A bit of sprinkler maintenance now can save you a lot of hassle come spring
Learning how to winterize your sprinkler system will help ensure it works well when you’re ready to use it again in spring. This annual maintenance task can be a DIY part of your overall winter home maintenance checklist, or you can opt to hire a sprinkler professional to make sure it’s done correctly.
Winterizing your sprinkler system will prevent residual water in the pipes and sprinkler heads from freezing and causing expensive sprinkler repairs. Since water expands when it freezes, ice can crack pipes and sprinkler heads as it forms, leading to a damaged, unusable sprinkler system come spring. Removing as much residual moisture from the system as possible and insulating your system’s above-ground components will help to prevent the damage.
You should winterize your sprinkler system before the first hard frost, when the temperature drops below freezing for more than a few hours. Winterizing your sprinkler system in October is usually the right time of year, but you should check your local guidelines to find out when a hard freeze is predicted in your area.
Draining the water out of sprinkler pipes, spigots, hoses, and sprinkler heads is the key to putting your sprinkler system to bed for winter. Here are the steps you can take to winterize your sprinkler system.
Stop the flow of water to your sprinkler system by disconnecting the water line or the shut-off valve. Exterior shut-off valves are typically located on the outside of a wall, close to a door leading inside. You can also check the meter box, often labeled “water.”
Next, switch your sprinkler timer to the “off” setting. This setting is an essential part of the winterizing process, ensuring that the entire system shuts down correctly.
Once the sprinkler system is disconnected from its water source, you can drain the sprinkler system’s water by opening the valves to the sprinkler heads or turning the system on. Wait until you see the water stop flowing from the sprinkler heads to turn the system off.
Some sprinkler systems have an automatic function that will drain water from the pipes and sprinkler heads. If you have an automated system, look for this information in your system’s user manual.
You can use an air compressor to expel residual water in your sprinkler pipes by shooting pressurized air through the system. Some sprinkler systems will already have a valve or connector set up for the purpose of connecting an air hose to your system.
The final winterizing step is to protect your outdoor spigots and faucets for winter weather conditions. Consider purchasing small covers for these outdoor features to ensure they don’t get damaged by snow, ice, or freezing rain during the winter.
Getting rid of as much moisture as possible within your sprinkler system is a recipe for success when winterizing your sprinkler system. You should also insulate any above-ground spigots, pipes, and faucets to prevent them from winter damage.
Use foam covers, pipe insulation, or even pool noodles to protect above-ground components of your sprinkler system.
Drain or blow out your sprinkler system on a dry day to allow moisture to dissipate more effectively.
Don’t forget to turn off your sprinkler timer.
Check your manual for drainage instructions to avoid damage to your sprinkler system.
Don’t forget to close the valves on your sprinkler system once you’ve drained it.
The cost to professionally winterize your sprinkler system is between $60 and $130. The cost to DIY winterize your sprinkler system is free, but to blow it out, you will need equipment like an air compressor that can provide about ten cubic feet of air per minute to get enough air moving through the pipes. An automatic system is relatively simple to drain, and a manual draining sprinkler system takes a little more effort, but neither require special tools. For professional-quality results, consider hiring a local sprinkler winterizer to properly protect your system for winter.
While they have enough pressure, most home compressors can’t move enough air quickly enough to blow out a sprinkler system. Check to see if your compressor can produce ten cubic feet of air per minute to see if your home compressor will work. If not, you’ll need to rent or purchase the proper equipment.
An automatic drain valve will expel water each time your system shuts off, allowing excess water to be released. It’s a small cap that will have wires leading to it. You can also consult the manual for your sprinkler system to see if it came with automatic drain valves.
Your shut-off valve is likely located in a basement, utility room, or garage and is connected to your sprinkler system by a water line. Likely, you will be able to observe the water line connection going to your house and trace that to find the shutoff valve. You might also have an access panel that covers a utility box in your yard. If you have one of these, the shutoff valves for your sprinkler system are likely inside.
