Winterizing Your Sprinkler System

Winterizing your home’s sprinkler system may seem like a daunting task that should only be taken on by professionals, but did you know that you may be able to do it yourself with just a few instructions? After just a few hours of work, your sprinkler system will be free of water and ready to survive the winter in no time.

First things first, shut off the supply of water to your system.

‍After that, identify which kind of irrigation system you have. It will determine which method you use to release the excess water:

• If you have manual drainage, you will be able to drain all the water from your system by opening a series of valves located at the low points and ends of your piping. Open all of these valves, draining the pipes as well as the backflow device. If your sprinklers are equipped with check valves, raise the sprinkler heads to drain the water from those as well. Once all the water is drained, lower the sprinkler heads and close the valves to your system.

• If you have automatic valves, the water in your system will automatically drain if the pressure falls below a specific number of pounds per square inch. After turning off the water supply, run one of your sprinkler heads in order to relieve the water pressure in your system. If your sprinkler heads have check valves, empty these by raising them. Finish by emptying the water between the shut-off valve and the backflow device.

If you have an irrigation system that requires blowing out your sprinkler system, we recommend hiring a professional to do the job. The process can be difficult to accomplish if you are inexperienced with controlling air pressure. If you feel ready to take on the challenge, we recommend talking to one of our specialists at our hardware store. They can recommend the best air compressors to get the job done right – saving you money and a major headache! 

Visit our hardware store or contact us today!

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