Before getting started, let us clarify that a sprinkler system should not ever be taken for granted, especially during the winter. Learning the hard way, some individuals went through the following problems that lead to catastrophes in their yard when springtime came back around. Your yard, home, and your sprinkler system need to stay up-to-date when the seasons start to turn. We want this article to help you understand the importance of winterizing your sprinkler systems in Indiana.
Phone: 317-513-0603
1. Broken Winter Sprinkler Heads
Sprinkler systems are set up with sprinkler heads that allow water to flow to zones around your yard. This is the best way to ensure each plant gets the appropriate amount of water each time the sprinkler turns on. Sprinkler heads are the part of your sprinkler line that disperses the water from the sprinkler line.
During the winter, and in the spring we are called upon to fix many broken sprinkler heads. They either were broken from the frost, animals, or they were not maintenance correctly. We notice that for many homeowners who do not winterize their sprinkler system. Sprinkler heads are one of the first things to break. When the homeowner goes to turn their sprinkler system back on, and they may have broken sprinkler heads. Soon they will find flooding, and providing the sprinklers will have inaccurate dispersion of water on their yard. Also, they may have more problems existing because the heads are broken, which could lead to costly repairs.
Finding broken sprinkler heads from the winter is not fun to deal with for a homeowner who wants to keep their yards intact.
2. Winter Sprinkler Line Busted
Frozen water left in a sprinkler line is damaging to the entire system of your sprinklers. Many homeowners do not know that their sprinklers need a blow out before winter rolls around. In most cases when this is left unattended, the sprinkler lines break. Any particle of water that is left in the sprinkler line will expand when it freezes. After the water has expanded and depending on how much and where the water pools, the expansion will burst through the pipes ruining the entire setup.
Each zone/station should be blown out twice to make sure all the water is purged from the system. It is better to use two short cycles per station/zone than to have one long cycle. Once a zone is “blown out”, avoid blowing that zone out again. Compressed air moving through dry pipes causes friction and heat which could cause damage. After purging the system of all water, leave all the valves on your backflow preventer half-open. This will help keep the backflow preventer from freezing and splitting during the winter.
Colorado Edu
Busted sprinkler lines can be expensive and difficult to fix on your own. It is a good idea to leave the sprinkler line repair to a professional that has years of experience and knowledge. In some cases, when a homeowner leaves the broken sprinkler lines unattended, it can cause the entire sprinkler system to fail. When this happens, usually an irrigation replacement is an easier and cheaper option, depending on your area. However, if you stay current with all your sprinkler maintenance plans during the seasons with a quality sprinkler repair company, finding out you have broken sprinkler lines is minimal because you leave the sprinklers in the hands of a professional.
Phone: 317-513-0603
3. Repairing Winter Broken Valves
The concerns of broken valves are consistent throughout the sprinkler industry. They can break due to age, overuse, low quality, and weather elements. Frost is especially hard on valves, due to their location on the irrigation line. When a sprinkler specialist in Indiana comes out to do a winterization service, the valves are one of the components that they will check.
Sometimes during a winterization service, a sprinkler professional will notice if any of the valves are broken, and immediately after the entire inspection will notify the homeowner that they need repair. If the valves are broken, the sprinklers will not get the accurate amount of water supply when they are turned back on. Also, if the valves are not winterized, the sprinkler valves will allow cold air to get into the sprinkler line and cause additional damages to the sprinkler line or your home.
Phone: 317-513-0603
4. Winter Frozen Pipes And Leak Issues
Dealing with busted pipes or frozen sprinkler lines is never a fun endeavor. One huge concern that sprinkler companies have is the client’s knowledge in this area. They know that many homeowners are not aware of the damage and physical problems that can happen if a sprinkler line is not properly maintained, especially for winter.
Remove the water from the pipes and sprinklers so that it won’t freeze/expand and break the pipe. There are several ways to drain your pipes: a manual drain valve, an automatic drain valve, or the compressed air blow-out method. However, since there could be potential safety risks we recommend contacting your local irrigation specialist. Many offer sprinkler winterization services this time of the year.
Rainbird
Since water freezes and expands, it will put pressure on the entire irrigation line allowing for broken pipes, and leaks to occur. When this happens, the water will escape in any means necessary, leading to frozen walkways or driveways, and puddling around the structure of your home. All of these problems lead to additional safety concerns and structural damages. It is very important to not take the sprinkler pipes for granted because they cause some of the most expensive repairs and could lead to personal safety damages.
5. Replacing Entire Sprinkler System
Since we are on the topic of the sprinkler heads, pipes, valves, and lines getting frozen, be aware that frost does not wait for anyone. The moment the climate changes, your sprinkler system should have already gone through a routine winterization service. If you have not, and just think that it can wait a year, you may be in a world of trouble come spring.
According to the statistics, 10% of sprinkler system failures are due to lack of maintenance and 7% of failures are due to damaged system components. With a little care, these types of failures can be avoided when the temperature starts to drop!
NFPA
If you are new to owning a sprinkler system, your sprinkler specialist will have to let you know that they require seasonal maintenance. They mention this solely because of you and the longevity of the irrigation system.
Professional sprinkler companies in Indiana understand how expensive it is to replace a new sprinkler system installed. They want you to have the best options to decrease the risk of damage. All it takes is one random climate change to damage the entire structure of your sprinklers.
Do not let that be you. Take the proper precautions, and make sure to winterize your sprinklers before it is too late. You will protect your investment, and increase your safety with winterization services. Also, along with your keep or increase home value intact.
Conclusive Thoughts
Your sprinkler system is a core element to the health of your yard. If you leave it unattended costly repairs, and damages can accrue. The best way to look at winterizing your sprinkler system is to let the professionals do it. Do not let some of the above problems happen to your system by just adding a winterization service each year. Your sprinkler will live longer, your plants will stay healthier, you will have fewer repairs and stresses about your home and safety, by relying on the professionals to winterize your sprinklers.
It is great to be proactive when it comes to the fall months before the first frost sets in so that way your sprinklers will survive the climate change. Therefore, have a professional do the winterization process see you can enjoy the days and nights of fall and winter and not have to stress about your own sprinkler maintenance. Contact Artificial Rain LLC today about our quality winterization services, as well as any questions that you may have regarding your first winter with your frequent system.
Phone: 317-513-0603
Dedicated to their customers and determined to hand out quality sprinkler services in Indiana, Artificial Rain LLC offers the best sprinkler winterization services around your area! They also offer quality fall landscape lighting that can prepare your yard for the cooler months ahead.
Give them a call today to see how they can help you start preparing your sprinklers for fall and winter, or to ask about their landscape lighting deals.
[contact-form-7 id=”541″ title=”contact”]