When should I turn my sprinkler system on in North Texas?

Usually March into April, once the risk of a hard freeze has passed. Turning it on earlier just risks water freezing in the lines again. The bigger point is to start up carefully whenever you do it, because winter almost always leaves something broken that you won't notice until the system runs.

Why do I need to turn the water on slowly?

Because charging cold, empty pipes fast causes water hammer — a pressure surge that can blow fittings, crack pipe, and damage the backflow assembly. Opening the main valve a quarter turn, letting the system fill, then continuing protects everything downstream. It costs you two extra minutes and can save a repair.

What usually gets damaged over the winter?

The most common casualties are the above-ground backflow assembly (it holds water and cracks when it freezes), exposed heads and risers, and shallow lines. A failed rain/freeze sensor is also common — it doesn't break from the cold so much as quietly stop working. All of it shows up in the first thorough start-up run.

Can I do a spring start-up myself?

Often, yes — opening the valve slowly, running each zone, and watching for obvious breaks is within reach for most homeowners. Where a pro helps is catching the subtle stuff: a sensor that's failed, a head that's drifted off-pattern, coverage gaps, and a backflow that needs to be tested for compliance. If you'd rather have it caught and tuned in one visit, that's exactly what a wet check is.

Do I need to test the backflow at start-up?

If your annual certified backflow test is coming due, spring is a natural time to handle it, and you'll want to confirm the assembly survived the winter first. The certified test itself has to be done by a licensed tester and filed with your city — separate from the start-up check, but easy to line up together.

How long does a start-up take?

For a typical residential system, a thorough start-up runs about 30 to 45 minutes — longer if it turns up repairs. Most of the time is spent walking each zone, which is the part that actually catches problems. Rushing it defeats the purpose, since the whole value is finding the broken head before it waters the driveway for a month.

Seasonal care · spring

Spring sprinkler start-up: how to turn it on without a mess.

Landon Melvin Texas Licensed Irrigator · LI0031476 · Owner, Spray Irrigation Co.

Updated June 2026

Of all the seasonal jobs, this is the one that quietly saves you the most money — because winter almost always breaks something, and you won't see it until the system runs. Done right, a spring start-up catches the cracked backflow and the geyser before they cost you a month of water. Done wrong, you blow a fitting the moment you turn the valve. Here's how to do it right.

The one rule that prevents most damage

Turn the water back on slowly. Charging cold, empty pipes fast causes water hammer — a pressure surge that blows fittings and cracks the backflow. A quarter turn, let it fill, then continue. Two extra minutes saves a repair.

When to turn it on in North Texas

Wait until the risk of a hard freeze has passed — usually March into April here. Charging the system before the last freeze just invites water to refreeze in the lines and crack them, which defeats the purpose. There's no prize for being first; there's a real cost to being early. Once the hard freezes are behind you, pick a day you can spend 30–45 minutes walking the yard, and do it properly.

The start-up, step by step

Open the main valve slowly. A quarter turn, let the system fill and pressurize, then open the rest of the way. This is the step people skip and regret.
Run each zone, one at a time, and walk it. Watch for broken or missing heads, geysers, soft wet patches over the buried lines, and heads spraying the driveway or fence instead of the lawn.
Inspect the backflow assembly. Look the above-ground assembly over for cracks or leaks from winter freezing. It's the single most common freeze casualty, and a cracked one needs replacing — it'll also fail your annual backflow test.
Test the rain/freeze sensor. Confirm it actually interrupts the system. A failed or bypassed sensor is both a compliance gap and a whole season of watering in the rain.
Set the controller to your city's schedule. Program your assigned watering days and stay out of the 10 a.m.–6 p.m. window before the first real run.
Confirm the foundation drip zone runs. If you have one, make sure it's on and even — you want the clay steady before summer heat pulls it dry.

What winter usually breaks

The backflow assembly

It sits above ground at the meter and holds water, so a hard freeze cracks it. Top of the list, every spring.

Heads and risers

Exposed heads crack; risers shift. You'll spot these as geysers or dead patches once the zone runs.

The rain/freeze sensor

It doesn't break from cold so much as quietly stop working. If it's a few years old and untested, assume nothing until you've confirmed it trips.

Shallow lines

Lines that sit too shallow can freeze and split. These show up as soft, soggy ground over the line once the water's on.

Do it yourself, or call someone?

Opening the valve slowly, running each zone, and watching for obvious breaks is honest DIY territory. Where a second set of eyes earns its keep is the subtle stuff: a sensor that's silently failed, heads that have drifted off-pattern and are wasting water without an obvious geyser, coverage gaps that brown out a section by July, and a backflow that needs a certified test. If you'd rather have all of it caught and tuned in one visit — and the start-up done without risking a blown fitting — that's exactly what a wet check is for. Either way, this is the one seasonal job worth not skipping.