Saturday, May 26, 2007

Winterizing your sprinkler system

To keep your sprinkler system components from freezing when it gets cold, you have to get the water out of the entire system. If you live in an area where it never freezes, there is no reason to do this. But for those of us who do not live in the desert, here is the procedure:

Winterizing your automatic sprinkler system:
  1. Unplug your controller/timer.
  2. Shut off the water at the main valve. This is the valve located between the water meter and the back-flow preventer valve, or whatever back-flow prevention device you may have. If you do not have a back-flow preventer, simply shut off the first valve after the water meter. If you do not have a main valve because you have a separate water meter for your sprinkler system, simply turn off the water at the meter or call your water department and have them turn it off.
  3. Manually open each electronic valve on all of your zones. This is usually done by turning the solenoid (the thing on the valve with the wires attached to it, usually cylindrical in shape). Turn it about 1/4 turn. This releases any pressure in the system and allows the water left in the pipe to flow freely to the lowest points. NOTE- In colder climate areas you should have filter drain valves located at the lowest points in the system. Filter drain valves allow the water to drain out of the system when there is no water pressure (they close when there is pressure, open when there is no pressure).
  4. If you have any above-ground sprinkler heads, they should be removed and stored in a closet in your home or next to the water heater in your garage (not on the floor or on a shelf in a cold garage).
  5. Remove your back-flow prevention device. It should have unions that allow you to detach it and bring it inside for the cold season. If it does not and you cannot plum in your own unions, be sure to insulate it very well. Wrap it completely with a dry blanket, then put a garbage bag around the blanket to keep it completely dry. Please note that your best bet is to bring the back-flow device inside, there is no guarantee that it will not freeze as long as it is outside.
  6. If you have any sprinkler heads (rotors, sprayers or impacts) that are above the ground, these should be removed and brought indoors as well.
  7. Any pipe or exposed plumbing needs to be wrapped and kept dry.
  8. If you have a pump that provides the water for your system, it should be removed and brought in. As with the back-flow prevention device, it should have unions that allow you to do this. If not, remove the drain plug (usually a small fitting on the bottom side of the pump-end) and drain all water from the pump. If possible, remove the suction-pipe (the pipe that goes into the water). This may not be practical, and there is not much you can do to protect this pipe if it cannot be removed. Then, wrap your pump with a blanket and cover it with a garbage bag to keep it dry. If you have a submersible pump, the pump should not freeze as long as it is submersed deep enough into the water.
That is pretty much the size of it. Winterizing your system is basically making sure there is no water in the plumbing and making sure your components stay warm and dry.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I have one zone where the pressure is suddenly very low. The heads are only coming up minimally. The other zones work fine. DOes this sound like a malfunctioning valve? A leak somewhere?