[julianlam]

The way I see it is... I'd rather my lawn be yellow, plants dead, than a burst pipe underground causing significantly more expensive remediation.

I agree it's not likely (especially if the system is running as-scheduled), but it was a surprise is all. What if I didn't set up the service at all, and it dropped below 0 C? I would be in for a nasty surprise in the spring.

[kgermino]

That's fair, though it's not a given that the sprinklers are for turf-grass instead of something more important.

More interestingly (to me): did it have a local interface or was the only way to update it tied to the internet?

[julianlam]

There was a local interface, but I don't think it had advanced scheduling capabilities.

[ChoGGi]

All the irrigation lines I've seen in Canada are just a foot or so under the grass, and it's cheap plastic with cheap couplers.

You have to drain them yearly.