A dead zone in Austin does not stay a small problem. Limestone soil that shifts in drought, live oak roots that wrap laterals, and HOA lawns that get mowed twice a week all hide the real fault. We run every station, check voltage at the valve, and only then cut pipe or swap a head.
Most Austin systems were installed by the builder and then patched by whoever was cheapest that summer. That is why one station dies while the rest look fine. The fault is usually a solenoid, a cut wire at the edger line, or a valve box full of oak leaves. We start at the clock, then the wire, then the box. We do not open a trench because a head looks dry.
Shade from live oaks in Tarrytown and West Lake Hills changes how long a station should run. The parkway still bakes. If we only "turn it up," you water the street. Repair here means matching the part and then setting the runtime so the shade and the sun are not on the same program.
HOA mowers in Round Rock and Cedar Park hit heads twice a week. A cracked body looks like a dead zone. It is not. We swap the head, set it to grade, and check the rest of the station so the next mower pass does not repeat the call.
What we look for
- One station never comes on
- Brown strips next to a green neighbor lawn
- Water in the valve box after the cycle
- Heads that pop up and barely spit
On the visit
- Walk the yard and run each station
- Test controller output and field wiring
- Repair with matched heads, valves, or pipe
- Re-run the zone and set the spray off the street
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