💧 Irrigation

• backflow preventer BAK-floh prih-VEN-ter ▶ EN
  válvula antirretorno BAHL-boo-lah an-tee-rreh-TOHR-noh ▶ ES Safety-critical

  The assembly that keeps irrigation water from siphoning back into drinking water; code requires it and it must not be bypassed.

  Winterize starts at the backflow preventer — close it and drain it. — La preparación para el invierno empieza en la válvula antirretorno — ciérrala y drénala.

  Also: prevensor de reflujo (general)

• broken head BROH-ken HED ▶ EN
  aspersor roto as-pehr-SOHR RROH-toh ▶ ES

  A head snapped by a mower or car; shows up as a geyser or a flooded strip when the zone runs.

  Customer says there's a geyser at 5 a.m. — broken head in zone 1. — El cliente dice que hay un géiser a las 5 — aspersor roto en la zona 1.

• controller kun-TROH-ler ▶ EN
  controlador kohn-troh-lah-DOHR ▶ ES

  The timer box that runs the irrigation program, usually in the garage.

  Set the controller to water at 4 a.m., three days a week. — Programa el controlador para regar a las 4 de la mañana, tres días por semana.

  Also: timer (general) · reloj de riego (MX)

• cycle and soak SAY-kul and SOHK ▶ EN
  ciclo y remojo SEE-kloh ee rreh-MOH-hoh ▶ ES

  Splitting a zone's run time into short cycles with breaks so water soaks in instead of running off.

  Put the slope zones on cycle and soak — three fives instead of one fifteen. — Pon las zonas de pendiente en ciclo y remojo — tres de cinco en vez de una de quince.

• drip line DRIP layn ▶ EN
  línea de goteo LEE-neh-ah deh goh-TEH-oh ▶ ES

  Tubing with emitters that waters beds slowly at the roots.

  The drip line got cut when they planted — splice it and test. — Cortaron la línea de goteo cuando plantaron — empálmala y prueba.

  Also: riego por goteo (general)

• head adjustment HED uh-JUST-ment ▶ EN
  ajuste del aspersor ah-HOOS-teh del as-pehr-SOHR ▶ ES

  Setting a head's arc and distance so it waters grass, not the street.

  Zone 1 is spraying the sidewalk — do a head adjustment on the two corner heads. — La zona 1 está mojando la banqueta — hazle ajuste a los dos aspersores de la esquina.

• head-to-head coverage hed-too-HED KUV-rij ▶ EN
  cobertura de aspersor a aspersor koh-behr-TOO-rah deh as-pehr-SOHR ah as-pehr-SOHR ▶ ES

  Each head throwing far enough to reach the next one — the design rule that prevents dry rings.

  Those dry crescents mean no head-to-head coverage — the heads are spaced too far. — Esas medialunas secas son falta de cobertura de aspersor a aspersor — están muy separados.

• irrigation valve ir-ih-GAY-shun VALV ▶ EN
  válvula de riego BAHL-boo-lah deh RRYEH-goh ▶ ES

  The electric valve that opens one zone; they live in green boxes in the ground.

  Zone 2 won't shut off — dig up the valve and check the diaphragm. — La zona 2 no cierra — destapa la válvula y revisa el diafragma.

• irrigation zone ir-ih-GAY-shun ZOHN ▶ EN
  zona de riego SOH-nah deh RRYEH-goh ▶ ES

  A group of heads run by one valve; the controller waters one zone at a time.

  Zone 4 is the side yard — run it and check heads. — La zona 4 es el patio lateral — préndela y revisa los aspersores.

  Also: estación (general)

• lateral line LAT-er-ul layn ▶ EN
  línea secundaria LEE-neh-ah seh-koon-DAH-ryah ▶ ES

  The pipe after the valve that feeds a zone's heads; only pressurized while that zone runs.

  The wet spot only shows when zone 3 runs, so it's a lateral line leak. — El charco solo sale cuando riega la zona 3, así que es fuga de la línea secundaria.

• low-head drainage LOH-hed DRAY-nij ▶ EN
  drenado por el aspersor bajo dreh-NAH-doh pohr el as-pehr-SOHR BAH-hoh ▶ ES

  Water seeping from the lowest head after the zone stops — a check valve fixes it; it isn't a leak.

  That puddle by the curb is low-head drainage — swap in a check-valve head. — Ese charco junto a la banqueta es drenado del aspersor bajo — ponle uno con válvula check.

• mainline MAYN-layn ▶ EN
  línea principal LEE-neh-ah preen-see-PAHL ▶ ES

  The always-pressurized pipe from the water source to the valves; a break here floods until the water is shut off.

  That's a mainline break — shut the water off at the meter first. — Esa fuga es de la línea principal — primero cierra el agua en el medidor.

• nozzle NOZ-ul ▶ EN
  boquilla boh-KEE-yah ▶ ES

  The replaceable tip that sets a head's pattern and flow — quarter, half, full, or strip.

  Carry a box of nozzles on the truck, they clog and crack all season. — Trae una caja de boquillas en el camión, se tapan y se estrellan toda la temporada.

• poly pipe POL-ee payp ▶ EN
  tubo de polietileno TOO-boh deh poh-lee-eh-tee-LEH-noh ▶ ES

  The flexible black pipe used for laterals in cold climates; joined with barbed fittings and clamps.

  Splice the poly pipe with a barbed coupling and two clamps. — Empalma el tubo de polietileno con un cople dentado y dos abrazaderas.

• pressure regulator PRESH-ur REG-yoo-lay-tor ▶ EN
  regulador de presión rreh-goo-lah-DOHR deh preh-SYOHN ▶ ES

  Drops incoming pressure to what heads and drip are rated for; misting heads mean pressure is too high.

