Blew out my sprinkler system...

[coltle6920]

It took two days. Been doing it myself for over thirty years. Don't know why it seemed so complicated this year.

Day one was connecting air hose to system and selecting a zone. For some reason water kept coming out. Seems I forgot to shut off feed from basement. Forget what else I did but obviously it was wrong.

Day two...Simple process. Start compressor...Connect air hose to sprinkler system with 50psi and then shut off water from basement. Mission accomplished. Good until next year.

Luckily I was alone and didn't have to share the embarrassment with anyone else. I still felt that I should turn in my Man Card. It's a good thing I still have several cards tucked in a drawer someplace. Never know when I'll need one again.

 

[chief38]

I like when a person can admit his mistakes and poke fun at himself. We have all been there and done things like that! It's just part of being human and part of life itself.

Glad you got the issue "resolved". As we get older it does not get easier - lol

 

[Jeff423]

How much air do you need? I've got a small compressor that will develop 120 psi but has a very small air tank. I'm thinking that you probably need a lot of volume but not real high pressure.
The company that services mine every year has a 13hp truck mounted compressor.

 

[Onomea]

How necessary is it to blow out your irrigation/sprinkler system?

I bought this house in 2020. First time to own a house with an irrigation system. First year I hired a pro to shut it down and then turn it on in the spring. He did the blow out. Second year a helpful friend in the neighborhood turned it off and on, no blowing it out, but shutting off the water flow and opening the drain in the fall. Third year it got overlooked and we did nothing, but was, thank goodness, okay anyway. This year, we just shut it down and opened the drain.

The year we did nothing, had a couple of hard freezes that lasted days or maybe max a week. Typically don't get below freezing here in winter for more than a few days at a time. Most if the time it's above freezing.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My system is a 100' garden hose, a sprinkler and a grandson to move it about.

 

[coltle6920]

How much air do you need? I've got a small compressor that will develop 120 psi but has a very small air tank. I'm thinking that you probably need a lot of volume but not real high pressure.
The company that services mine every year has a 13hp truck mounted compressor.

I have a HUSKY 30gal upright 175psi. I set the dial for 50psi and can clean out 10 zones without waiting for the air to build back up.

 

[s&wchad]

coltle6920,
I had my sprinkler system blown out today. Six zones is up to $100 now, but that's way better than replacing the lines and heads.

I'll pay you $50 next year if you offer a guarantee and want to come over and winterize mine!

 

[coltle6920]

How necessary is it to blow out your irrigation/sprinkler system?

Don't know but don't want to take that chance. Peace of mind.

 

[coltle6920]

coltle6920,
I had my sprinkler system blown out today. Six zones is up to $100 now, but that's way better than replacing the lines and heads.

I'll pay you $50 next year if you offer a guarantee and want to come over and winterize mine!

You definitely should buy a compressor. My compressor cost $499 but has paid for itself in multiple uses. Yeah, the fittings and hose tacked on some bucks but it's all a one time expense. I even blow out the systems for two neighbors for free because it's the right thing to do.

If gas prices weren't so high it might be worth a roadtrip. Don't you make homemade pizza?

 

[Bald1]

coltle6920,
I had my sprinkler system blown out today. Six zones is up to $100 now, but that's way better than replacing the lines and heads.

I'll pay you $50 next year if you offer a guarantee and want to come over and winterize mine!

100 bucks is more than reasonable. I know how to do it but wouldn’t get off the couch for 100 bucks.

 

[SMSgt]

Failing to blow out the sprinkler lines will definitely cause broken lines in cold states (WA).

 

[S&W Fan]

Had mine done yesterday. 12 zones. It’s important to do it here as it can get really cold during the winter. I have a great sprinkler service, they took care of it while I was at work, I just had to shut off the valve in the basement.

 

[TX-Dennis]

Never blown mine out. I don't think it's necessary here. We get freezes, but they are generally not severe and only last a few hours to a couple days. In 20 years I've only replaced a handful of sprinkler heads mostly because they quit popping up or wouldn't go back down after they popped up.

I've also replaced a BUNCH of bubblers in the planter, but that's because I keep getting careless with the string trimmer and chopping them off.

 

[oldbrownhat]

When I first saw this thread title I had some strange idea that it was euphemistically about one's....um... "plumbing" But fortunately it's just about gardens and sprinklers and stuff and reminded me to lay out the hoses to drain before the colder weather sets in.

 

[Farmer17]

In Oklahoma City it gets really cold here with a few days near or below zero, but I've never blown my system out in three different houses over 25 years and never had problem. My houses were all newer with the corrugated black flexible connection coming from the PVC to the sprinkler head if that makes a difference.

 

[A10]

Ours was buried about 18 inches, and the freeze never got that deep. I've had to replace sprinkler heads in the past, but thats not a real issue and mostly because of damage from outside sources (lawnmowers, grandchildren, etc.).

 

[Jeff423]

My sprinkler guy says that around here the reason to blow out the system is to keep from cracking the back flow preventer.

 

[soFlaNative]

I never have and never will where I'm at but am curious. I don't
know if it makes a difference but in the areas that experience frost
heave is black poly, SCH40 PVC or something else used?

 

[LVSteve]

Just one more reason I like living in Vegas. It never gets cold enough for long enough to do much damage.

 

[coltle6920]

My sprinkler guy says that around here the reason to blow out the system is to keep from cracking the back flow preventer.

And that can be expensive if you're not handy to do it yourself. Ask me how I know.

I blow out each zone until there's just a mist or the head no longer pops up. Each shut off is given a half turn between on/off so there's no chance of water pooling. Also have a bleeder valve in the basement that allows any remaining water to drain out.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.