Fall Winterization
Prepare your sprinkler system for Winter!
What is a Fall Winterization?
In the fall, our technicians use a compressor to blow out all of the water in the pipes, thereby avoiding freezing and cracking during the winter, thus minimizing repairs required in the spring. The water supply and controller are turned off and the technicians will also make any notes for repairs to be done during the spring start-up.
What’s included in the Fall Winterization?
Fall Winterization includes using compressed air to remove any and all water from your sprinkler system to guarantee pipes will not crack through the winter.
During your blowout sprinkler service, our technicians will:
- Turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system
- Evacuate all water from your sprinkler system
- Turn off the controller to the sprinkler system
- Assess the condition of your sprinkler system
- Answer all of your questions
Prepare your Yard for Winter
Winter is rough on irrigation systems. Pipes can freeze and burst if they’re not prepared for the cold. Regardless of who installed your system, our team can provide a professional winterization service, which can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs.
“FROST”
Keep an eye out for any weather reports or news stories that mention the word “frost”. If frost is starting to appear, that means you will need to start taking steps to protect your yard soon, before the cold weather strikes.
SHUT OFF THE WATER
If the harsh winter weather is coming, you need to stop the water supply to your irrigation sprinkler system. Find your main shut off valve and turn the water supply off. You can even consider insulating the valve if its in an exposed location, where it might freeze.
DRAIN YOUR PIPES
After you shut off the water supply, you will need to drain your pipes as well so that the water won’t freeze, expand, and then burst your pipes. There are several ways to do this, either a manual or automatic drain valve, or a compressed air blow-out method.
AERATE YOUR LAWN
Cold weather can smother your grass, so aerating your lawn can provide your grass roots the extra air and space they need. Use a spade or manual aerator to take spikes of the soil out across your whole lawn.
FERTILIZE YOUR GRASS
You can prepare your grass for the winter by spreading fertilizer all over your lawn. Apply a cold weather or “0-10-10” rated fertilizer once a month to stabilize the root and stem systems. However, be aware of your neighbourhood policy on fertilizer-usage and using too much fertilizer, as they can kill your grass.