How to Winterize Your Irrigation System

Our harsh winters can make quick work of our irrigation systems unless we prepare them. If any water is left in the pipes or the sprinkler head, it can freeze and break whichever part it is in. When you try to start the system back up again in spring, the damage may lead to an underground leak that does a lot of damage to your landscaping and the rest of the irrigation system even before you notice it. 

So, it’s important to winterize your irrigation system before the cold weather sets in. Once there’s a risk of freezing at night, it’s time to shut down your sprinkler for the year. This is how you can do it. 

Step One: Turn the Sprinkler System Off 

Your first step to shut down your sprinkler system for the winter is always to turn it off. Depending on the type of system you run, it may be as simple as pressing a button on your control panel. Or, you may need to go out and manually shut off the valve that feeds the sprinkler lines. If you’re not sure how to turn off your system, you can refer to the manual or to your sprinkler installation team. 

Step Two: Drain the Irrigation Pipes 

Although the system is turned off, there is still water inside of the pipes, which can cause damage if it is left behind. So, you need to drain that water. Depending on your system, you will need to follow one of these procedures: 

• Drain valves: Your system may have an automatic or a manual drain valve that your irrigation specialist can use to empty out the water from the system. 

• Air blow-out: A professional can use compressed air to blow the water out of the system. This is a highly effective method, as the compressed air removes every drop of water. 

Extra Steps 

While that’s the basics of winterizing your system, there are a few other steps you can take to add extra protection. First, you can insulate the pipes to protect them from freezing. This is especially important for above-ground pipes which are more vulnerable to weather changes.

Choose MPS to Winterize Your Commercial Irrigation System 

Those who don’t have the time to do their winterization can trust the team at MPS to do it for them. You get the peace of mind of knowing your commercial irrigation system will be safe all winter and ready to perform again in the spring. 

We can insulate, winterize, and turn your commercial irrigation system back on in spring. For all of your landscape and irrigation needs contact the experts at MPS property services. 

_Sources: 

_{https://www.rainbird.com/homeowners/how-do-i-winterize-my-irrigation-system} 

_{https://www.hunterindustries.com/en-metric/winterizing-your-irrigation-system} 

_{https://aboutmps.com/commercial-services/irrigation/} 

_{https://www.homedepot.com/c/ai/how-to-winterize-your-sprinkler-system/9ba683603be9fa5395fab901feee519}