What a start-up is, and why it matters
A spring open is a walk through the system under water, not a flip of the main. The crew checks the backflow, each valve, each zone, and the controller before the lawn is asked to drink.
In the GTA, soil can still be cold in April. A zone that runs too long on the first warm afternoon can sheet off. Start-up is also when the clock gets a real schedule, not last August's program.
How a start-up moves through a system
Water is brought back one step at a time. If you open the main and walk away, the first leak you hear may already have soaked a fitting that sat dry all winter.
Soil first, then water
A proper open is a sequence. The valve is last. Cold soil and a missed leak check waste the first month.
How it affects the lawn
A sloppy open can look fine for a week. Then a wet pit appears by the walk, or one corner stays pale because a head never stood up.
Too soon
Soil is frozen or saturated. Water sits on top. You gain nothing by forcing an early open.
In season
Heads rise. Streams overlap. The first program is short, then lengthened as the soil warms.
Left on last year's clock
August minutes on an April lawn make runoff. The grass cannot take that much yet.
What you are seeing after the first run
A wet stripe along the walk is often a head that turned, or a fitting that split over winter. A dry corner is often a head that never popped.
This is why start-up is a visit, not a remote click. Someone has to watch every zone once.
Common problems
Winter is quiet. Spring is when the quiet breaks show.
Heads stuck down
Soil, roots, or a heavy turf cap can hold a head shut after months under snow.
A weeping backflow
A hairline split may only show when the main is charged. That is a start-up find, not a midseason one.
A dead controller battery
The clock looks on and still loses the program after a power blink. The lawn then runs at noon, or not at all.
A zone that never opens
A solenoid that sat wet, or a valve that froze, stays shut. The rest of the property looks fine.
What to look for
Walk the property once after the first scheduled run.
- Did every head in the zone stand up?
- Is there a wet pit that was dry last fall?
- Does the spray look like an arc, or a dribble?
- Is the controller using this year's start times?
- Did anyone change landscaping over the winter?
Customer tips
A few checks at home tell you whether the system woke up clean.
Do not open the main alone if you are unsure
A cracked backflow under full city pressure makes a mess fast.
Watch the first dawn run
Stand outside for one full zone. The pattern tells you more than the clock does.
Keep last year's notes
A head that was already weak in October is the first one to check in April.
When to book
Most Richmond Hill properties open from mid-April through May, once the soil can take water.
When to call a professional
Call after a winter with no blow-out, after a renovation, or if the backflow looks damaged. Do not charge a cracked preventer.
Key takeaways
- Open the water last, after the hardware has been seen dry.
- Every zone should run once with someone watching.
- April minutes are shorter than August minutes.
- A stuck head or a split fitting is a start-up problem, not a timer problem.
- The first clean run of the year sets the rest of the season.