The temperature is dropping and with winter setting in, groundcover and grass will all soon be dormant, storing up energy for that spring growth spurt.
Your turf irrigation system won’t be seeing much use from this point on, as dormant turf doesn’t need much watering.
Mother nature can take care of things until springtime.
Shutting Down an Irrigation Sprinkler System
What you need to take care of in the meantime is shutting down your turf irrigation system so it doesn’t become damaged once the ground starts freezing.
It might take more than one or two freezes for the ground to freeze to the level of the irrigation lines but once it does, that is when the damage can occur.
Water trapped in those thin pipes can destroy the whole system as it freezes and expands, bursting PVC water supply lines.
The worst thing is that you may not realize it until much later, after many gallons of wasted water has passed through broken water lines once the water can flow again.
Simple to Shut Down Turf Irrigation Systems
Fortunately, “winterizing” a turf irrigation system and preventing this damage is very easy to do.
It can be accomplished in only 4 easy steps:
- Turn off the system and any timers controlling it.
- Turn off the main water supply to the system.
- Open all valves and drain the system.
- Insulate any above-ground components to protect them.
Importance of Draining Turf Irrigation Systems
Of the four steps, draining the turf irrigation system is the one requiring the most attention.
Depending on the system, it might have an automatic draining function that should be activated or you may have to drain it manually, just refer to the instructional manual for your system for directions.
In most cases, this just involves opening certain valves that are positioned in specific locations to evacuate the water lines.
You may also be able to perform a system blow-out draining using a compressor.
Regardless of the method used to drain a turf irrigation system, this fifteen minutes of effort can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars that might otherwise end up being spent on repairs or even replacing the whole system.
Using last winter as a prime example of just how unpredictable Texas winters can be, it is time well spent protecting the investment that has been made on a lawn or turf sprinkler system.
Seek A Turf Irrigation System Pro For Help!
For help winterizing your system in the next few weeks, contact a turf irrigation system service that can talk you through the process or come out to take care of it for you, if necessary.