While living in Kansas City is great, there is a fact you must face – it gets cold! When temperatures drop in winter, damage to your irrigation system may occur if you fail to winterize it. While some issues may be minor inconveniences, others can cause a full-blown disaster.
If you are thinking about skipping winterization – at any point – don’t. Knowing the issues that may occur – and what you can do to prevent them – will help you see why this is such an important investment.
Cracked Fittings and Pipes
If your irrigation system is not properly or professionally winterized, water will sit in the pipes throughout the winter months. If temperatures dip below freezing, the water will freeze. Once water freezes, it expands in the pipes, which can cause cracks in the pipes themselves or the fittings.
By investing in a full blowout, you don’t have to worry about this issue. All water will be removed, and you can have peace of mind these issues will not occur.
Broken Sprinkler Head
When water freezes in the system’s sprinkler heads, they may break because of the pressure. While it is not too expensive to replace a sprinkler head or two, it is an inconvenience and one you can easily avoid.
Busted Backflow Devices and Valves
Like your sprinkler heads and pipes, backflows, anti-siphon devices, valves, and pipes can be damaged by ice. In some cases, repairs won’t be possible, which means they will have to be replaced completely.
If you fail to winterize your irrigation system, it will not always result in broken, busted, or cracked parts; however, it may still be damaged if something does not break immediately. This can result in breaks or leaks down the line, which results in frustration and inconveniences.
Tips for Preventing Damage
One of the best options to avoid issues like the ones mentioned above is prevention. If you did not winterize your sprinkler at the start of winter, it is not too late. You can speak to our team of professionals to learn what options you have.
Ideally, you should winterize the system before it reaches 32 degrees outside; however, we can help regardless of your situation.
Quick Tips to Winterize Your Sprinkler System
If you would like some DIY, quick tips to winterize your system, here are four:
- Turn the power and water to your irrigation system off.
- Disconnect any type of monitoring device in use.
- Remove all water from the pumps and pipes with the blowout method. Drain valves if they are installed.
- Close all drain valves for the winter.
Call Us for Winterization Tips, Help, and Support
If you want to ensure no damage is done to your sprinkler system this winter and that you will not have any issues next spring, call our team at IDL Company. We can help with any sprinkler system related issue or question you have.
