---
title: "Seasonal Maintenance"
canonical: "https://farmconnect.docs.rubiconwater.com/space/FCKB/blog/2258599946/Seasonal%20Maintenance"
format: markdown
---
As the southern hemisphere moves towards Winter it is important to undertake some maintenance tasks to support the longevity of your FarmConnect hardware.

## Hibernation

If your hardware is going to be unused for the season, it is best practice to hibernate any actuators to preserve battery life.  See [https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FCD/pages/2022375439/Manual+Control#Hibernating-and-Waking-Up-Devices](https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FCD/pages/2022375439/Manual+Control#Hibernating-and-Waking-Up-Devices) in the FarmConnect Knowledgebase, with added demonstration videos to help with the process.

A previous blog post explains the importance of the hibernation feature: [https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FCKB/blog/2024/04/08/2205515794](https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/FCKB/blog/2024/04/08/2205515794) 

## Pre-Season Checks

When you start up again in the next irrigation season, you will want to be assured that all your devices are in good working order.  It is important to undertake pre-season checks in readiness for your first irrigations.  It is recommended that these checks occur at least a few weeks before the start of the season so that any issues requiring Rubicon attendance can be known suitably in advance, allowing our field technicians the opportunity to undertake repairs in a timely manner.

Our recommended pre-season checks are documented here: [https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQBIf](https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/x/AQBIf) 

## FerIT Node Firmware Upgrades

For irrigators with LoRa systems and Rubicon FerIT Nodes, firmware upgrades via the [https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DC](https://rubiconwater.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DC)  bluetooth interface will form an important part of your seasonal maintenance works.  As we add new features, keeping your FerIT nodes up to date will support any new improvements that might benefit your operations.

Look out for future blog posts and communications on DeviceConnect, where we will demonstrate some useful features.