As a resident of Kansas City or any of the surrounding areas, snow, extreme cold, and frosts all come with the territory. As a result, it is important to make sure your irrigation system doesn’t suffer during the coldest months of the year. Harsh conditions can lead to the need for sprinkler repair, damaged irrigation lines, and more.
However, there are steps you can take now to help ensure your irrigation system is prepared for winter weather. In most cases, preventing a problem is much easier, not to mention more affordable, than having to call for repairs down the road.
The helpful tips and tricks here will teach you how to winterize your sprinkler system before the temperatures begin to drop.
Turn Off the Water Supply
The first step is to completely close off the flow of water to your outside sprinkler system. This is the only absolute guaranteed way to make sure that the shut-off valve doesn’t freeze and become inoperable. It is recommended that you protect it by using some type of insulating material, with foam insulation tape being a smart option. This will safeguard the system’s shut off valve after the temperatures start to fall.
Handle Repairs Quickly
If you want your sprinkler system to make it through the winter, it has to be in great condition, prior to putting it into hibernation mode. This means if there are issues with the system prior to winter arriving, cold weather is only going to make them worse. This is why it may be wise to call for professional sprinkler repair ahead of time. They can inspect the current state of the system and ensure there are no issues present that need to be taken care of.
Insulate all Exposed Components
If you have a sprinkler system that doesn’t have a main shut off valve, you may want to think about having one fitted, if possible, prior to winter arriving. This will ensure if an issue does arise, such as a burst pipe, turning off the water supply to the system will be simple. However, if you don’t have this option and there is not time to have this feature installed, then it is a good idea to insulate and protect any exposed pipes, or other components of the sprinkler system.
Turn Off Your Automated Timers
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, it is smart to turn the automatic timer function off prior to the arrival of winter. The fact is, many modern sprinkler systems are fitted with a special “cold weather” or “winter” mode, which switches off the automatic link to the valves but helps to retain the programming data that is needed to get the system back going again. If there is no cold weather mode, the data will have to be reset after the timer is turned back on.
As you can see, it is not extremely difficult to prepare your sprinkler system, but you do have to take the time to do it. If you need any help with the process, then you should contact the IDL Company today.
