Sprinkler system
 

Hi, I just recently bought a place in The Villages and Im not sure who serviced the sprinkler system before. Does anyone have a recommendation on a company who can come and show me how to run it and make sure it is set up correctly? Thank you in advance!

sprinkler system
 

OP, if you have or are getting a lawn care service, they should be able to confirm the operation of the system as well as the settings. There are a few local firms that will also provide the service you need, and their names escape me at the moment. I will try to look these up and reply later.
I have used Deans for over 10 years, several neighbors use Massey, and a few are DIY for lawn care. I would also ask your neighbors who or what they do and whom they have had success with.

I have asked Dean's several times about a sprinkler maintenance and repair service and they have always told me that they do not do it. I use Massey.

Have you looked at any you tube videos?

I would think one of your new neighbors could help you check, run or set it up.... If your in the Deluna neighborhood, let me know and I'll come by for free and welcome you to the neighborhood! ... It's Florida's Friendliest Hometown.

If you have a Hunter system, you can print off the exact owner's manual for your system, and you will know more about how it works than any sprinkler expert. Most experts only have a general knowledge, but they do not know how every system operates.

ACI Irrigation and Water Wizards are two that have decent reputations.

They are also very expensive.

Massey is not the best, but they are more reasonable and they will inspect your system 4 times per year for $40 per visit. They will also show up and make a very inexpensive repair in a timely manner as long as you have an ongoing service with them. Most other companies will only come when you have a problem, they will usually charge at least $100, and they will treat you like a new customer. To me, waiting for something to break is not a good plan, especially if you are a snowbird.

You seem to be one of the lucky ones that Massey actually takes care of. I wasn’t.

I use ACI. They’re $50 per quarter. That includes cleaning the filters and adjusting the heads as needed. They’re far from perfect either but I’m satisfied enough with them that I haven’t resorted to doing it myself yet.

I do everything myself except dig holes to glue pipes together. I don't let anyone touch my controller because I know how it works better than any sprinkler expert. The last time I had a broken sprinkler, Massey came the next day and repaired it for free. It is good that you have a regular quarterly service. Some people just wait until they he have a geyser in their yard and then they try to find someone to fix it. This is especially bad if they are out-of-town.

I will add that I did call ACI a few months ago and asked if they had a regular maintenance program. The lady I spoke with said that they do not, and their minimum charge for a visit to the house was $85 for repeat customers and $95 for new customers, plus any additional charges for materials or extra services. Also, there was a recent post on another thread where a poster had called another irrigation service. The guy came out and charged her $300, which she said was "reasonable".

My guess is that you have a “dumb” Hunter type of sprinkler controller. Every controller that TV puts in is a dumb type of controller.
It takes you 10 mins to learn how to setup your controller with a simple program:
Run this program X number of days per week, starting at X time, with each zone running for X mins. You’re done. Then you will have the same setup as the other 99% that will be watering during a torrential downpour.

I swap out these dumb controllers for smart 1’s that apply logic in running your system based on how much rain you have received, what the prospect for upcoming storms is, and how much water is needed to fulfill your designated goal. This is a smart system that varies when it turns on and how much each zone gets water.
Some guy hired me to do this switch and he told me that deans/massey/somebody else wanted to charge him $800 which is crazy. My suggestion is to learn how to do this conversion yourself, it takes 15 mins to physically do the swap and 30 mins to program it.

If you can dig a hole you can replace sprinkler heads yourself. I concur with above posts; watch some YouTube video and save yourself lots of money.

first of all welcome aboard. Secondly, lots of good advice in the forum. Third, i have fired 2 firms mentioned in the posts for lawn care. To me the best choice you can make is use your own eyes to evaluate your neighbors lawns and as you travel thru out tv. I've seen brown lawns with the aforementioned companies posters sticking proudly by their achievements. When you see a great lawn and an identifying sign on it take a photo. Good luck

Sprinkle Right.

CleanGreen lawn care-[352] 406-6095-excellent company, they do it all. mow lawn, trim bushes, weed, install & service irrigation systems.. come on time & very fair price..Ask for Ryan.

