If you are like many people, it’s probably a bit of a relief when the summertime heat finally breaks, and you feel your first fall breeze. Almost everyone enjoys the milder days of fall. When these first cool breezes appear in the fall, there’s something you should think about – your sprinkler system. While you may not need it as often (or at all) during the colder months of the year, you still have to make sure it’s protected. If you ignore your sprinkler system, you may be in store for an unpleasant surprise when you try to turn it on next spring.

To ensure the sprinkler system is ready for fall and winter, use the steps here.

Take Control

The irrigation controller has probably been actively managing your irrigation cycles for several months. Now it’s time for you to take back control. While you have the option to power down the controller, if you do that, you must replace the battery, reprogram the settings, and reset the clock next spring.

An alternative to this is to keep the power on but put the controller in “rain mode” or to turn it off. This should help prevent the controller from trying to initiate the irrigation cycle during the winter months. A controller that remains powered up won’t use much power during the off-season.

Drain the System

If water remains standing in the pipes during the winter, there is a real possibility the water will freeze and expand. This can cause serious damage. All above and underground pipes need to be drained and blown out with a compressed air system. Unless you know what you are doing, it’s best to call the professionals for help with this.

Insulate the Pipes

Any of the parts of your system that are above ground, including the valves, need to be insulated to provide even more protection. There are several options to do this. You can purchase pipe-insulating sleeves or insulated tape. Sometimes, packing a fixture or valve with an insulating material like pine straw may be enough.

Winterize Now for Proper Performance in Spring

Giving your sprinkler system a bit of TLC now will pay off when it is time to kick the system back on next spring. After all, you don’t want to turn the system on in spring just to find geysers throughout your yard, caused by wintertime damage, right?

Call the Professionals for Help

When it comes to your sprinkler system, it is important to know how to ensure it is working properly throughout the year, including fall. If you want help getting your system ready for winter, contact our team at The IDL Company. We can help ensure your system is properly protected and that it will work efficiently and without issue next spring.