Outdoor Water Winterization

You may have thought about protecting your home’s water pipes from freezing, but have you considered your irrigation systems, hoses and outside faucets?

Sprinkler Systems: Winterize your underground irrigation system before the first winter freeze. It’s easy if you have the proper equipment – mainly an air compressor. You can rent one, or a lawn company can winterize for you.

Turn off the water source; drain the system as much as possible. Open the manual drain valves, connect the air compressor and force air into the system from the backflow device, evacuating the remaining water in the system’s lines. Go through each station several times to ensure only air is being blown through the sprinkler heads.

Sprinklers and Hoses: Water can also freeze inside sprinkler housings and hoses and may burst or rupture parts. Clean and store sprinklers in a dry place. Disconnect hoses from their water source and drain them of any remaining water. Then neatly coil and store hoses in a dry area.

Also wrap and protect outside water faucets.

More information about water winterization can be found on our Winter One Stop.