How To Winterize Sprinkler System With Air Compressor

Not all systems need to have the water blown out of them. You can winterize a sprinkler system without an air compressor if all of your irrigation lines are buried at a slight downhill slope.

How To Make A Winterization Tool Underground sprinkler

Draining manual irrigation lines without an air compressor is only as good as the installation.

How to winterize sprinkler system with air compressor. The eye gear needs to be ansi approved. Ways to winterize an irrigation system. Blowing the lines out with air is the most effective way to winterize your sprinkler system.

Many homeowners use sprinkler systems to keep their lawns and garden green and lush during the parched summer heat. Be sure to be wearing protective eye gear while doing this as sometimes things can pop from too much pressure. Slowly open the compressor’s air valve, gradually.

Turn off the sprinkler system at the controller. The blowout method is usually the easiest and most efficient way to winterize a sprinkler pump system. When you rent a compressor for blowout or have a competent contractor do it, they are at least 75 cfm.

If a line ends up having a couple of high spots it is possible to retain enough water in the line to freeze, expand, and rupture the line. Since you will be blowing the water out zone by zone, start with the zone that’s the furthest away. Shut down the water supply and connect the air compressor to the irrigation system using the coupler.

Turn the water supply off at the main water valve to prevent more water from entering the system. After each zone has been blown, try hitting each zone again with about five seconds or less of pressurized air — just to make sure any voids or low spots in the pipe get completely flushed. Hope your system is already blown out because denver gets pretty chilly early on!

Set the compressor air pressure regulator to a maximum of 80 psi for rigid pvc pipe systems, or 50 psi for flexible black polyethylene pipe. Once the job is finished, disconnect the air compressor and release any air pressure that may be left. However, this method is destructive and even dangerous when tried on a sprinkler system that isn’t built for it.

This will allow air to flow into the system and water to flow out. To start the blow out, shut off the irrigation water supply and, with the compressor valve in the closed position, attach the air compressor hose to the fitting. Step 1, shut off the water supply.

Slowly open the valve on the compressor. Next, open the manual drain valve at the end of that zone (if equipped). Open the air compressor valve to blow air into the system.

There are generally three methods used to winterize a pump system: That means your compressor has to deliver a minimum of 20 cubic feet of air per minute for a continuous 2 minutes. Gradually add more air pressure.

Then turn on an irrigation or sprinkler zone and let it run for about 3 to 5 minutes, repeat this process for each irrigation zones. Avoid blowing compressed air directly through the backflow device. Continue to run each zone individually until only air is blowing out of the sprinkler heads and drip emitters.

This method uses an air compressor to clear water from your sprinkler system. Some sprinkler systems allow you to hook an air compressor up to the pipes to force the remaining water out of the sprinkler heads. As far as you air compressor goes, as you said, volume is what is important.

You will leave the valves in this position all winter. To open the farthest sprinkler from the compressor and turn it on, raising the sprinkler head up.attach the air compressor and turn it on. Then turn off the water supply and set the sprinkler system timer to open just one zone.

Turn on your air compressor and set the pressure to run at no more than 60 psi. It should cost from $50 to $150, depending on how big your irrigation system is and where you are. At best these generate 7 or 8 cfm.

If the pressure meter drops significantly during that time, it probably will not handle the job. If you plan to do it yourself, renting an air compressor can run you about $50, give or take a few bucks. The shut off valve for your sprinkler system should be located in an area that is unable to freeze over.

Hook up a small compressor to the mainline. Also, leave the controller plugged in since the small amount of heat it gives off will prevent condensation from building up inside the device. Simply shut off the main water supply to your system and open the drain valves at the end of each zone.

Find the sprinkler station highest and farther from the compressor and turn it on. Open all of the ball valves and the test cocks on the backflow plumbing halfway by turning the valve handle or cock slot 45 degrees to the piping (water flow). If you’re not certain or intimidated by the idea of blowing out the sprinkler system yourself, you can hire a professional to do it.

Connect your air hose from the air compressor to the backflow coupler. Activate the station on the controller that is the zone or sprinklers highest in elevation and the furthest from the compressor. Winterizing a sprinkler line requires each zone to be blown out for at least 2 minutes.

Turn off the irrigation or sprinkler controller and allow the air compressor to build pressure up to about 40 psi. Usually, it will be located inside the home, in a basement, garage, or.step 2, attach a compressor to the mainline. After completing this step, all you need to do is drain the water already inside the system.

In warm climates it is usually sufficient to just shut off the water supply and drain the water from the pipes. Once you’ve made sure that your air compressor is fully charged, begin to apply air to the sprinkler system very gradually, not exceeding the appropriate psi for your sprinkler piping. Go to the programming controller and manually run each individual zone.

However, once the crisp autumn temps start to fall at night, homeowners need to begin prepping their sprinkler for the oncoming freezing temps of winter. Here’s how to winterize your sprinkler system before the freezing temps become an issue and that frost wreaks havoc on your. Even if you use the largest home compressor that you find, chances are it’s not powerful enough to blow out the entire irrigation system at once.

Run your compressor at full capacity for 2 minutes. Remove the air hose and any added fittings from the backflow plumbing and replace any port caps, as applicable. If applicable, open the valve on the blowout port slowly, as well.

How to winterize a sprinkler system with a backflow preventer you start the blowing process by closing the backflow preventer valve and then removing the fixed plug into the port’s side.

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