I always read that the key to watering is "deep but infrequent" - like twice a week but really soak it. After a few years of trying this method, I suspect it may be bullshit. I mean, it's probably good advice if you want a healthy, natural lawn. But I want an unnaturally-green-all-summer-golf-course-style lawn. I hear that watering too often leads to a shallow root system, which isn't sustainable unless you plan to keep watering a lot. That's fine. I'm on a well. I'm still going to water in the morning so it dries during the day to avoid fungus and stuff, but otherwise I'm draining the aquifer. We'll see how this goes.
my L/A friend is team deep but infrequent.
SD, no need to pay someone to charge your system in the spring, just be sure to slowly turn on the valve, don't just slam it open.