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Yes! Annual Memberships are available for Spring Activations, Cross Connection Testing and Winterizations. Whether you are looking for monthly or yearly payments, both options are available and will auto-renew.
Memberships are designed to be a “set it and forget it” solution. This means that all of our memberships (both monthly and annual) will automatically renew unless either party notifies the other within 30 days of the annual renewal date.
If this is your first time signing up for a membership, the initial payment will be made once your service is completed that year. Monthly payments for Monthly memberships begin as follows:
If your service is booked after the initial payment is due (e.g., October 8th – though that’s later than we recommend), the monthly payment will still begin on October 1st. The initial payment will be charged on October 8th after completing the service.
Your membership services for the next season will be automatically scheduled by us before the season starts. When this happens, you will receive an automatic appointment confirmation for the date each service has been scheduled; if any changes need to be made, please contact us, and we can adjust accordingly. Note that scheduling is based on regular operating hours and availability.
Currently, our software is unable to process pre-authorized or visa debit payments. We do, however, accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
If your new property has an irrigation system or device applicable to the membership, we can transfer that membership to the new property. (Note that adjustments may apply as pricing for Activation and Winterization Memberships are based on system size).
We understand that life can happen, sold your home? Not using the irrigation system anymore? Not a problem, if you need to cancel your membership we are more than happy to do so and provide a full refund for any payments made up to that point.
We require an individual membership for each device to ensure that all devices are tracked and serviced properly.
At Naiad, we realize that not everyone wishes to have their system activation done by us or may not have a cross-connection device to be tested. With this being the case, we have decided that by keeping all our memberships individual, our clients can select strictly which memberships they want for their particular needs. Rest assured that once your memberships are in place, you will only see one consolidated payment per month (or year) regardless of your many memberships.
There are many steps to activate a sprinkler system properly. You can refer to these detailed instructions from the Naiad Blog.
Find the valve’s solenoid. It’s a plastic cylinder with wires attached to the top of the control valve. Slowly turn it to the “on” position until the water can be heard flowing through the valve. Turn the solenoid to the “off” position to shut it off. Only twist the solenoid by hand, and be careful not to over-tighten it.
Note: If you turn the solenoid too many times, it may become unthreaded from the valve. If that happens, shutting off the water to the sprinkler system and threading it back in is a good idea. Be careful, as these are plastic fittings and can be easily cross-threaded.
If you’re wondering, you must have noticed your solenoid’s “on” and “off” markings. These are misleading because they refer to whether or not the valve is manually opened, bypassing the timer’s control.
Technicians often do this to test or winterize a system without entering a client’s home to access the timer.
For normal, automated use, the solenoid should be “off.” Don’t worry; if it’s wired in and working correctly, it’ll be ready to open the valve automatically when the timer says so.
Tighten the solenoids by hand, and be firm but careful. Overtightening can cause their plastic body to warp.
It all depends on the weather. In Calgary, we typically start turning on sprinkler systems on the first Monday in May. We tell clients they should have their irrigation system up and running by the Victoria Day Long Weekend.
Check out our video on this to learn more: https://youtu.be/IzvvdG_eylE
Yes, you do. Most of the water must be expelled from the irrigation system every fall. Otherwise, it will freeze, expand, and damage your underground irrigation system in the winter.
When water freezes, it expands. Thus, most of the water must be expelled from the irrigation system before the water can freeze. This is called an irrigation system blowout because a compressor blows out most of the water. Once most of the water has been removed from the sprinkler system, it is ready for winter. A few clients ask if we put antifreeze in the lines. We do not.
A sprinkler system should be winterized before overnight temperatures fall below zero degrees Celsius. For us here in Alberta, we recommend winterizing your irrigation system before the end of September. We have had a few years when the overnight lows have been cold enough to damage the main waterline for the irrigation system as early as September 28th. Ultimately, you can run it later into the season, but there is always the risk that a cold overnight low could damage your irrigation system. The bit of pipe that goes from the house to the valve box is most at risk. That bit of pipe is exposed to the elements and can freeze faster than the pipes or sprinklers in the ground.
What we recommend is the following:
No, but the majority of it is. There is always a little left over. The point of winterization is to remove the majority of it, and the remainder will not be enough to damage the underground sprinkler system.
Also, sprinklers are not watertight. As easily as water leaves the nozzle when the sprinkler system is on, water will return through it, too, via snowpack melt and/or rain. Water entering your system gradually throughout the winter is unlikely to cause damage.
Lastly, rotor-style sprinkler heads have gears and other moving parts inside. Air acts differently than water, and blowing hot air through a rotor head for extended periods can damage the gears and shorten the lifespan of the rotor head. This means you could damage your irrigation system by blowing it out for too long in an attempt to expel every last drop of water.
It is the testing of the device used to protect your municipality’s potable water supply from backflow contamination. In Calgary, it is required by the water purveyor for these devices to be tested every year. A cross connection on an irrigation system must be tested yearly and before the irrigation system is turned on.
They are required annually wherever there is a cross connection that could potentially contaminate the water supply. Underground sprinkler systems are a prime example, as dirt and chemicals such as herbicides or fertilizers can enter the system unnoticed over time without causing other issues. The City of Calgary requires you to have your sprinkler system’s cross-connection tested before the system is activated each year.
These tests are mandated by section 39.3e of the City of Calgary’s Water Utility Bylaw. This reflects a similar mandate in the National Plumbing Code of Canada, as do identical bylaws in countless other municipalities.