  The drip zone needs a pressure regulator or the emitters blow off. — La zona de goteo necesita regulador de presión o se botan los goteros.

• pvc pipe pee-vee-SEE payp ▶ EN
  tubo pvc TOO-boh peh-beh-SEH ▶ ES

  The rigid white pipe glued with primer and cement; mainlines and warm-climate laterals.

  Primer then cement on every pvc pipe joint — no dry fits left behind. — Limpiador y luego cemento en cada unión del tubo pvc — no se queda ninguna sin pegar.

• rain sensor RAYN SEN-sor ▶ EN
  sensor de lluvia sen-SOHR deh YOO-byah ▶ ES

  The device that pauses the schedule after rain; required by code in many cities.

  The system ran in the rain — the rain sensor is bypassed or dead. — El sistema regó bajo la lluvia — el sensor de lluvia está puenteado o muerto.

• rotor ROH-tor ▶ EN
  rotor rroh-TOHR ▶ ES

  The gear-driven head that throws a rotating stream long distances; for big turf areas.

  The rotors in zone 6 need the arc brought back off the fence. — A los rotores de la zona 6 hay que quitarles arco para que no mojen la cerca.

• run time RUN taym ▶ EN
  tiempo de riego TYEM-poh deh RRYEH-goh ▶ ES

  Minutes per zone per cycle; sprays run short, rotors long, drip longest.

  Cut the run times in half for October. — Baja los tiempos de riego a la mitad para octubre.

• runoff RUN-awf ▶ EN
  escurrimiento es-koo-rree-MYEN-toh ▶ ES

  Water leaving the lawn for the pavement — slopes and clay need cycle-and-soak, not longer run times.

  Water running down the gutter at 4 a.m. is runoff — split the cycle. — Agua corriendo por la cuneta a las 4 es escurrimiento — divide el ciclo.

• shut-off SHUT-awf ▶ EN
  llave de paso del riego YAH-beh deh PAH-soh ▶ ES

  Where the irrigation's water supply closes — know where it is at every property before something breaks.

  First thing on a new account: find the irrigation shut-off. — Lo primero en una cuenta nueva: ubicar la llave de paso del riego.

• smart controller SMART kun-TROH-ler ▶ EN
  controlador inteligente kohn-troh-lah-DOHR een-teh-lee-HEN-teh ▶ ES

  A controller that adjusts watering to weather on its own; set it up right once and stop chasing seasons.

  The HOA went to smart controllers — set the plant and soil types per zone. — La asociación cambió a controladores inteligentes — configura tipo de planta y de suelo por zona.

• solenoid SOH-leh-noyd ▶ EN
  solenoide soh-leh-NOY-deh ▶ ES

  The electric coil on a valve that opens it when the controller sends power; the usual suspect when a zone won't run.

  Zone 3 hums but doesn't open — bring a solenoid. — La zona 3 zumba pero no abre — trae un solenoide.

• spray head SPRAY hed ▶ EN
  boquilla fija boh-KEE-yah FEE-hah ▶ ES

  The fixed pop-up that mists a set pattern over a short distance; for beds and narrow strips.

  Swap that broken spray head for a quarter-pattern nozzle. — Cambia esa boquilla fija rota por una de patrón de cuarto.

• sprinkler SPRINK-ler ▶ EN
  aspersor as-pehr-SOHR ▶ ES

  A head that sprays water over the lawn; pop-ups in turf, fixed sprays or rotors by zone.

  Flag every sprinkler before the aerator goes out. — Ponle banderita a cada aspersor antes de que salga el aireador.

  Also: rociador (general) · esprinkler (MX)

• start-up START-up ▶ EN
  arranque de primavera ah-RRAHN-keh deh pree-mah-VEH-rah ▶ ES

  Re-pressurizing the system in spring: open the backflow slowly, run every zone, fix what winter broke.

  Open the main slowly on start-up or you'll blow fittings across the yard. — Abre la principal despacio en el arranque o vas a reventar conexiones por todo el jardín.

• swing joint SWING joynt ▶ EN
  conexión articulada koh-nek-SYOHN ahr-tee-koo-LAH-dah ▶ ES

  The flexible assembly connecting a head to the lateral so a wheel over the head doesn't crack the pipe.

  Set every head on a swing joint where the trucks cross. — Pon cada aspersor con conexión articulada donde cruzan los camiones.

• water audit WAH-ter AW-dit ▶ EN
  revisión del riego rreh-bee-SYOHN del RRYEH-goh ▶ ES

  Running every zone and walking it: broken heads, blocked spray, runoff, wrong times — written up for the customer.

  Spring start-up includes a full water audit on every system. — El arranque de primavera incluye revisión completa del riego en cada sistema.

• winterize WIN-ter-ayz ▶ EN
  preparar para el invierno preh-pah-RAHR PAH-rah el een-VYEHR-noh ▶ ES

  Blow the water out of the irrigation system with compressed air before the first freeze.

  We winterize all the commercial accounts this week. — Esta semana preparamos para el invierno todas las cuentas comerciales.

  Also: soplar el sistema (general)

• wire tracker WAYR TRAK-er ▶ EN
  rastreador de cable rrahs-treh-ah-DOHR deh KAH-bleh ▶ ES

  The tool that traces buried valve wire so a lost valve box can be found without digging up the yard.

  Nobody knows where zone 7's valve is — bring the wire tracker. — Nadie sabe dónde está la válvula de la zona 7 — trae el rastreador de cable.

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