Winterizing your irrigation system is incredibly important.
While you might already be busy stocking up on firewood and pulling out winter clothing, there’s one important step in preparing for winter weather that you don’t want to overlook: winterizing your irrigation system. Whether you’re a homeowner or commercial property owner, one good freeze is enough to cause significant damage to your system.
Winterizing Irrigation Systems
For those that are unfamiliar, winterizing your irrigation system involves proactively preparing and protecting vulnerable irrigation components from damage that frozen water left in your irrigation pipes can cause. Because this process is incredibly time-consuming and delicate, it’s typically best left to landscaping professionals. Although many systems have automatic drains that are designed specifically to pump water out of the sprinkler system when turned off, it’s important to check that all of these pumps are functioning correctly. Often times compressed air is used to flush water out of pipes, and a professional irrigation specialist will take necessary precautions to ensure that your sprinkler heads, rotors, valves and backflow systems aren’t damaged in the process.
Protect Your Investment
When water is left in the pipes, valves or other components of your irrigation system, it can expand during a hard freeze and cause cracks or damages to the whole system. That means hundreds if not thousands of dollars in replacement and repair costs. If your system’s backflow prevention device is damaged during a freeze, it can cause outdoor contaminants such as pesticides, fertilizers, and animal/insect dropping to contaminate your household tap water line. The other thing to keep in mind is that a repair or replacement of your yard’s irrigation system can wreak havoc on a well-maintained lawn and the rest of your landscape. That said, delaying to repair an irrigation system can lead to additional landscape costs, such as tree damage, unhealthy turf, and an overall reduction in your property’s curb appeal.
Drainage Solutions from Edward’s Lawn & Home
Ready to get started on your next landscaping project? At Edward’s Lawn & Home, we help home and business owners transform their landscapes into the stuff of their dreams. Our experienced design and build professionals take great care to deliver a quality product that will meet your satisfaction. Get in touch with us today by calling (443) 341 6539. You can also check out our portfolio or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.