, not a description of any company's service. It works for a quick spring or fall walk-through, before calling for a repair, or after buying a home with a system you do not know. EPA WaterSense recommends this kind of zone-by-zone inspection as the first step to fixing waste.
How do I inspect my sprinkler system?
Run each zone one at a time from the controller and walk it while it runs. Check that every head rises, sprays where it should and stops when the zone ends. Then look at drip lines, valve boxes, the backflow assembly and the controller's program. Write down what you find, station by station.
Take a notebook or phone, and if possible a helper at the controller. Plan about five minutes per zone. Do it at the time the system normally runs.
1. The controller
- Clock and date are correct.
- Each station has a run time, days and a start time that make sense for what it waters.
- No leftover second start time from summer.
- Seasonal adjust or water budget is set for the current season.
- Rain hold is off unless it rained recently.
- Each station runs from the manual test.
- A written copy of the program is inside the door.
2. The backflow assembly
- No water dripping or spraying from the assembly.
- Test-cock caps are in place.
- No cracks in the body after cold nights.
- You know where the irrigation shutoff valve is.
In Glendale, the backflow assembly is the one part the city regulates directly. City Code Chapter 33 requires an approved device at every service connection, testing is filed by the city's recognized testers, and any replacement needs a city permit and inspection. Our Glendale backflow rules guide explains the process. Do not take the assembly apart yourself.
3. Each spray and rotor zone
- Every head rises fully and drops back after the cycle.
- No head is tilted, sunken or buried by turf or gravel.
- Spray reaches the next head across the lawn, with no dry gaps.
- No spray lands on sidewalks, driveways, walls or the street.
- No misting fog, which signals pressure too high for the nozzle.
- Far heads are as strong as near heads.
- No water bubbling up between heads.
- Heads over areas converted to gravel are capped or moved to drip.
Why check at the scheduled hour in Glendale?
The City of Glendale says it is divided into four pressure zones and that pressure may drop from 6 to 8 a.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. A zone that looks weak at 6:30 a.m. may be fine at noon, and the reverse. Inspect at the hour the system actually runs so you see what the plants see.
The City of Glendale Your Water page explains the pressure zones. If a zone is weak only in that window, an earlier start time may fix it without any parts.
4. Each drip zone
- The filter after the valve is clean.
- The pressure regulator is in place and not leaking.
- Each plant's emitters drip; none are missing or spraying.
- No white mineral rings around emitters.
- Tubing is not cut, kinked, chewed or washed out of place.
- Emitters on trees and older shrubs sit out toward the canopy edge, not only at the trunk.
- Line ends flush clear when opened.
The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association advises moving emitters farther from new plants six months to a year after planting. Many Glendale beds never got that move.
5. Valve boxes
- Lids are intact and boxes are free of standing water.
- No mud or silt up to the valves after monsoon storms.
- No valve weeping when its zone is off.
- Wire splices are in waterproof connectors.
6. Leaks and runoff
- Water meter does not move with the house quiet and the controller off.
- No soggy, sunken or unusually green patches.
- No water reaching the gutter during or after a cycle.
That last item matters in Glendale. The city's Drought Management Plan counts city water running onto a street or sidewalk as water waste once it travels 250 feet or pools over 200 square feet. Our how to find a sprinkler leak guide covers the meter test.
7. Glendale extras
- Water bill names the City of Glendale, if you plan to use city rebates or rules. County islands between 75th Avenue and El Mirage Road may have another provider.
- On a downtown lot with urban flood irrigation, basins and berms are in shape and the delivery valve is reachable.
- Exposed pipes and the backflow assembly are covered before frost season.
What to do with the results
Sort what you found into three groups: things you can fix now, such as a clogged nozzle; repairs that need help; and upgrades that are optional. A seasonal irrigation tune-up in Glendale can work through the list, and an irrigation efficiency audit in Glendale measures how much water each zone applies. The general seasonal irrigation tune-up page explains a visit.
FAQ
How often should I inspect my sprinkler system?
- At least at each seasonal schedule change, which AMWUA recommends making four times a year. In Glendale, good times are before summer, after the monsoon ends on September 30, before the first frost and in spring. A quick look after big storms helps too.
What should a sprinkler inspection include?
- A check of the controller program, the backflow assembly, every spray and drip zone running, valve boxes, the water meter for leaks, and any spray reaching pavement. Run each zone at its scheduled hour and note problems station by station.
Can I inspect my own irrigation system?
- Yes, for most of it. Running zones, watching heads, checking drip emitters and reading the meter need no special tools. Leave the backflow assembly to a recognized tester, since Glendale accepts tests only from its list, and leave electrical work and pipe cutting to a professional.
What is the most common sprinkler problem found in an inspection?
- Heads that are tilted, sunken, clogged or spraying onto pavement are the most visible. Hidden ones include drip emitters that stopped dripping, valves that weep between cycles and controller programs left on summer settings. Each wastes water or leaves plants dry.
Should I check my backflow preventer during an inspection?
- Look at it, but do not take it apart. Check for drips, cracks and missing caps, and know where the shutoff is. In Glendale, testing must be done by a recognized tester, and replacing the assembly needs a city permit and inspection.
Sources
- EPA WaterSense epa.gov
- City of Glendale Your Water page glendaleaz.gov
- Arizona Municipal Water Users Association amwua.org
- Drought Management Plan glendaleaz.gov