Winterization of Sprinkler Systems

With cold weather drawing near, homeowners have many tasks to ready their homes for winter.  Just because leaves and snow cover the once green grass, doesn’t mean homeowners can forget about lawns.  Homeowners must winterize their in-ground sprinkler systems to keep them functional for years to come.

Winterization consists of removing all water from pipes and equipment of a sprinkler system.  This is necessary because as the weather cools, water freezes and expands, which can cause broken pipes, valves, pumps, and sprinkler heads.  Major repairs and costly bills lie ahead if the process is not performed absolutely right.  That is why it’s a good idea to hire a professional to winterize your system the first time around.  You can follow this person through the process, take detailed notes and prepare to do it yourself for the next year.

Here are some general guidelines for the winterization process:

• Shut off the water supply to the irrigation system.
• Turn the automatic sprinkler controller to the off position.
• If you have a backflow prevention device, you must empty purge all the water out.  Once empty of water, leave the backflow valves half open to prevent freezing and splitting.
• Locate and open all drain valves to let gravity drain water from pipes.
• “Blow out the system.”  (Many irrigation systems required compressed air to be forced through the pipes to ensure that the water is pushed out of the pipes.  This is called “blowing out the system.”

Winterization is a complicated, but necessary, procedure to ensure a properly working system next spring.  WaterOne can come out and speak to your group on this topic.

Winterization of your in-ground sprinkler system, if done properly, can save you from headaches and costly repair bills.  Preparing now can lead to an easy spring with your sprinkler system.  If you would like to schedule a speaker, please call our Conservation Staff at (913) 895-1814.