Tag Archive for: Prevent

Irrigation Experts’ essential steps to prevent failures

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Irrigation Experts’ essential steps to prevent failures: Waterscapes Ltd shares critical off-season preparation guidelines as UK landscapes face cold weather damage risks

As autumn temperatures signal the approach of winter, Waterscapes are sharing essential preparation steps to prevent costly system failures and protect landscape infrastructure investments. Frost damage to commercial irrigation systems can result in repair bills exceeding thousands per site, alongside significant environmental and structural impact from water waste.

Irrigation Experts' essential steps to prevent failures

Irrigation Experts’ essential steps to prevent failures

“Our experience across multiple complex landscape projects has taught us that correctly designed irrigation systems anticipate seasonal challenges from the outset,” said Ed Harwood, Maintenance Contracts Manager of irrigation and water feature specialists Waterscapes Ltd. “However, even the most robust systems benefit from targeted winter preparation.”

The guidance comes as facilities managers and landscape contractors prepare for the off-season period, when inadequate system protection can compromise entire landscape investments.

Essential Preparation Steps

According to Waterscapes, proper system drainage represents the most critical protection measure. Water removal from pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads prevents expansion damage, with professional blow-out services using compressed air recommended for complex installations.

“DIY attempts often leave residual water in system low points, which becomes expensive damage when temperatures drop,” explains Ed. “The off-season is also ideal for identifying worn seals, cracked housings, or damaged sprinkler heads.” The company emphasises that isolation valves and backflow preventers require particular attention, whilst modern smart controllers should be adjusted to seasonal programmes with automatic watering schedules disabled.

Sustainability and Efficiency Focus

Beyond immediate cost implications, correct preparation supports broader sustainability goals. Systems that restart smoothly in spring waste less water during calibration and testing, whilst well-maintained infrastructure lasts longer, reducing replacement cycles and embodied carbon.

“Climate change means more unpredictable weather patterns, from sudden frosts to summer droughts,” notes Ed. “Off-season preparation might seem like an additional cost, but it’s actually an investment in system longevity, water efficiency, and spring productivity. Whilst basic preparation can be handled in-house, complex commercial systems benefit from specialist knowledge.”

The company recommends updating system maps and maintenance logs during the off-season, ensuring spring start-up procedures run smoothly when systems are needed most.

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Prepare to prevent dollar spot attacks

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Prepare to prevent dollar spot attacks: Dollar spot disease pressure is now increasing, as temperature and humidity rise resulting in prolonged periods of leaf wetness, warns Syngenta Technical Manager, Sean Loakes.

Speaking to course managers with ICL at the prestigious 72-hole championship Melbourne Club, on the Brocket Hall Estate in Hertfordshire this week (3 June 2025), he highlighted that although overall dollar spot pressure has been relatively low so far this season with the dry spring, early symptoms are beginning to be seen in disease hot spots.

Prepare to prevent dollar spot attacks

Prepare to prevent dollar spot attacks

“Turf management actions now, with cultural controls and Ascernity fungicide treatments, can reduce the risk and prevent damaging loss of grass cover or surface quality,” he advised.

Sean highlighted the danger of dollar spot is becoming more severe, since the pathogen appears to be developing at lower temperatures and with shorter periods of leaf wetness.

“Researchers who designed the original forecasting model now report the evolving pathogen appears to be developing with shorter periods of suitable leaf wetness and temperature,” he said.

The effect would be a double whammy of more frequent conditions for the disease occurring, and the capability for the disease to go through its lifecycle faster.

“For courses in high pressure situations that find they have been consistently hit earlier by dollar spot, it may be necessary to target treatments at a lower pressure threshold, for example,” he advocated.

“Tracking the Smith Kerns model on Turf Advisor gives advance warning of pressure periods,” he said. “But be aware of localised risks on your course, as irrigation and microclimates will increase periods of leaf wetness that pushes up pressure – and can leave turf open to attack.”

Preventative Ascernity fungicide applications can crucially protect turf through high-risk periods. Available as part of the AIM pack, it could cost-effectively cover the whole season strategy.

Golf course trials in Cambridgeshire last season proved how the Syngenta fungicide programme, including Ascernity followed by Instrata Elite, effectively halved any signs of disease damage on the surface – resulting in less than 4% infection in the treated area, compared to over 16% in untreated at the end of the reported assessments.

“Used in an Integrated Turf Management programme, along with the biostimulant boost of a Turf Health Plan, it puts you in the best place to stop dollar spot damage occurring,” he added.

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Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc

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Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc: The central risk with lithium-ion batteries is fire. They might be unlikely to catch fire – but they can, through faults inside the battery, or from external damage.

With this in mind Pellenc, distributed in the UK by Etesia UK has launched the Securion storage option.

Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc

Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc

When they do catch fire, the consequences can be serious. The batteries are most at risk when being stored and charged, and therefore extra thought on safety features should be explored.

Lithium-ion batteries have raised increasing interest due to their high potential for providing efficient energy storage and environmental sustainability. It is no wonder that the batteries are now used in a wide range of groundscare tools and machinery.

Naturally, increasing attention is being paid to the safety performance of the batteries which has been intensified due to several reported fires. It appears that the majority of problems arise when the batteries are being charged and stored overnight. In fact, even the best batteries can suffer from knocks and drops resulting in potential damage to cells. This damage rarely comes to light until they are charged.

Securion from Pellenc is one solution which is already proving to be an extremely popular choice with councils, large contractors, schools, colleges, universities, golf clubs, and several other sports clubs.

Pellenc is considered a pioneer in the lithium-ion battery industry and Securion offers a convincing solution for the storage, charging, provision, and safety of lithium-ion batteries.

This unique charging and storage F90 rated cabinet was developed by Pellenc with one of the leading German manufacturers of security cabinets, which holds patents on key security functions.

Securion has been designed to protect employees, buildings and equipment from fire, heat and toxic fumes and smoke gases.

Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc

Prevent fires with Securion from Pellenc

In the event of a fire, the doors inside or outside the Securion cabinet close automatically. This not only ensures security overnight and at the weekend, but it also protects employees or customers who are present.

In an emergency, those affected have enough time to get to safety and to alert rescue services. Fire, vapours, and fumes remain mostly inside the cabinet and can even be extracted directly via the standard ventilation connection. This gives the fire services control and allows the cabinet to be opened backdraft-safely at any time after it has been triggered – regardless of whether the source of the fire is inside the cabinet or outside the building.

While the batteries are being safely stored, they can also be charged, and, thanks to extensive internal electrification, the Securion also offers TÜV-tested fire protection for charging devices and batteries from other manufacturers.

Depending on which Securion model you choose, the cabinets can hold up to 40 lithium-ion batteries.

Pellenc is distributed exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk/pellenc

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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