Glossary
Plain-language definitions of irrigation words, written for homeowners in Surprise and the northwest Valley.
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01
The box on your wall or in your garage that tells each station when to run and for how long.
Why it matters: If a station stops coming on, the clock is the first thing we check — but it's usually not the clock's fault. And if a clock stops holding its schedule, we replace it rather than repair it; repairing one only buys you a few weeks before the same thing happens.
Some people call it: controller, timer, sprinkler timer, irrigation timer, box.
Call or text (928) 530-744302
The plastic box set in the ground that holds the valves for each station.
Why it matters: Most of what goes wrong on an irrigation system happens in here — a cracked valve, a broken wire, a fitting that has given up. It's also where we can usually find a leak without digging up your whole yard.
Some people call it: valve box, irrigation box, green lid in the yard, the box with the wires.
Call or text (928) 530-744303
One set of sprinklers that runs together as a group — the front lawn, the back beds, and so on.
Why it matters: When something is wrong, it's usually one station and not the whole system. Knowing which one narrows the problem down before we arrive.
Some people call it: zone, circuit, line, run.
Call or text (928) 530-744304
Your backflow assembly — the brass fitting on the side of the house that keeps irrigation water from ever flowing back into your household drinking water.
Why it matters: Arizona rules require it to be tested on a schedule and the result filed. If you've had a notice in the mail about it, this is the one they mean. We handle the testing and the required reporting.
Some people call it: backflow preventer, backflow device, RPZ, double check, the brass thing, the test they mail you about.
Call or text (928) 530-744305
The part that pops up out of the ground and sprays the water.
Why it matters: A head that's sunk, tilted, clogged or knocked off-course stops covering what it used to, and you water longer to make up for it. Sometimes that's the whole problem — one head, not the system.
Some people call it: sprinkler, sprinkler head, pop-up, nozzle.
Call or text (928) 530-744306
The part in the box out in the yard that opens and closes to send water to one station.
Why it matters: A valve that won't close keeps a station running when it shouldn't, which is a common reason a bill climbs. A valve that won't open means the station is silent.
Some people call it: solenoid, valve head, irrigation valve.
Call or text (928) 530-744307
The main line carries water from the house to the box out in the yard; the lateral lines take it from there out to each station.
Why it matters: The main line runs one way — a break in it wets the same spot every time, whether or not anything is running. That's the classic 'soggy patch that stays wet' leak.
Some people call it: supply line, feed line, lateral, drip line.
Call or text (928) 530-744308
Drip waters plants slowly at the base through small emitters rather than spraying the whole area.
Why it matters: It's the most water-efficient way to water desert plants. It also means a problem can be almost invisible — the plant just looks worse over weeks, with no wet spot to give it away.
Some people call it: drip line, dripline, drippers, micro irrigation.
Call or text (928) 530-744309
Run time is how many minutes one station waters; the schedule is when and how often it does it.
Why it matters: Most wasteful watering in Arizona is a schedule that was right in April and was never touched again. It doesn't need a new system — it needs the minutes moved.
Some people call it: program, timer setting, watering times, cycles.
Call or text (928) 530-744310
Pressure is how hard the water pushes; flow is how much of it moves.
Why it matters: A station that suddenly loses pressure while the others are fine usually points to a break or a partly failed valve, not to the clock.
Some people call it: PSI, low pressure, weak spray, flow rate.
Call or text (928) 530-744311
Hunter is the manufacturer behind a great deal of the equipment in your yard, and our team is certified on it.
Why it matters: It means we're working with the equipment and the parts it was actually designed for, we know what to look for in it, and we're not guessing at the fix. Genuine parts, fitted properly, are what make a repair last past the season.
Some people call it: Hunter trained, manufacturer certified.
Call or text (928) 530-744312
A visit where we look at the whole system, find the actual cause, and give you your options in writing — usually more than one.
Why it matters: Every yard is different, so we don't guess over the phone. You'll know what it costs before we start, and there's no obligation to book the work. If the honest answer is that you don't need us yet, we'll tell you that too.
Some people call it: quote, estimate, assessment, service call.
Call or text (928) 530-744313
Your yard needs a different schedule in July than it does in January.
Why it matters: In Arizona the same setting that keeps a lawn alive in summer drowns it in winter. Moving the minutes at two points in the year does most of the work of a smart clock.
Some people call it: watering schedule, seasonal adjustment, winter watering.
Call or text (928) 530-744314
Your homeowner association may have rules about what your landscaping looks like and when you can water.
Why it matters: We work in HOA communities across Surprise and the northwest Valley, and we can tell you what we usually see and what usually passes — so a compliance letter doesn't turn into a redesign.
Some people call it: association, community rules, CC&Rs, compliance notice.
Call or text (928) 530-7443