As winter approaches, it is necessary to prepare your irrigation system for the cold weather before it freezes. This normally occurs late fall, around October or November. You can be assured, our technicians will be in personal touch with you to discuss an appropriate time for this to occur.
For the sprinkler winterization, our Service Technician will turn off the water to the sprinkler system and back drain the plumbing before the backflow. They will use a towable air compressor to clear all the irrigation lines of water.
If water is left in the pipes over the winter and freezes, there is a good chance the ice will expand and break or crack the irrigation system. Once the water thaws those cracks can send water inside the home or underground, causing flooding or excess water to leak and pool. It is not uncommon for homeowners to find their lawn has become a swamp in the spring due to a burst pipe underground.
Additionally, the technician will deactivate the irrigation controller to ensure it doesn’t accidentally engage the sprinkler heads and valves.
The early Autumn months are the perfect time to start thinking about scheduling the winterization of your irrigation system. The pictures below reflect the process of hooking up the compressor and blowing out the water in the irrigation pipes. Finally, the backflow is removed, taped up the open areas, and giving the backflow to the home owner to keep safe and sound until Spring arrives and it is time to start-up the system once again.
Caution: Even for winterizing or starting up your irrigation system, a company/individual MUST have a license from the State of Illinois. If they cannot produce that, don’t take a chance and have someone perform this process – if something goes wrong and the individual/company is not bonded or insured, when Spring Start-up occurs, it is up to the home-owner to pay the price for fixing the system.
