24 Oct How Do I Prevent Frozen Sprinklers?
How do I prevent frozen sprinklers?
Winter weather is on its way and that means its time to prep your plumbing system. This includes your sprinklers. These lines are especially vulnerable to the freezing temperatures that accompany winter months. If not winterized correctly, frozen sprinklers mean facing bursted pipes in the spring.
Fortunately, ways to prevent frozen sprinklers are simple and cost-effective. This requires time and preparation. The following steps, and with the help of a local plumber, you can effectively winterize your irrigation system.
Winterize your irrigation system is not a new home conservation term but it is one of the most misunderstood terms. This is partly because majorities of homeowners have less knowledge on the effect of freezing on a water system.
Why should you prevent frozen sprinklers?
It saves money: Replacing an entire sprinkler system is costly and labor intensive. Bursted pipes also lead to the possibility of extensive leaks that can run up your water bill without your knowledge.
It saves time: When you prevent frozen sprinklers, the arrival of springtime weather means that your watering efforts can begin immediately. Replacement of sprinkler lines can delay your lawn and gardening efforts by weeks.
It protects your property: Replacing sprinklers that service your lawn, flowerbeds, and garden mean that the sprinkler lines must be dug up. This damages your landscape areas and makes for a season’s worth of mess in your yard and gardens.
Ways to prevent frozen sprinklers:
Drain the Irrigation System
Draining the water from the system is one of the easiest and most important ways to prevent frozen sprinklers. Leaving water in the system is probably the biggest mistakes most homeowners make during the winter season.
To drain your irrigation system you must first shut off the water. The main water valve will eliminate the fresh flow of water into the system, but it won’t rid the water that’s currently sitting in the lines. After the main water valve has been shut off drain the lines using drain valves. Some newer sprinkler systems offer automatic drain valves, but older lines may require manual draining. If you unsure where your main water valve is located or how to drain your sprinkler lines contact your trusted Ben Franklin Tyler plumber!
Deactivate the System Controller
Most modern sprinkler systems are automated. Automation offers homeowners easy control of their systems function and schedule. During the winter season, however, you need to deactivate the system to prevent frozen sprinklers.
When effectively deactivated, the system suspends all automated irrigation intervals until the winter season is over. This gives your water system the needed safety from bursting pipes and other frozen damages.
Different systems have different deactivation procedures. If you are not sure how to deactivate the system effectively, it is important to consult a professional.
Insulate Your Backflow Preventers
Backflow preventers ensure that water is flowing into your plumbing systems from only one direction, and that no pressure changes within the pipes could reverse the flow of water. Insulating these preventers can prevent cracks that would allow water to flow freely in and out of your plumbing system. Backflow prevention insulation should be performed by a professional.
Investing In An Inspection
Contacting a local Ben Franklin Plumbing professional is the best way to prevent frozen sprinklers. Whether they winterize your system for you or inspect your winterization efforts, a licensed professional can ward off unforeseen issues and help keep your pipes burst-free.
Prevent frozen sprinklers this winter season with these tips from Ben Franklin Plumbing!
Winterizing plumbing is an important part of your home’s maintenance as the seasons begin to change. Contact Ben Franklin Tyler plumbers for any questions or services concerning the winterization of your plumbing systems.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Tyler serves the East Texas cities of Kilgore, Longview, Tyler, and Whitehouse with a team of certified plumbers. In addition to emergency plumbing repair, some of the plumbing services provided by the company include faucet repair, drain services, toilet repair, plumbing fixture installations, tub and shower installations, kitchen sink repair, faucet installation, water heater repair/replacement, and garbage disposal replacement. Call us today at (903) 730-6611 to schedule an appointment!