As summers slips into fall and the leaves begin to change color it is also the time to begin closing your sprinkler system. As always, the summers fly by and the ritual of preparing for winter takes place. Winterizing a sprinkler system is normally a simple and easy task whereby we pump compressed air into the system instead of water. Water left in the system will freeze and crack the entire pipe, fittings, valves, and sprinkler heads. When water freezes it expands and is a powerful force. Besides being able to ruin a sprinkler system, frozen water can split rocks, steel pipe, and roads (potholes).
There are several methods for closing down a sprinkler system such as manual drains and automatic drains but the best method that I have found to date to be most effective and guaranteed is using compressed air. To winterize a sprinkler system properly it is important to close the main valve that allows water into the system. Sometimes we call this the shut off valve. At Rain Rich, we mark the valve with a pink tag and label it as the LAWN SPRINKLER SHUT OFF VALVE so that it is not confused with any other valves that may be in the vicinity. Once the "LAWN SPRINKLER SHUT OFF VALVE" is closed we then open the outside connection for our compressor hook up and let that drain down. Once we make the compressor connection we then open our zone valves and begin pumping compressed air into the system. The water is pushed out through the sprinkler heads and depending upon the size of the system it may take several minutes per zone. Usually we can tell all the water is pushed out when the heads begin to fog or mist and it is at that point that we can move unto the next zone. When we are complete it is important to disconnect and make sure all the zones are off, manual valves are off, and the controller is off. It is very important to note that the controller must remain plugged into an outlet all winter. DO NOT UNPLUG THE CONTROLLER! All the new electronic controllers have their own internal Lithium batteries and if you unplug then you wear down the battery. This internal battery cannot be replaced and you will have to purchase a new controller in the spring. In regards to compressors, our compressors pump air in cubic feet per minute (cfm) and a minimum is 25 CFM at 60 psi. If you pump air at a pressure of higher than 70 psi then you risk damaging sprinkler components and this will void your warranty with the manufacturer and shorten the life of the system. Many people ask if they can do this themselves with their small portable compressor and the answer is yes, no, maybe. Again, I stress that 25 CFM is the minimum cubic feet per minute you should use and at no greater pressure than 70psi. The goal is to displace the water in the pipe with a large volume of air and having adequate air pressure is all that is required.
I recommend that owners have their sprinkler system winterized before Thanksgiving. Typically, you can stop watering by the middle of October. The weather is cool enough that there is little evaporation and there is enough precipitation to replace what little is lost. If you have a new landscape or a new lawn then November 1 should be the last day you water automatically with your sprinkler system. I have installed and serviced sprinkler systems for over 30 years and my experience with the weather is DO NOT WAIT! I have seen some pretty cold weather (temperatures in the teens) occur in November. Once your system freezes then that's it! You may have to replace it or parts of it in the spring. We cannot winterize a sprinkler system if it is frozen. If a sprinkler system freezes and then thaws and it is not broken that does not mean it is not damaged because I have seen many systems where the pipe has been stretched (some plastic pipes can do that) but it has not cracked. The bad news is that it will eventually fail and the lifespan has also been shorten by many years.
Other items to note about your winterizing are that many of you have pool cabanas, hose bibs, backflow devices, and water lines that are connected to the same water supply as the sprinkler system. These items are also very important and expensive to replace and should be taken care of as early as possible. I recommend late October and very early November the latest. We make a note of these items but also remember that if you made improvements during the summer then we may not be aware of them. Please call and schedule your appointment as soon as possible. Please let us know if you added any of the above items so that we may make time for the additional work. Please purchase a service agreement as this helps us identify winterizing clients and allows us to simplify scheduling. Purchasing a Service Agreement keeps your maintenance costs down! It isn't easy driving around long island to provide this service. Please call to schedule an appointment or email Joanne and Sue at jsenk@rainrich.com.
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