In most parts of the United States, the lawn sprinkler season comes to an end during the winter months. Homeowners and businesses that fail to winterize their lawn sprinkler systems may regret not doing so come spring. If the water remains in the PVC pipes and freezes during the winter, the pipes are apt to expand and may crack. Water that freezes in the underground back-flow assembly can cause significant damage when it freezes, particularly to the brass fittings.
There are three basic methods that most Winterization Services in Wichita KS recommend to prepare irrigation systems for the winter. These are manual drain, automatic drain, and the blow-out methods.
Manual Drain – The manual method is often used when the irrigation lines are equipped with manual valves at the end of the installations. The first step is shutting off the water supply. Next, every manual drain valve within the lines needs to be opened to drain water from the main line. To be certain there is no water left, the boiler drain valve must be opened, and once the main line is empty, the shut-off valve of the irrigation system should be re-opened. If the sprinkler system is equipped with check valves, the sprinkler heads must be lifted up so that water can drain from the sprinkler body. Once all the water is drained, the manual valves may be closed.
Automatic Drain – The automatic drain method works for systems with automatic valves. Automatic valves are usually located at low points along the piping. They drain water automatically whenever the pressure drops below ten psi inside the pipes. Simply turn off the water supply, turn on a sprinkler station, and the pressure is relieved.
Blow Out Method – The preferred method used by Winterization Services in Wichita KS, such as Rain Link Inc. is the blow-out method. The blow-out method uses compressed air to blow or push out every last drop of water. After the main line is emptied, the water in-between the shut-off valve and back-flow device is drained. The amount of pressure used is critical; therefore this method should ideally be performed by qualified, professional contractors.
It is important to take care of one’s irrigation system. Having it professionally winterized is often the key to avoiding large repair bills in the spring. If you take care of your irrigation system, it will take care of you.