Just used ACI and they were fantastic Got all heads working correctly and gave me a tutorial on operation. I was very impressed Fast efficient friendly

Aci (352) 648-2783
 

ACI has done a good job for me. They come out once a quarter and inspect and adjust my system

Consider purchasing a Rachio or similar control panel. Easy to swap out your current "dumb" Hunter panel for one of these. It will pay for itself in irrigation water savings within months. And you will be able to control your sprinklers from anywhere in the world (via wifi) from your phone using the app.

I used Marc Shinn of "On The Marc" (913-475-7853). He's a resident and does a great job. He let me follow him around and taught me a lot about my system and what I can do to improve it. Highly recommend him.

Great. But suppose you have a broken sprinkler head next week with a geyser in your yard? How soon will ACI come out and what will they charge you to repair it?

We just purchased in TV. We are using Fertigator. They do our pest control, fertilizing, and sprinkler maintenance. The guys that come out are polite and friendly. They have answered every question we have had regarding our sprinklers and settings. We had a Mish mash of sprinkler heads, busted sprinkler heads, and are missing a rain sensor which they are coming out to repair.

Another vote for Marc Shinn (913-475-7853). He does great work and I highly recommend him. He is a Villages resident in Santo Domingo and lives on the same block as I do. He is a trusted neighbor, the kind you would be comfortable leaving a key with. Not long ago he worked as an ambassador at the Saddlebrook golf course. He gave up the golf course job and goes at it full time with the lawn sprinkler business now. He has built quite a reputation.

When they came out for my irrigation orientation session, I asked why there were only two programs allowed on the unit where the manual said there were more available. The response was (paraphrased): "because people don't understand how programs work and after the mess with setting it up themselves, complain the system isn't working right". He then asked what I would do with the extra programs and after a short quiz, he went into the unit and enabled the additional programs for me. I've since replaced the unit with a Bhyve and use a program for each of the quarterly schedules listed on the sticker. That way I enable the appropriate program and disable the others as needed.

Joe Tucker. (352) 430-5615. Very good at what he does. He can show you how to run it; also will check over your system, make sure all heads are aimed right and work as they should, let you know if any parts need replacing and their cost, etc. He checks our system out every spring and as needed. He's pretty booked up though: a call now might get you an appointment in a month.

Irrigation
 

I have Massy come quarterly to check the system and make adjustments. Not that expensive (IMO). They can detect breaks to the lines, and change the frequency for the season. I do annual landscaping overhauls, so that’s another consideration.

LOL. So, if you have a broken sprinkler and a geyser in your yard, you need to turn off the entire system for a month and wait for Joe Tucker to show up? That is not acceptable. These companies need to offer an ongoing maintenance service that guarantees prompt service and repairs. That is why I use Massey. They may not be the best, but they are reliable.

ACI are ripoff artists, not what they used to be.

No but I will. Thank you.

I use Brian Shank Proworkx 352-516-3041. I have been very happy with his service!

If you get a ‘smart’ irrigation controller, use it in ‘smart’ mode, don’t run it in ‘dumb’ mode.
I run my b-hyve in smart mode with no programs set, it uses the smarts inside of the unit, link to the nearest government or personal weather station nearby, or your own personal weather station.
I installed my own personal weather station and my b-hyve runs the zones when it needs to: when they turn on, how long each zone runs, and it puts itself in delay mode for days weeks depending on rain chances in the near future.

The friendliest?? That USED to be the case.

It’s not smart to ignore the guidance from the water department. Staying within the recommended day/time window helps protect water pressure for all of us.

Simply Sprinklers. Brent Mauriell. 352-250-2573. Not a big company like Dean’s, etc…but you’ll get the personal service you need.

Still is in my neighborhood. Every one willing to add a helping hand when needed.
Still waving when passing.
Being friendly is a two way street………..

According to Dean's, they don't do any sprinkler maintenance or repair.

Quintin Schuler
Exotic Sprinkler Setvices
+1 (352) 444-9753
exoticsprinklerservices@gmail.com

Very reliable, experience service professional.

I guess the words "as needed" in my post might have been a bit hard for some folks to read.

I read it, but It certainly wasn't clear to me that he would come faster, unless you had some type of prior agreement. Does he offer a guaranteed response time to repair leaks? A lot of these companies do not.

I recently used TJ Services 352-229-7426 to install a drip system. Very please with their work.