8 Tips to Prepare Your Sprinkler System for Cold Weather

The cold-weather season has arrived with unexpected freezing events, so it's time to plan seriously for your lawn, garden, and the systems that keep them running perfectly. Your sprinkler irrigation system should be at the top of your to-do list. If you want your sprinkler system to last for years, winterizing, preparing, and protecting it from frost are vital. Cold-weather sprinkler system preparation must be done correctly to prevent costly repairs and replacements in the spring when the system is restarted. This process involves blowing out sprinkler lines and draining all the water from the irrigation system. This is essential because water freezing in the system can damage pipes, sprinkler heads, fittings, valves, and other valuable system components.

Follow this guide to winterize the sprinkler system and prepare it for cold weather ahead.

How to Prepare a Sprinkler System for Winter Weather

Here is a guide to help ensure your irrigation system doesn't suffer from frost damage during the winter months. If you don't winterize your system, you risk causing permanent damage to irrigation systems. A freeze can damage sprinklers, valves, pipes, and other components, whether it is a sprinkler system or hoses with spray nozzles.

Below, we share steps to protect your sprinkler system from freezing temperatures and preserve your investment. Follow these steps now, and you'll have fewer issues when you restart your irrigation system next season.

Shut Off Water Supply to Your System

Locate the main valve of your irrigation system and turn it fully off to prevent water from entering the system during colder months. Mark the shut-off valve with a valve tag to easily identify it, so you can turn it back on without any trouble in the spring.

Drain the Sprinkler System

When water freezes in pipes, it expands. This can cause pipelines and other system components to crack, which is why it's essential to remove as much water as possible from your pipes to prevent significant damage. Remove ends to allow water to escape. For underground pipes, you should install a drainage valve if you haven't already. If you do not drain your pipes throughout the winter, water may freeze inside them, expand, and eventually break. Make sure your pipes are properly drained before freezing weather arrives.

How to drain? If your system does not have drain valves installed, you can use an air compressor to blow out the sprinkler system's lines and remove all the excess water. The blow-out draining method uses controlled compressed air to remove water from the pipelines and sprinklers to protect the system in freezing conditions.

Inspect Sprinklers for Damage

Closely look for visible damage to pipelines, irrigation valves, nozzles, and sprinkler heads. This inspection helps to prevent clogs and damage to components when restarting the system in the spring.

Use a soft brush to clean sprinkler heads and nozzles. Remove any leaves, twigs, or other plant debris that have accumulated in the system. Lightly lubricate the moving parts of tools, such as valves and sprinkler heads to prevent rust and corrosion.

Handle Repairs Before Winter

When you shut off the sprinkler system for the winter, you must address all necessary repairs before the ground freezes. After all, you want it to be strong enough to handle rain, snow, and icy conditions. Before the first frost in your region, take the time to repair any damaged pipes, sprinklers, and other items that need to be fixed. Have solvent cement on hand to fix PVC pipe repairs.

Insulate Your Sprinkler System

It's important to note that before insulating or winterizing your sprinkler system, you must first turn off the water supply. Wrap any exposed pipes, hose bibs, and spigots with insulation to protect them from freezing temperatures. Pay close attention to pipes near the home's foundation, walls, and other cold areas. You also need to insulate the main shut-off valve that connects the water supply to your irrigation system.

Use foam insulation and a trash bag for it, or consider purchasing high-quality, insulated backflow bags for specific components of the system. Lastly, don't forget to insulate above-ground piping; insulation tubes are the most effective option for this.

Keep Your Lawn Clean

When you winterize your sprinkler system to prepare it for cold weather, it's also essential to keep your lawn clean. Stock up on garden tools, including gloves, rakes, trash bags, a compost bin, and pruners to help keep your yard free of debris and leaves. This is critical to ensure that you don't compromise the quality of your sprinkler system features, and it's simply best for the health of your grass, plants, and trees.

For more guidance and tips, read this complete guide on how to winterize your sprinkler system!

Additional Tips for Sprinkler System Protection

Below are some sprinkler winterization tips that you should follow to protect your investment.

• Cover all exposed components such as valves, pipes, and sprinkler heads with protective covers or insulation.
• Store all hoses in a covered, protected area, like a shed or garage, to prevent freezing damage.
• When draining water, each irrigation zone should be blown out twice to ensure all the water is removed from the system. It is preferable to use two short cycles per zone rather than a single long cycle.
• Monitor weather conditions in your area. If a sudden cold snap is predicted, take extra precautions to protect your system.
• Once the weather warms up slowly in the spring, inspect your irrigation system and make sure it is fully ready for the growing season.
• Blowing out the sprinkler system can often upset pets due to "whistling." Therefore, you should keep your pets safe from running off during the winterization process.
• After draining all water from the system, leave the valves on the backflow preventer half open. This will keep the backflow preventer from freezing and cracking throughout the winter season. If the PVB test cocks are left open in winter, ensure they are closed before starting the system in the spring.
• Protect your irrigation system from wildlife in the winter season, as they are finding safe spots to hide during colder months. Cap the ends of your pipes to prevent bugs and insects from entering and causing blockages. If you notice that wildlife is drawn to your landscape, you should take extra steps to protect your irrigation system. This could include disassembling the system or taping up emitters and outlets. However, it's usually easier to fix any damage caused by critters rather than trying to prevent it by disassembling the whole system.

The Bottom Line

Every homeowner should learn how to winterize a sprinkler system and prepare it for cold weather to prevent unexpected issues this winter. It is essential to remember that properly preparing the system before frost is less costly and labor-intensive than repairing damaged fittings, valves, tubing, sprinklers, and other irrigation components in the spring. Invest a little time in preparing and maintaining your sprinkler system for winter now, so you can prevent system issues and extend its life. This will give you peace of mind throughout the winter season and a beautiful landscape come spring.