Winterizing Your Irrigation System
Every year, before the first freeze, the ritual of irrigation "blow out" becomes the priority for all irrigation systems that are in regions of the country where the frost level extends below the depth of the installed piping.
Even if you have drained some water out of the system, the remaining water can freeze, expand and crack the PVC piping, usually from fitting to fitting. Polyethylene pipe (flexible, black pipe) is used in many freezing climates. Although polyethylene pipe is more flexible and can expand under pressure, water left inside could freeze and rupture the pipe walls. Freezing water in the backflow assembly will damage the internal components and could possibly crack the brass body.
To minimize the risk of freeze damage to your irrigation system, you’ll need to "winterize" your irrigation system
Irrigation systems in areas where "winterization" is mandatory are installed using one of three types of water removal in mind: manual drain, auto drain, or blowout. If you don’t know your system type, it would be best to use the blowout method.
In The Spring
The best way to get your system up and running in the spring is to have your contractor go through their startup procedure. They will be able to check and make sure all the components are working properly and help to ensure that your system is ready to work for the season.
1. Before turning on any water to the system, make sure all manual drain valves are returned to the "closed" position.
2. Open the system main water valve slowly to allow pipes to fill with water gradually. If these valves are opened too quickly, sprinkler main lines are subjected to high surge pressures, uncontrolled flow and water hammer.
3. Verify the proper operation of each zone valve by manually activating it from the controller.
4. Walk through each station on the controller, checking for proper operation of the zone. Check for proper operating pressure (low pressure indicates a line break or missing sprinkler), proper rotation and adjustment of sprinkler heads, and adequate coverage. Check and clean filters on poorly performing sprinklers. Adjust heads to grade as necessary.
5. Reprogram the controller for automatic watering. Replace the controller back-up battery if necessary.
6. Uncover and clean the system rain sensor, if applicable.
7. Finish and clean any in-line filters for drip irrigation zones.
Checking Irrigation System
It’s a good idea to check it frequently during the peak watering season to make sure that everything is functioning correctly and water is being applied as needed to the plant material. Users will often do a quick run through of each zone after they have finished mowing and trimming. A handy tool to have installed in your Hunter system is one of our popular remote controls. These time-saving devices allow you to walk around your property and turn the valves on and off without having to keep going back to the controller.
