Who here knows how to do it? Last year I paid someone like $35 to do it and this year I have an air compressor and would like to do it myself. I have an electric timer and four zones. There is a valve on the outside of the house above the ground that has a turn off both before and after as well as a main shutoff inside the house in the basement leading out to it.

Do I need to buy a special attachment to hook the compressor up to the system? In what order do I open and close the valves and I've heard to run about 50psi through them. I searched a little on Google but they like to use a lot of big words and terms relating to this stuff that I don't understand. I was hoping someone here could give me the quick and stupid proof version as they're calling for a hard freeze both tonight and tomorrow night which is WAY early this year.

Thanks. http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif pay the $35 again and pay closer attention when it's being done http://www.gixxer.com/forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

I ain't no Sprinkler system technician, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night....Nah, just joking. I installed my sprinkler system here in Florida, 8 zones and over a quarter-mile of schedule 40 pipe under the yard so I have a little knowledge of it.

Basically, all you have to know is this: When water freezes, it expands like a motherhunker, weird really when you think that almost everything else contracts when cold (this will be a discussion point for a hijacked thread I imagine...). This being said, you don't have to blow all the water out of your system, but enough of it so that when it freezes (and it will I am sure in Coldorado) it won't swell and bust your pipes. Water in your sprinkler heads shouldn't bust them, because it can't get trapped in there due to the configuration ( head higher than the pipe that feeds it) and the "drain" hole (the "t" that allows water from your supply pipe to the head). All techno mumbo jumbo aside, it isn't rocket science. When I know I am gonna get a hard freeze here in Florida (yeah, it does freeze every now and then here in north Florida) I go to each zone and remove the lowest sprinkler head (unscrew it from the "T" on your supply pipe or main). This allows the water to run out via gravity. When it stops flowing, I screw the head back on and go to the next zone's lowest head, doing the same. That's all I do. I have never had a pipe bust due to the expansion.

Some may say it get's colder in Coldorado than Fl. True, but ole man physics assures us of one great lesson. Water can only go to 32 degrees or the freezing point. It doesn't get any colder than that. Outside air temperature and wind chill may go way below zero, but the ice will still be 32F, so freezing here (related to water) is freezing there.

Good luck bro and if you are confused still, see the post above me.

I used to do it every year in chicago...

First turn the water off...

We had a valve in the basement, hang a bucket from it, run the "test cycle" and it should open all of the valves and clear the system out. Never had a problem over 8 years....

i cant believe a system that is younger than 30 years dosnt have drain valves on the end of each line..i used to work for the Toro company a 100 years ago, and i molded a million drain valves... if the system is deep, say, a foot or more, i wouldnt worry a whole lot..i live where it snows(4000' elevation) every winter, all i do is turn the controller off..

Holy shit I guess living in cold climates really does suck. I never even thought that you had to winterize your damn sprinkler system. I would think that you would just need to open your valve and force some air in it. The only trick might be getting it somewhat air tight. You could probably make a jig with some pvc fittings.

I winterize my sprinklers and parents every year only had 2 head go in 6 years. Also installed them 100% myself and do it on the side if people want me to. It is so easy it is not funny.

1 ) I use a 6Hp compressor with at least 40 CFM.
2) Shut off water
3) put compressor on 45 PSI MAX.
4) open one zone
5) take compressor hose and then shoot air into backflow and wait till all water or most is out
6) Do this for each zone
7 ) Once done, I leave the backflow open half way per Febco. You do not want it air tight.

The drain valves on the lines have pros and cons. I do not like them.

Most times the winters kill the seal (dry out) on the heads. But then again heads are dirt cheap when I can buy Hunter PGP for $9 or I-20 SS for $16.

I ain't no Sprinkler system technician, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night....Nah, just joking. I installed my sprinkler system here in Florida, 8 zones and over a quarter-mile of schedule 40 pipe under the yard so I have a little knowledge of it.

Basically, all you have to know is this: When water freezes, it expands like a motherhunker, weird really when you think that almost everything else contracts when cold (this will be a discussion point for a hijacked thread I imagine...). This being said, you don't have to blow all the water out of your system, but enough of it so that when it freezes (and it will I am sure in Coldorado) it won't swell and bust your pipes. Water in your sprinkler heads shouldn't bust them, because it can't get trapped in there due to the configuration ( head higher than the pipe that feeds it) and the "drain" hole (the "t" that allows water from your supply pipe to the head). All techno mumbo jumbo aside, it isn't rocket science. When I know I am gonna get a hard freeze here in Florida (yeah, it does freeze every now and then here in north Florida) I go to each zone and remove the lowest sprinkler head (unscrew it from the "T" on your supply pipe or main). This allows the water to run out via gravity. When it stops flowing, I screw the head back on and go to the next zone's lowest head, doing the same. That's all I do. I have never had a pipe bust due to the expansion.

Some may say it get's colder in Coldorado than Fl. True, but ole man physics assures us of one great lesson. Water can only go to 32 degrees or the freezing point. It doesn't get any colder than that. Outside air temperature and wind chill may go way below zero, but the ice will still be 32F, so freezing here (related to water) is freezing there.

Good luck bro and if you are confused still, see the post above me.


Well you know someone had to do it.... Ice can go below 32 defrees. In fact it can go to -273 C. Also, water doesn't have to be captivated for it to break something. This is one of the reasons we put antifreeze into the cooling system of our boat for the winter. The crystalline structure of water, made possible by hydrogen bonding, is why it expands when it forms ice. I guess I learned something in college chem class, and this will probably be the first and last time i ever get to use it.