How to Winterize Your Colorado Irrigation System: Our Complete Guide
When winter comes to Colorado, the harsh, cold weather can be tough on your irrigation system. Freezing temperatures can cause damage to your sprinkler systems and result in costly repairs. That’s why it is so important for Colorado homeowners to winterize irrigation systems. Our complete guide covers everything you need to know about proper winterization to prepare your irrigation systems for Colorado’s cold weather this winter.
Why It’s Important to Winterize Irrigation Systems
- Avoid Freeze Damage: The main reason for winterization is to prevent water from freezing in your system, which can damage pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads.
- Save Money: Fixing pipes and parts that get damaged by freezing water can be expensive. Getting your system ready for winter is a smart way to save money in the long run.
- Make Your Irrigation System Last Longer: Proper winterization can help extend the life of your irrigation system. Keeping things in good working condition will prevent the need for expensive repairs and replacements in the future.
- Save Water: Preparing your system for winter helps avoid water leaks. Less water leaks will help conserve water, which is good for the environment and your wallet.
Winterization and Sprinkler Blowouts
Irrigation winterization is the process of expelling all the water from the irrigation system and equipment. A sprinkler blowout is a big part of getting your system ready for winter. It’s when you use an air compressor to get all the water out of the pipes, valves, and sprinkler heads in your system. Taking all the water out of your system means it won’t freeze and break. A sprinkler blowout helps keep them safe from freeze damage. When you’re ready to use your irrigation system again in the spring, a blowout ensures that there’s no remaining water to impede its operation.
How to Get Your Irrigation System Ready for Winter in Colorado
Turn Off the Water Supply: Find the main shut-off valve for your system and turn it off. This stops water from going into your system.
Drain the Backflow Preventer: If your system has a backflow preventer, make sure to drain it. The process of draining your backflow device is different for different systems. Colorado State’s Extension offers specific instructions for handling Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers (AVB), Pressure Vacuum Breakers (PVB), or Reduced Pressure (RP) backflow prevention devices.
Open All Valves: Manually open all the valves in your system, including zone valves and drain valves. This helps the water inside the pipes to flow out.
Disconnect and Drain Hoses: If you have hoses connected to your system, take them off and make sure they’re dry. This will keep them from getting damaged.
Get a Sprinkler Blowout: It’s a good idea to get a professional to do this. They use compressed air to get all the water out, so your system is really ready for winter.
Protect Your Equipment: Cover things like the backflow device and pipes above the ground with insulation or covers to keep them safe.
Turn Off the Controller: Your controller needs a break in the winter. Turn it off and unplug it to keep it from starting up on its own.
Store Your Equipment: If you have removable stuff like sprinkler heads and hoses, store them in a dry, cool place to keep them safe.
When to Winterize Irrigation Systems in Colorado Springs
The best time to get your irrigation system ready for winter in Colorado is before the first freeze. Usually, that happens in late October or early November. Don’t wait too long; do it before it gets too cold to protect your system. Homeowners may need to consider manually watering their lawns to combat the dry climate in Colorado. Just because the irrigation system is done working for the winter, lawns still need proper care.
Professional Lawn Care During Winter in Colorado Springs
Caring for a Colorado lawn during harsh winters is crucial to seeing a thriving, healthy lawn next year. The pros at Integrated Lawn Care are here to help. We offer professional lawn care services to keep your Colorado lawn happy and healthy through each season. In addition to lawn care, we offer tree and shrub care programs, winter mite suppression, mower tune-ups, and bark beetle control. Since 2001, we’ve provided lawn services for homeowners in Colorado Springs, Fountain, Monument, Palmer Lake, Peyton, Falcon, and surrounding areas. Contact us today for a free quote!