Friday 18 December 2015

How and Why you Winterize a Lawn Sprinkler System

Even though the weather in Central Texas doesn't match Northern winters, homeowners still need to protect their lawn sprinkler system by winterizing. Why is this important? If a system is not winterized, pipes or valves can freeze creating havoc and in some instances even create backflow problems of contaminated water into home tap water.

Steps to Winterize Your Lawn Sprinkler System

  1. Turn off the water supply to the irrigation system. Make this shut-off valve "freeze proof" by wrapping it in insulation. If you don't have a shut-off valve, then it would be a good idea to have a professional install one.
  2. Turn the automatic controller of the irrigation system to the "rain" setting. Don't turn off the power or you will need to reprogram.
  3. Locate your backflow preventer and make sure it has insulation installed on it. If it freezes and breaks, that can cause contaminated water to back into your house. One way to insulate is to use R-11 fiberglass insulation (which you can wrap around both the backflow preventer and the main valve). Cover the insulation with plastic and duct tape. Another way to handle this is to buy insulation systems from a sprinkler supply center or a lawn care professional.
  4. Turn on lawn sprinkler system valves to get all water out of the pipes.
  5. Drain water from irrigation components that are above ground. Open up each drain valve at the lowest point to get the most water out.

Watering During Winter

One common winterizing step for northern sprinkler systems is to blow out all of the water in pipes. In Waco, the ground doesn't freeze and most pipes are buried deep enough that a little water inside won't damage them. In addition, although this area has freezing weather, it also has warm, dry spells during the winter where lawns need watering. So in winterizing, it is important to make it as easy as possible to turn the water back on again when needed. To water during winter, you will need to turn on the water supply and turn your automatic controller back to the regular program.

Winterizing Irrigation System Help

If you are uncertain about how to locate parts of your sprinkler system or how to handle any of the steps of winterizing, be sure to contact a lawn care professional for help.

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