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Necessary? Not at all. Why spend $60-$70 having the system blown out so you can spend $200 getting broken pipes replaced in May.Or spend $120 and buy yourself a compressor and do it yourself by watching youtube.
Last edited by ChalkItUp; 12-20-2016 at 09:13 AM..
Yes.
That said, I forgot on a few occasions. Usually wasn't more than a broken head or elbow but one year I had to replumb the entire manifold, which I wanted to do anyway.
You can also damage your valves which is an expensive fix. Always a good idea to clear out your system. I do it myself with a compressor every year it's not difficult.
Last winter was my first year of owning a house. I turned off the water to the sprinkler system but did not blow out the system and my system survived. I don't plan on blowing it this year.
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If you have a long enough freeze the potential to have the lines split or the components fail increases, how it was installed will also be a factor. Your choice...
I've seen what can happen so you should do it if you can. Buy a $100 air compressor and do it yourself like I do every year. Well worth it. Youtube for instructions and ask the Home Depot guys for help with connections. I connect right through the water spigot in the back. There was another thread in the past with more detail too.
Last winter was my first year of owning a house. I turned off the water to the sprinkler system but did not blow out the system and my system survived. I don't plan on blowing it this year.
This will be the year you blow something up. Guaranteed.
YES!!! But you need to make sure you drain the water out of all the pipes that are outside your house. For the first two years I lived in my house I had the sprinkler guy blow out the sprinklers but every year in the Spring I noticed a leak in my outside copper pipes. The guy did not blow it out correctly and I had to pay him the fix the crack.
Early last year I bought a compressor and bought this adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Winterize-Spr...inkler+blowout
and started doing it myself. It worked out great. It got all of the water out of my pipes and I had no leaks in the spring.
I've seen what can happen so you should do it if you can. Buy a $100 air compressor and do it yourself like I do every year. Well worth it. Youtube for instructions and ask the Home Depot guys for help with connections. I connect right through the water spigot in the back. There was another thread in the past with more detail too.
$100 is not going to get you a good enough compressor to blow it out completely, unless you buy it used. You need a 20+ gallon compressor if you have a lot of zones and a big lot or else you will be there all day.
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