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Glad you figured it out. Answer me one question tho. Where do you live? I keep looking at that curb shut off. It's not very deep, which kinda tells me your area may not suffer from major ground freezes. Which also means, no need to blow the lines.
I’m guessing also that since it’s already December and this hasn’t been an issue yet, you’re right.
Glad you figured it out. Answer me one question tho. Where do you live? I keep looking at that curb shut off. It's not very deep, which kinda tells me your area may not suffer from major ground freezes. Which also means, no need to blow the lines.
I'm in northern Virginia, zip code 20165. we're about 45 minutes from Washington DC.
we see maybe 2 major snow storms a year, and sometimes get affected by the polar vortex storms that come down this way...
Are you implying there is no shut off valve for the system currently? The house is 15 years old....there would have been a pipe burst all these years if the previous owner wasnt winterizing.....
Right?
I’m not implying anything. A shut off valve is not a drain valve. A shut off valve simply disconnects the water supply from the irrigation system. It doesn’t drain the water in the lines. That wTer if it’s not removed can freeze and crack the pipes or kpjoints/heads etc. A drain valve drains the lines of the irrigation system. You need to drain the water out of the lines or when they freeze they can break at the joint or split the pipe. The question was how to winterize the pipes. The best way is to drain the pipes. Considering the pipes are not laid out with drainage in mind you most likely have sections where the water may not drain as easily. If you install a drain valve at the lowest point you’ll get the majority of the water out. You can use a compressor to accelerate the drain process if you put a connection somewhere close to the shut off valve
1.) Turn off the main water supply to the irrigation system. That is the valve by the street which is being difficult to turn.
2.) Remove the back flow preventer valve (first and second pictures in your original pictures) and store it inside.
3.) Use a compressor to blow out each segment of your system. Relying on gravity does not work due to undulations in the ground and end "fixtures" which are not always at the low point in the system. You also might have some drip lines which also won't drain properly without air pressure to blow them out.
4.) I use an irrigation specialist to winterize my system. He charges me $10 per line to do all of the above. I have 12 lines and he makes it an even $100. I like the idea that if there is a problem HE takes responsibility. He also turns the system on in the spring for a similar fee, including adjusting all of the sprinkler heads. I know I could do it myself, but the peace of mind is comforting for the price.
5.) Located in the Tennessee mountains so climate is similar to yours, OP.
6.) BTW OP, you might consider having a separate water supply installed which is just for irrigation and outdoor spigots. That way you don't pay extra (double) for sewage on that same water which is not going into the municipal sewage system.
Ended up hiring a company. He was here all of 20 minutes hehe $95
But....i did learn how to do it....including programming the system. Also, i doubt my snall compressor could have done it as quickly. It would have taken much much longer to build that same pressure in each line.
It takes a good bit of air to blow out the lines. Affordable lighting and irrigation is a good outfit that I’ve used before. So is “Problem Solved”, and many others.
I didn’t read all of this thread. Do you have a backflow valve that was removed too? It’s that valve system that is next to the house where the waterline connects up to. If you have one, you’ll want to remove it and store it inside. And make sure to cover the opened pipe ends left by the removal of the backflow with a plastic bag and some tape. Don’t want debris getting into the pipe, as it’ll eventually find its way to your valve box and do some damage to them when you start it back up.
It takes a good bit of air to blow out the lines. Affordable lighting and irrigation is a good outfit that I’ve used before. So is “Problem Solved”, and many others.
I didn’t read all of this thread. Do you have a backflow valve that was removed too? It’s that valve system that is next to the house where the waterline connects up to. If you have one, you’ll want to remove it and store it inside. And make sure to cover the opened pipe ends left by the removal of the backflow with a plastic bag and some tape. Don’t want debris getting into the pipe, as it’ll eventually find its way to your valve box and do some damage to them when you start it back up.
Hah hello neighbor
He asked me if i want the backflow removed and i said no. I figured id just cover it with some insulation. Just didnt want to bother with putting it back in come spring. Did i make a huge mistake? Can i get away with insulting it instead of removal?
Hah hello neighbor
He asked me if i want the backflow removed and i said no. I figured id just cover it with some insulation. Just didnt want to bother with putting it back in come spring. Did i make a huge mistake? Can i get away with insulting it instead of removal?
Likely will be fine, just wrap it in some plastic and insulation. Turn the water handles to ½ to give expansion room for any internal freezing that might occur. The plastic should keep it dry, and insulation should protect it from the wind. If it doesn’t survive, not a major expense. I replaced mine two years ago after 17 years of use, cost maybe $200 for the Cadillac version.
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