With just about two months left until the official start of winter, it’s time to start preparing your garden for the cooler temperatures and winter elements like rain, sleet and snow, depending on where you’re located. While you might think that simply shutting off your irrigation system is the correct way to set it up for the new season, it’s worth reevaluating that thought (and your irrigation system).
We spoke with gardening and lawn care experts to learn more about how to winterize your irrigation system and when to prepare to do so. They also share mistakes people make when it comes to winterizing irrigation systems and what can happen if you don’t prepare them for winter or do so incorrectly.
What Does It Mean to Winterize Your Irrigation System? Why is it Important?
Winterizing your irrigation system is exactly what it sounds like: preparing your irrigation system for winter. “Winterizing your irrigation system means preparing it for freezing temperatures by shutting it down and removing all water from the lines, valves and backflow device,” says Don Chouinard, lawn care expert and principal pro account manager at Irrigreen. “The purpose is to prevent trapped water from freezing, expanding and cracking important components such as pipes, fittings or sprinkler heads.”
How to Winterize Your Irrigation System
While this may seem obvious, the first step you should engage in to winterize your irrigation system is to turn off the water. Chouinard notes that using an air compressor to blow out water (also known as the blow-out method) is typically the most effective option to winterize your irrigation system.
That said, Amanda Folck, an extension educator of turfgrass management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, notes that you need to drain (or flush) the hose beforehand. However, “don’t flush with hot water or other fluids to flush the irrigation system out,” explains Jason Skipton, executive director of Growing Gardens. Skipton adds that it is important to open all valves and connections, remove irrigation timers and cover exposed parts and outdoor faucets.
If you’re dealing with a multi-faceted irrigation system, work by zone instead of trying to handle it all at once. “If you have multiple coverage areas or zones to your system, work zone by zone to clean and clear out any water in the system,” explains Skipton. If you’re new to gardening or have any hesitations about winterizing your irrigation system, seek assistance from irrigation and/or lawn care professionals.
When Should You Winterize Your Irrigation System?
Florida-based Beth R. Bolles, a horticulture educator at UF IFAS Extension Escambia County. notes that you may not always need to winterize your irrigation system, depending on the location. “This is a practice that is usually performed only if freezing temperatures are coming,” she explains. Folck adds that you’ll need to know when the temperature will be around 32℉ and use that as a guide to take care of your winter prep before temperatures drop…