Replace or Update: What’s My Old Irrigation System Worth?

When your old irrigation system stops working, what next? If you’ve purchased a property with an inoperable system, what now?

In both cases, starting from scratch sounds like the obvious and most practical way forward.

However, there are a few questions worth asking first.

What value still lies in the ground under your feet? What’s still in good condition and doesn’t need replacing?

Some of the work that goes into building irrigation systems from scratch can cost you big in terms of both time and money.

So, let’s look at what might be salvageable and may not need replacing.

• The controller may still be working properly. A quick check will determine this.
• The main line connections under paths and under solid concrete are of great value to prevent concrete cutting and a lot of unnecessary digging.
• The controller cable may also be valuable if it still has good integrity. This can be quickly evaluated with a multimeter.
• Valvebox configurations may also have valuable components in them that are reusable.
• If they have been designed properly, sprinklers systems in lawn areas may be upgraded by retrofitting modern sprinklers, saving a great deal of money on re-trenching the lawn.