make for cold weather condition and prevent impairment to pipe with our template to winterizing a sprinkler system .
Dave Toht
Sprinkler system are an excellent way to insure your lawn and garden persist green and luxuriant throughout the hot summer time of year . The water lines run underground to evenly space sprinkler heads , spend a penny it easy to water the yard . Bigger yard might even have a sprinkler system with trenchant zones , so only one zone is watered at a fourth dimension . Additionally , some sprinkler scheme twosome with an automatic timer for a coiffure - it - and - bury - it procedure .
Credit:Dave Toht
However , when stale temperatures hit , a sprinkler system needs to be turn off , drain , and insulate to prevent ice from imprint inside the pipe . If a sprinkler system is not properly winterize , any remaining pee will freeze and can damage the pipes and factor of the organization . To ensure your irrigation system is properly prepared for winter , follow this guide to winterize a sprinkler system .
How to Drain a Sprinkler System
There are three main methods for draining the water out of a sprinkler scheme , including automatonlike draining , manual draining , and jamboree drain .
Automatic Draining
This can only be done with sprinkler system that have an automatic drain role . This feature create it easy to enfeeble the sprinkler organization by turn off the water supplying and launch the sprinkler heading to reduce the pee pressure level . reflex drain then begin to net the pipe of supernumerary water .
Manual Draining
This is an option if your irrigation system is fit with a manual drainage valve . Simply turn off the water supplying and open up the manual valve at the ends and humble decimal point of the pipe . Also , make certain to drain the backflow equipment .
Blowout Draining
This method typically takes the least time , though it ’s the most complicated method for draining a sprinkler system . This method employ an air compressor to blow aviation into the sprinkler system for force the water supply out through the sprinkler foreland .
twist off the water supply and connect the tune compressor to the sprinkler system after the backflowing preventer . Turn on the sprinkler head that is elevated the high and furthest away from the air compressor , then slowly spread out the compressor valve to add air to the system . check that the air air pressure does not exceed the air pressure spec of the irrigation system . go on to add air to the system until water starts coming through the sprinkler head . Blow out each sprinkler head word one at a metre for about two min each or until water is no longer come out , then shut the sprinkler head and move to the next . Once you have endure through all sprinkler heads , turn off the compressor and close up all valves on the irrigation organization .
When to Prepare a Sprinkler System for Winter
It ’s authoritative to take steps to winterize the system before freeze temperature hit , otherwise , it may be too previous to preventdamage to the sprinkler organization . However , if you winterize the irrigation scheme too presently , your lawn and garden may bear at the shadow terminal of the summer . Wait until temperature consistently souse down to between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit to winterize a sprinkler system .
Keep in creative thinker that you will need to have some tools and supplies on helping hand so as to drain the H2O from the sprinkler system and insulate any above - ground components that would otherwise be vulnerable in freezing weather . If you are n’t blowing out the urine pedigree , the system can take up to 24 hour to fully drain , so a secure pattern is to winterize your irrigation system of rules as before long as free fall ends . Do n’t wait too long to prepare the sprinkler system for winter if you require to avoid damage to the pipes , fixtures , and other components .
How to Winterize a Sprinkler System
What You Need
Step 1: Inspect System
Inspect the irrigation arrangement before beginning the winterizing process . This will give you the opportunity to check for any leaks or existing impairment that might need to be repaired . Keep in mind that if the piss lines are leak , water may be capable to get into the system of rules even after the water provision is closed and the pipe are enfeeble . If this occurs , the water can suspend and make extra damage , so revivify any gap or leaks before winterizing is recommended .
Step 2: Shut Down Water
If the sprinkler arrangement does n’t require any repairs , the next whole step is to turn off the piss to the sprinkler . watch inside the home for an isolation valve on the pee tune run to the sprinkler system . flex off the valve to check the catamenia of water into the irrigation system .
Step 3: Turn Off Timer
Not all sprinkler system have an automatic timer , but if your system does have a timer , it will take to be turned off or set to pelting modal value . Rain manner essentially allows you to power down the timer without losing any program information or setting .
Step 4: Drain Water
Draining the water from the irrigation system is the bulk of the work to complete the winterization procedure . Check to see if you have an robotic or a manual drain that can be used to quickly and in effect drain the system without the use of an air compressor .
If you have an robotlike drain , but start the sprinkler heads to reduce the piss press and allow the robotlike draining process to empty the supererogatory water from the pipes . If your system relies on a manual waste pipe , open up the manual valves at the ends and modest points of the piping to drain the water from the pipes . It ’s also important to check that you drain the backflow twist .
For sprinkler systems that do not have an automatic or manual drain , utilise an air compressor to blow weewee out of the tune . Connect the atmosphere compressor to the sprinkler system after the backflow machine , using the hose bib or a quick - connect coupler . open up the irrigation place that is elevated the in high spirits and located the utmost from the aura compressor , then shut the backflow isolation valves .
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twist on the melody compressor and slowly get to add gentle wind to the system , progressively sum more until the water take off to spray out of the open sprinkler head . When the water cease spraying out , enter the next sprinkler read/write head and shut the previous one . ingeminate this procedure with each sprinkler brain until the entire system has been bobble out . verify to keep the air pressure below the maximum operating pressure of the lowest - rat part of the system to annul damage the components .
Turn off the compressor and disconnect it from the system , then resign any insistency leave inside the piping by opening and closing the valves on the backflow twist . at last , fold all of the valves on the irrigation organization to keep body of water from entering the lines .
Step 5: Wrap Insulation Around Above-Ground Components
The last measure in the mental process is to wrap up any above - ground component that would otherwise be let on to immobilize wintertime weather , such as valves , water product line , and the backflow preventer . Wrap these components with foam pipe covert or insularism taping . Just make certain that you do n’t block any atmosphere vents or debilitate outlets during this process .
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