Winterizing Your Irrigation System. Jess Stryker's Landscape Irrigation Tutorials. Winterizing Your Irrigation System.

If you have some experience in plumbing, you might consider adding a backflow preventer to your pipes without a pro. What is Backflow? Backflow is the undesirable reversal of the flow of water or mixtures of water and other undesirable substances from any source (such as used water. DIY Sprinkler System Installation - Do-It-Yourself sprinkler system irrigation is easy if you follow these simple steps! Wilkins backflow preventer parts for reduced pressure, double check and vacuum breaker assemblies. Visit us for a complete list of Wilkins parts.

Don't forget about spring . What you want is details, so let's.

Depending on where your irrigation system is located you need to take different approaches to winterization. Select your location: Temperate Climates. Cold Climates. Temperate Climates. These are areas where it doesn't freeze or a typical freeze lasts for only a few hours. If it snows the snow melts in an hour or so. Ice may form at night but quickly melts in the morning. If you have hose bibs or water pipes on the outside of your house chances are they are not wrapped in insulation to keep them from freezing (because they don't need to be!).

2 Backflow is defined as the reverse flow of contaminated or undesirable substance into the potable water supply. Installing a backflow preventer can protect the.

Ahh, the joys of Southern California living! Here we consider anything below 6. F) much too cold and we pull out the parkas and throw a log on the fire! Well, OK, I live in the southern fringe of Central California, but I'm only about 2 blocks from the ocean so it almost never freezes here. However, throughout most of Southern California, like other temperate regions, we can get hard freezes during the early morning hours.

Any freeze can cause damage to an irrigation system, so precautions need to be taken. Here's the procedure for all temperate climate areas: Shut off the water supply to the irrigation system. The main shut off valve for your irrigation system needs to be . That means it should be below the frost line, inside a heated room, wrapped with insulation, or somehow protected from freezing.

Here are some cool tips and tricks that will help with installing sprinkler systems. Shop Backflow is the nation's preferred source for backflow prevention products and services. Find the backflow preventer, backflow valve, backflow device. Lawn Sprinkler System Supplies & Irrigation System Parts on Sale. Fast, Free Shipping on Orders over $149. Buy Sprinkler Systems, Ponds and Pond Kits, Replacement. The first professional grade Rain Bird sprinkler system designed for homeowner installation, it provides everything you need to keep your lawn green season after.

It doesn't do much good if the shut- off valve freezes and breaks! So what happens if you don't have a main shut- off valve for your irrigation system? Then you'll need to install one! Most controllers have a .

The controller continues to keep time, the programming information (start times, valve run times, etc,) isn't lost, and the clock continues to run, all that changes is that the valves don't come on. An alternative to using the rain mode is simply to shut off the power to the controller. If you do, you'll need to reprogram the time, and maybe all your other settings too, in the spring! How much electricity is saved by turning it off? That depends. Solid state controllers use very little energy- about the same as a night light. Mechanical controllers use more- as much or more than a 1.

My rule of thumb is that if the controller has a digital time display you should use the rain setting on the controller. If the controller uses a dial, like a analog clock face, turn off the power to the controller to save electricity. If a pump is wired to your controller you should disconnect the power to the controller rather than using the rain shut down feature.

There is a remote possibility that the controller could damage the pump by accidentally starting it while the system is shut down. In temperate areas it is not necessary to remove the water from the underground pipes since it doesn't freeze that deep. Hooray! If you have gear- drive rotor sprinklers installed above ground the water needs to be drained out of them or they may freeze and rupture. Often the water will drain out on its own. If the water doesn't drain out you will need to install a drain valve somewhere on the sprinkler supply pipe so you can drain the water out.

Another option is to remove the rotors and shake the water out of them, then replace them (or store them inside for the winter). Many rotors have a built in check valve that prevents the water from draining out, so you have to remove them and shake the water out. So if you have any gear- drive rotors mounted above ground be sure to check to make sure the water has drained out of them. Any above ground piping needs to be insulated.

You can buy self sticking foam insulating tape to wrap around the pipe which works fine. You can also install the foam insulating tubes commonly sold at home supply stores on them. Also, if you have a low doorway the foam tubes make great bumpers to keep you from getting your brains knocked out when you forget to duck on your way out the door!)Insulate backflow preventers and valves (or remove and store them) if they are above ground. You can also use insulation tape for this. Do not block the air vents and drain outlets on backflow preventers! A cheap trick is to get some R- 1. Just wrap it tight enough to keep the bag and insulation from blowing off.

Insulation will not work if it gets wet! You can also buy ready- made insulation blankets for your valves and backflow preventers at most sprinkler supply stores. This insulated bag goes over the backflow preventer and ties or padlocks in place.

One brand that I have used is . They get a free plug because they sent me a small sample insulation bag, about the size of a bed pillow! I carry it in my truck where I use it as an emergency pillow, a hand warmer, or a great place to put six- packs of soda to keep them cold during the summer! The nice thing about all the above items is that you can do them once, then you never have to worry about it again.

The insulation can stay in place all year long and you don't ever need to worry about winterizing again. You should still do pre- season maintenance each year in early spring! See the section on Spring start- up procedures.) After all, isn't that why you choose to live in a nice, temperate climate location? Cold Climates. Chances are if you live in one of these climates I don't need to provide a definition of ! If you ever need to shovel snow, or if ice forms and doesn't melt for days on end, then you are in an area where you need to take some major measures to protect your irrigation system from freezing. Here's what you need to do if you live in a cold climate area.

Shut off the water supply to the irrigation system. The main shut off valve for your irrigation system needs to be . That means it should be below the frost line, inside a heated room, wrapped with insulation, or somehow protected from freezing. It doesn't do much good if the shut- off valve freezes and breaks! What if you don't have a main shut- off valve for your irrigation system?

Then you'll need to install one! Most controllers have a . The controller continues to keep time, the programming information (start times, valve run times, etc,) isn't lost, and the clock continues to run, all that changes is that the valves don't come on. An alternative to using the rain mode is simply to shut off the power to the controller. If you do, you'll need to reprogram the time, and maybe all your other settings too, in the spring! How much electricity is saved by turning it off?

That depends. Solid state controllers use very little energy- about the same as a night light. Mechanical controllers use more- as much or more than a 1. My rule of thumb is that if the controller has a digital time display you should use the rain setting on the controller.

If the controller uses a dial, like a analog clock face, turn off the power to the controller to save electricity. If a pump is wired to your controller you should disconnect the power to the controller rather than using the rain shut down feature. There is a remote possibility that the controller could damage the pump by accidentally starting it while the system is shut down. Remove the backflow preventer, remove water from the risers, and cap the risers. More likely you will need to pump it out.

I've found a wet/dry shop vacuum works fine with a few modifications. The hose on the vacuum is usually to large to work, you will probably need to rig a smaller hose onto it using duct tape.) Drain the water out of the backflow preventer and put it in storage for the winter. An alternate method is to install pipe heating cables on the above ground valves and backflow preventer then install insulation over the heater cables. Of course you'll have to pay for electricity to run the heaters all winter, and if the electrical power goes off for an extended period..

This is to protect it from those unexpected early and late season freezes! Install Windows 7 Inspiron Mini 910 on this page.