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Tips for Winterizing your Irrigation System.

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Winter is coming and its time to think about shutting down your system and winterizing it. A lot of people think because we live on the west coast that it doesn’t get cold enough to freeze, but I have personally seen damage caused by freezing many times. Don’t take that risk and get your system blown out by a professional.

Here are some tips for Blowouts:

  • Use an air compressor with a Cubic Foot per Minute (CFM) rating of 80-100 for any mainline of 2" or less.

  • Never exceed 80psi.

  • Activate the zone and gradually introduce the air into the system.

  • Start with the furthest zone and make your way back to the closest to the compressor

  • It is better to use two or three short cycles per station/zone than to have one long cycle.

  • Once the station/zone is dry, you should not continue to blow air through the pipe. Compressed air moving through dry pipes can cause friction, which will create heat and the heat could cause damage.

Outdoor mounted controllers?

Leave the power on and the dial / switch in the "Off" position. The heat from the transformer will keep the enclosure warm enough to keep condensation from forming inside the controller enclosure. The dial in the "OFF" will keep the controller from activating the solenoids in the field.

Indoor mounted controllers?

You may either leave the power on and the dial/switch in the "Off" position OR you may remove the battery backup and unplug the transformer.

The Do NOTS of "BLOW~OUT" Winterization

WARNING! WEAR ANSI APPROVED SAFETY EYE PROTECTION! Extreme care must always be taken when blowing out the system with compressed air. Compressed air can cause serious injury, including serious eye injury, from flying debris. Always wear ANSI approved safety eye protection and do not stand over any irrigation components (pipes, sprinklers and valves) during air blow out. SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY MAY RESULT IF YOU DO NOT PROCEED AS RECOMMENDED!

  1. Do not allow the air pressure to exceed 80 PSI for systems with PVC piping and 50 PSI for systems with polyethylene piping.

  2. Do not stand over component parts while the system is pressurized with air.

  3. Do not leave the air compressor unattended.

  4. Do not blow the system out through a backflow or pump. First blow out the system, then drain the backflow or pump.

Taken from: https://www.hunterindustries.com/en-metric/winterizing-your-irrigation-system