Winterizing your sprinkler system is essential because it prevents trapped water from freezing, expanding, and cracking pipes or damaging components as temperatures drop. Homeowners in northern regions, especially across Canada and the northern United States, face freezing conditions that make this maintenance step critical. Even if you’ve drained your irrigation system, residual water can freeze and rupture PVC or polyethylene piping, leading to expensive repairs in spring. To stay safe and protect your investment, hire a professional landscaping or irrigation specialist to perform a proper system blowout with compressed air before winter arrives.
So, what exactly does winterization mean and is it really necessary?
In some regions, winterization may simply require a manual or automatic system drain of water in your sprinkler system. In colder regions, a complete system blowout using compressed air is a must.
With the changes in climate in recent years, there’s possibility of harsher winter conditions than in previous years. Therefore, to be safe, we recommend a sprinkler system blowout to all those in regions in which temperatures could reach a freezing point.
Why? Even if you’ve drained your sprinkling system, some water may remain within the piping – and that is very dangerous. As temperatures drop, this water will freeze and expand as it turns to ice and crack the piping. PVC piping (rigid, white-colored piping) is most vulnerable to this. Polyethylene piping (black-colored), commonly used in northern sprinkling systems, is more flexible and may accommodate some expansion. However, the expansion can rupture the pipe walls. Freezing water in the assembly may also damage the internal components.
So, yes, winterizing your sprinkling system, is necessary and important.
Here’s how to winterize your underground sprinkling or irrigation system to prevent costly repairs:
Due to the dangerous nature of using powerful, compressed air, this is not a do-it-yourself job. Landscaping professionals or irrigation system specialists should be hired to efficiently and safely complete this task. Ask for referrals from friends and family about a reliable company they’ve worked with in the past. Or, consider contacting your local Better Business Bureau to find a service in your area with a stellar reputation. Pricing varies depending on your specific system.
Please note that residential air compressors available at home improvement centers are not sufficient for this work.
Have a great autumn.