Did you know that water left in your irrigation system expands when it freezes? The frozen water can end up rupturing the pipes and damage the internal components of your sprinkler system. In some areas winterization of sprinklers is mandatory, in these areas they use three main types of irrigation systems are manual drain, auto drain, and blowout. Today we’ll go over the three systems, what can be done by the homeowner, and what should be left to the professionals when it comes to preparing sprinklers for winter.
Sprinkler Manual Drain Systems
The manual drain method can be used with manual value irrigation system. To drain this type of system you should begin by shutting off the irrigation water supply. Then:
- Open manual drain values and allow the water to drain.
- Open boiler drain valve or cap and allow water to drain from between the shutoff valve and backflow device.
- Drain the backflow device by opening the test cocks.
If your sprinklers have check valves, make sure to open them to allow water to drain from the sprinkler body. Afterwards, make sure to close all valves you opened.
Sprinkler Automatic Drain Systems
Your sprinklers may come equipped with an automatic system for draining the pipes (usually starting when pressure drops below 10 PSI). Simply cut off the water source and open the system to release the pressure. The water will automatically drain from the main system. In addition:
- Open boiler drain valve or cap and allow water to drain from between the shutoff valve and backflow device.
- Drain the backflow device by opening the test cocks.
- If your sprinklers have check values, make sure to pull them open to allow them to drain.
Once all of these steps are done, make sure to close the system back up.
Sprinkler Blowout Method
For larger and more complex systems, the blowout method can do a thorough job of clearing out the systems quickly using compressed air. This can also be applied to both the above systems as well. This works by replacing the main line’s water flow with that from the air compressor. Steps must be taken to have the right PSI (never above 80), and to do the system in zones to avoid friction damage to the pipes by cycling through the controller zones. We recommend larger compressor units, as least 50 cubic feet per minute, for residential irrigation systems, with bigger units for larger estates or commercial systems.
A good sprinkler system can keep your lawn green throughout the year. A system damaged from wintertime freezing or improper draining not only stop being effective, it requires the lawn to be teared up to be replaced With trained specialists at Greener Horizon, they provide services that design, install, and maintain your home irrigation systems. Let us help you clear your systems for the winter, from residential properties to full commercial sprinkler systems. We’ve got the experience and equipment to help you with preparing sprinklers for winter.
