Did You Winterize Your Underground Sprinkler System?
Admit, the winter season this year has been a strange one. For weeks there is no sign of winter, and then, boom, the snow and ice hit hard one day and, a week later it’s shorts weather again, with sunshine and 70° temperature readings. Add to that a hectic hectic holiday season and a global pandemic! With so much going on, it’s understandable that a few items on the to-do list may have slipped through the cracks – but hopefully, winterizing your underground sprinkler system hasn’t been one of them!
Undrained H2O + Freezing Temps = Broken Irrigation Pipes
Sprinkler systems consist of many elements that freezing water easily can damage or break.
When an underground irrigation system is not properly drained and shut down for the season and water inadvertently remains in your sprinkler pipes you are, without a doubt, risking the operational integrity of your entire system.
As most know, when water freezes it expands – and this is where the trouble begins. Not only are the system’s pipes at risk (as the ice seeks to expand to a size larger than the tubing that houses it and, eventually, cracks the tubing that surrounds it), other automatic sprinkler components can also be adversely affected as well. For example, built-up pressure from water freezing in the pipes can push other ice forward and shatter sprinkler heads, connectors, fittings, and valves. And the cost to repair all these damages? It adds up quickly!
Out of Site? Out of Your Mind!
Why do so many sprinkler systems end up frozen and shattered? It’s simple, it’s the fact that the majority of your sprinkler system is hidden from view. The old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind” definitely applies to automatic irrigation systems. When you don’t see your system, you may forget to shut it down. And knowing if freezing weather has already caused damage to your system is nearly impossible without turning the system on.
What typically happens is the arrival of spring when it’s time to fire up the sprinkler system again. If there’s a break, homeowners will notice pooling in different areas of their yard – or sprinkler heads not spraying water. All signs your irrigation system has damage. And, a broken sprinkler system, while extremely frustrating, may cause even more damage as it may also cause unwanted damage to your grass and other plantings – or even damage your home foundation.
Don’t Delay, Call Heinen Today!
If you’re worried that recent below freezing temperatures will damage your system – or that damage may have already happened, don’t delay, call the irrigation professionals at Heinen today! Heinen’s irrigation pros are experts in analyzing and repairing just about every sprinkler system damage situation – from winterizing your system, to repairing as system, to even full system replacement.
