The Irrigation Association, Fairfax, Virginia, will offer an irrigation education track as part of the Landscape Contractor Education program at the 2023 Equip Exposition, which takes place Oct. 17-20 in Louisville, Kentucky.
That track includes sessions such as “How To Get Into the Irrigation Business,” and “Basic Irrigation Repairs,” both of which are worth continuing education credits. In “How To Get Into the Irrigation Business,” attendees will receive a wealth of tips and advice from a panel of successful irrigation contractors who will share their stories and answer questions.
John Newlin, CIC, CLC, CLIA, EPA WaterSense Partner and owner of Quality Sprinkling Services, North Ridgeville, Ohio, is presenting the session.
“This is an opportunity for the Irrigation Association to get in front of contractors that are first-timers that haven’t had a lot of experience,” says Newlin, a past president of the Irrigation Association. “It’s for the inexperienced contractors that are looking to add irrigation to their menu that they’re offering to their customers and giving them a better idea of how to make the repairs, how to do some of the diagnostics, the simple stuff.”
The “Basic Irrigation Repairs” course will provide a hands-on experience for attendees.
It is a “how-to” class to teach those with no irrigation experience to learn how to identify and handle common repairs. The class will include both presentations and hands-on exercises to teach irrigation servicing including how to replace a sprinkler head, fix simple valve issues and other irrigation repairs.
Newlin says the courses will also give attendees exposure to technologies and teach attendees about what the Irrigation Association offers the industry.
“It’s a great way of us introducing smart water technology to people, making them aware of it and hopefully providing possible contractor members exposure to the Irrigation Association and what we have to offer and also helping our manufacturers in introducing these contractors to their product line,” he says.
The timing of the exposition is apt for contractors looking to take advantage of the slower winter months, says Newlin. He says the courses can help “get your gears turning in that direction” for successful irrigation work in the spring.
“Then when the winter really hits us and we’re kind of hunkered down, that’s the time for these contractors to actually get involved with the training, whether it be online or in person or bring their suppliers in to do training for their team, however they may choose to do it. But now’s the time to get that all going.”
Find out more about and register for the irrigation track here. Here is a listing of the available courses at the 2023 Equip Exposition and their times and locations:
How To Get Into the Irrigation Business | 0.25 CEU
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Whether you want to add some irrigation services into your green industry business or be a full-service irrigation contractor, this session will get you started. Attendees will leave with a wealth of tips and advice from a panel of successful irrigation contractors who will share their stories and answer questions.
Presenter | John Newlin, CIC, CLC, CLIA, EPA WaterSense Partner
Cost | $85
Basic Irrigation Repairs | 1 CEU
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
This how-to session will teach those with no irrigation experience how to identify and handle common repairs. Through both presentations and hands-on exercises, attendees will learn irrigation servicing including how to replace a sprinkler head, fix simple valve issues and other irrigation repairs. This session is a great way to jump-start learning for those who want to work in irrigation service or who periodically need to fix simple irrigation problems.
Presenter | Shawn Sandink, CIC, CLIA, CID-L, SiteOne Landscape Supply
Cost | $85
Electrical Troubleshooting | 1 CEU
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Learn how to test basic conditions and how to use a volt-meter in this how-to session. Through both presentations and hands-on instruction, attendees will learn how to use a multimeter to identify the common irrigation system electrical faults such as shorts, opens and partial faults. These skills are important for those who service or want to service irrigations systems. Some prior irrigation system knowledge is helpful but not required for this session.
Presenter | Frederick A. Hall, CIC, CID, CLIA, K-Rain Manufacturing
Cost | $85
Anatomy of an Irrigation System | 1 CEU
Thursday, Oct. 19 | 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Understanding system components is the first step in learning how to design, install or service irrigation systems. This session will introduce basic irrigation components and help you learn options, functionality and industry terminology. It is designed for people with no irrigation experience.
Presenter | Frederick A. Hall, CIC, CID, CLIA, K-Rain Manufacturing
Cost | $85
Basic Controller Operation | 1 CEU
Friday, Oct. 20 | 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Learn how to operate typical irrigation controllers at this how-to session. It will provide a good primer for field staff who need to know how to do basic irrigation controller operations such as turning a zone on/off, setting date and time, or shutting down operations. This session will not discuss all the functions of the many controllers available in the marketplace, but it will cover enough to handle common operations. It is designed for those with little or no irrigation experience.
Presenter | Shawn Sandink, CIC, CLIA, CID-L, SiteOne Landscape Supply
Cost | $85
Wi-Fi & Connected Device Knowledge for Green Industry Professionals | 0.25 CEU
Friday, Oct. 20 | 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
The smart-home market is estimated at over $100 billion in annual revenue. Are you prepared to capture your share of it? The green industry is currently doing a poor job of capitalizing on this huge opportunity created by COVID and the “NOW” customer. During this hour you will learn what you need to know to capitalize on one of the largest market opportunities in our industry today that doesn’t require a shovel! Learn to speak the language of the Internet of Things and core fundamentals of wireless local area networking, allowing you to leverage technology to make smarter decisions faster for your customers and the health of their green space. You will walk away from this session tactically prepared for success in the world of Wi-Fi and connected devices, including smart irrigation control systems.
Presenter | Kevin Battisoni, Hunter Industries
Cost | $85
