how do I winterize the sprinkler heads under artificial grass? (lawn, snakes)

[maxme]

I capped off my back yard sprinkler heads to lay artificial grass, but the
same water sprinkler number section on the console, for example number 3 zone controls both my front and back yard, the back yard is where I will be putting your grass, but the front is still on for watering the real grass. if I cover the capped off heads in the back with artificial grass, how do we winterize them if necessary? should I leave the capped off heads exposed from the artificial grass to have access to them for winterization? or when we blow out the water from the front, it will take care of both front and back? thanks for helping. it snows here by the way.

[fisheye]

We would probably need a lot more information such as: Is your lawn level? Do you have hose bibs? How do you blow out your lines? How do you insure that water will not get back into your lines after they are blown out.

I have a downhill outside sprinkler line. The two lowest sprinklers also have hose bibs. The uphill one is simply a hose bib. I turn off the water in the house and open all the hose bibs. Then I use an old rag, as a gasket to seal the pipe and my leaf blower, to put air pressure in the upper hose bib until I see no water running out the lower hose bibs. One of the lower hose bibs is actually higher than the other so I eventually close that one until no water comes out the lowest hose bib. But that will probably not work for your system.

What do you use to blow out your lines? I have air compressors; but they are not as good as my leaf blower for blowing out the lines - larger compressors might do a better job.

[ukrkoz]

yOU DO NOT.
yOU NEED TO FIND DRAIN VALVE AND DRIAN WATER OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
Sorry, forgot caps were on.
That's it. Don't fall for any offers to do winterization of your system for X amount of dollars. cut off water supply to the system at its main valve, find drain valve, open it, let it drain,

Done. No water in the system, no freezing protection.
What you WANT to winterize is main valve assembly and backflow prevention valve. They are, normally, in the same box. So shut off water, and pack box with some either wall insulation or old shirts or something.
Be prepared to do some digging, moles love those boxes.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Be prepared to do some digging, moles love those boxes.

So do garter snakes and yellowjackets. Use a long stick to lift the cover off the box and don't stick your hand down in there till you've verified no one else is down there (garter snakes won't hurt you but yellowjackets sure will).

[Izzie1213]

Just blowing out lines throughout should be enough. It you really want to go all out you can pump some marine/rv anti-freeze (it's nontoxic) in lines for the winter. Put something heavy on all the pop-ups except the last one in line (to keep them from spraying) and fill until it comes out the last one in line. Do blow out lines with air before you do this. I just did this for a summer place for my mom. I used a transfer pump to pump anti-freeze in lines. Just had to buy a new one, about $80 for electric one. You can get a battery one a little cheaper. Or is you have a old water fountain or aquarium pump that might work too.

Also unhook lines from water source and plug for winter. Just in case any water gets into lines from spigot that drips a little.