A sprinkler cross-connection is where the sprinkler system hooks up to the potable water supply. A sprinkler cross-connection is where the sprinkler system hooks up to the potable water supply. That’s why a backflow prevention device (typically a Double Check Valve Assembly) is needed at that location. As per the National Plumbing Code of Canada, DCVAs is recommended for most modern residential irrigation systems.
The most common cross connection is a hose attached to a garden tap. If this garden tap is hooked up to an irrigation mainline, a cross-connection device should be installed where the irrigation water line hooks up to the potable water supply. It should have a hose bib vacuum breaker if it is a regular garden tap.
There are many steps to activate a sprinkler system properly. You can refer to these detailed instructions from the Naiad Blog.
Find the valve’s solenoid. It’s a plastic cylinder with wires attached to the top of the control valve. Slowly turn it to the “on” position until the water can be heard flowing through the valve. Turn the solenoid to the “off” position to shut it off. Only twist the solenoid by hand, and be careful not to overtighten it.
Note: If you turn the solenoid too many times, it may become unthreaded from the valve. If that happens, shutting off the water to the sprinkler system and threading it back in is a good idea. Be careful, as these are plastic fittings and can be easily cross-threaded.
If you’re wondering, you must have noticed your solenoid’s “on” and “off” markings. These are misleading because they refer to whether or not the valve is manually opened, bypassing the timer’s control.
Technicians often do this to test or winterize a system without entering a client’s home to access the timer.
For normal, automated use, the solenoid should be “off.” Don’t worry; if it’s wired in and working correctly, it’ll be ready to open the valve automatically when the timer says so.
Tighten the solenoids by hand, and be firm but careful. Overtightening can cause their plastic body to warp.
It all depends on the weather. In Calgary, we typically start turning on sprinkler systems on the first Monday in May. We tell clients they should have their irrigation system up and running by the Victoria Day Long Weekend.
It all depends on where you live and the size of your property. In and around Calgary in 2022, $6,500-$8,500 for a complete residential underground sprinkler system, including mainline, pulling a permit, Wi-Fi timer and sprinklers.
The smallest residential irrigation system we installed in 2022 cost $4,500, and the most expensive was $15,000.
We use a vibratory plough to pull most poly pipes into the ground. This will still cause some scarring of the turf, but way less than hand-digging trenches. Some hand digging will have to happen, but only where there are underground utilities, sprinklers, valve boxes, mainlines, pipe connections, tight areas, etc.
With residential irrigation installs, irrigation pipes are installed 4-8 inches (10 cm to 20 cm) deep. The pipes need to be deep enough so that they do not get damaged by things like aerators.
Underground sprinklers typically do not add monetary value to your property, but they increase the odds of selling it quickly. Underground sprinklers are becoming more popular and are a definite selling feature. We can save money on water bills by installing smart Wi-Fi timers, flow sensors, and rain sensors. An automated system will require very little time and attention. A quality installation will last for a long with little maintenance, except for the fall blowout and cross-connection test.
Yes, you can contact your municipality about the need for a permit. In Calgary, you must pull a permit for the cross-connection installation. Typically, a Double Check Valve Assembly is installed and has to be tested yearly by a certified cross-connection tester. Someone must do that part of the irrigation system.
A lawn needs air, nutrients, and water. Ensure that it gets all three to best take care of your lawn. In Calgary, we have clay soil so aeration is needed and we would suggest at the very least it should be done yearly.
Feed your yard with the right type of fertilizer. (We would recommend hiring a professional company to do that service for you.) As for water, we do feel is it best to have an underground sprinkler system with a Wi-Fi irrigation timer, such as the Hunter Hydrawise.
A smart Wi-Fi timer like that will adjust run times based on local weather, watering less when it is cold and wet and more when it is hot and dry.
Yes, a professional lawn care company will provide quality work that will help you save time. It is best to sign up for a weekly contract so that your lawn can be cut regularly and will have consistent care.
The healthier your lawn, the more enjoyable it will be for your family. A well-kept yard may even increase the value of your property.
It is best to start watering early in the morning before it gets too hot or windy. Generally speaking, we have a lot of clay in our soil, so you do not need to water every day.
If you do not have a smart Wi-Fi timer that can adjust to local weather conditions, you should check the soil’s moisture level before watering.
Some residential snow removal companies charge as little as $100 per month, and others charge over $300. The size and layout of your property are the most critical factors.
Other variables include how many jobs each snow removal worker must do daily. The more jobs a labourer has daily, the less you pay, but the longer it could take for them. If your neighbours have a snow removal contract with a company, pay attention to that company when it shows up after a snowfall. Try searching for available snow removal contractors online and reading customer reviews.
You can usually get the best rate from a neighbour kid because they do not have to drive to your house to remove the snow. On the other hand, snow removal contractors often have some means of documenting when the snow removal happened and supplying you with pictures. The necessary software can cost the snow removal company more money but provides timely and accurate details about when the snow removal was done, giving you peace of mind.
In Calgary, $200-$300 per month. Clients with larger properties, longer driveways, or more areas that need clearing to support their daily routines (for example, an extra path between a side door and outdoor garbage bins) can expect to pay an amount toward the higher end of this range.
Typically, it is a monthly expense rather than per snowfall, as most snow removal workers must be on-call for the whole season. In Calgary, we recommend signing a contract from November 1 to April 30th. If you pay $200-$300 per month, you should budget $1,200-$1,800 per year for an average house in Calgary.