How To Winterize Your Sprinkler System

January 31, 2022

So if you have a system with above-ground piping andor backflow valve above ground it is best to protect these components from early hard freezes by shutting off the water to the sprinkler system running a cycle with the controller and covering the exposed components with a thick blanket or towels until your contractor can complete the winterizing service. If necessary adjust the level of antifreeze solution in the systems to prevent freezing.

When Should I Winterize My Sprinkler System Wetscape Royal Irrigation Company

Open all the drain valves for each zone and leave them open until all.

How to winterize your sprinkler system. Follow these steps to begin draining water from your irrigation system. Open each valve on the system with one full turn. Use the compressor to blow out the first sprinkler.

You need to shut this off too. Below the freezing point some of the most critical components of a sprinkler system can be damaged. Recommendations for Blowing Out an Irrigation System.

A properly sized air compressor running air through each sprinkler zone for two minutes should do the trick. A stop-and-waste valve or drain of some type should have been installed between the water supply and the backflow device. The blowout method is usually the easiest and most efficient way to winterize a sprinkler pump system.

You need to begin the process of winterizing your sprinkler system by turning off the water supply to your system according to the Colorado State University Extension. Next turn off the water supply to the sprinkler system and set the timer to open just one zone. It can take 15- 30 minutes for an average residential sprinkler system to winterize it with an air compressor of CFM Cubic Feet per Minute rating of 80-100.

A hard freeze is when the outdoor air dips below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It really depends on the size of the air compressor you use. If it is then winterizing will be a breeze.

Manual drain auto-drain and the blowout method air compressor. Shut the valve and open the drain. Check the antifreeze systems by testing the concentration of the antifreeze solution.

The average homeowner can expect to take three hours or more on the same sprinkler system. Many wet sprinkler systems prevent pipes freezing by adding an antifreeze solution to the system. If done correctly running the air through every zone for 2 minutes is enough to winterize a system.

There are generally three methods used to winterize a pump system. This can happen due to the water in the system freezing and causing a build of up ice which will cause the pipes to burst. When temperatures start to fall its time to consider winterizing your sprinkler system.

Double-Check the User Manual. However this isnt necessarily a quick and easy jobunless you know what youre doing. The steps presented here are generic to most systems but you want to see whether you.

Your lines must be drained or blown out using an air compressor before the first hard freeze. Turn off the water supply by closing the main valve in the sprinkler valve box. Heres how to winterize your sprinkler system before the freezing temps become an issue and that frost wreaks havoc on your system.

This will activate the self-draining function which takes less than 5 minutes to complete. How to Drain Winterize Your Sprinkler System Find the manual drain valves located downstream of each zone valve. Just be aware that even the largest home compressor isnt powerful enough to blow out the entire system at once.

A professional can winterize an eight-zone system in about half an hour. Homeowners can winterize their own sprinkler systems they can also DIY the entire sprinkler installation process. Shut down the water supply and connect the air compressor to the irrigation system using the coupler.

Find the sprinkler station highest and. To drain your sprinklers go to the backflow valve which should be connected to your houses water source. But you can probably blow it out zone by zone.

With a basic quick-connect coupling you can use your air compressor to clear water from your sprinkler system for the winter. If the zone has a manual drain valve open it up. Simply turn off the water supply and timer.

Particularly if youre winterizing your sprinkler system for the first time make sure you double-check the manufacturers user manual. Avoid blowing compressed air directly through the backflow device.

3 Ways To Winterize A Sprinkler System Wikihow