Don't Wait To Winterize Your Sprinkler System

As fall approaches in Northern Colorado and the weather gets colder, you run the risk of freezing water causing damage to your sprinkler system. Don't forget to winterize sprinkler systems. Here on the plains in Greeley & Loveland, CO sprinkler system maintenance is an important part of lawn care, both to protect your sprinkler and keep your lawn healthy in the warmer months.

And we offer blowouts at a very reasonable price - we start at only $65 and most people fit into that price range; the price goes up depending on the size of the system.

Water left standing in your sprinkler system will expand and crack the pipes or rupture the pipe walls. If water freezes in the backflow assembly, the internal components will become damaged, possibly cracking as well.

Unfortunately, you may not be aware that your pipes have frozen... until you turn on your sprinkler system in the spring. It's a nasty surprise and a major sprinkler system repair.

You can easily avoid the headaches and costs of a broken sprinkler system by proper sprinkler system winterization before the really cold weather sets in. You need to get all the water out of the pipes.

Sprinkler Winterization - Two Ways To Remove Water

There are two main ways to remove all water from the pipes and sprinklers before the first freeze -drain the water out through drain valves, or blow the water out, using air. Seems simple right?

Not so fast. If you live in a colder climate (like Northern Colorado) you must first make sure the mainline shut-off valve is freeze-proof. It must be completely evacuated so there will be no freezing water left to damage it. If you let it freeze up, your main valve will sustain damage, and your system won't work in the spring.

As for removing the water, both of the two available drainage methods have advantages and disadvantages.

Chose to use valves to drain water, and you will need to be certain they are installed at each low point in the piping. Opt for a manual draining system and you'll need to be out there, manually opening the valves. Select automatic drain valves, and they will open themselves whenever the pressure drops too low in the pipes-however, they often stay closed if they haven't been routinely opened.

The Blow-out Method Is Better

This method uses an enormous air compressor to blow water out of the pipes to fully empty them before winter. There are, however, a lot of things that can go wrong with this method, and one tiny mistake can mean you no longer have a working sprinkler system in your yard.

If you want your sprinkler system blown-out for the cold weather, The Lawn Barber can do this for you at a very reasonable cost.

Winterization - Advice for Do-it-Yourselfers

Still, want to do it yourself? Here are two helpful tips:

  1. Don't blow air through the backflow preventer or through the pump, as you can damage them.
  2. Never allow the air pressure in your compressor to reach over 80 PSI for PVC piping, or 50 PSI for polyethylene piping to avoid breaking the pipes from too much pressure.

But why spend all that time and trouble to rent the compressor and then take the risk of damaging the entire system and having to replace it in the spring?

Give us a call at 970-330-5296 and we'll professionally winterize your sprinkler system, ensuring that next spring your system will start up with no surprises.

How To Quick-Drain Your Sprinkler System

Here's a helpful video with a clear step-by-step guide for draining your sprinkler system.