When leaves turn a profusion of bright and burnished colors and drop from their trees, it’s a sure sign that autumn is here. Pumpkins start showing up all over the place, and Halloween decorations make their appearance. It’s a sure sign that winter is not far behind. Cool breezes become stiff winds and you start thinking about getting your woolens out of mothballs as we wait for Jack Frost to make his presence known.

As you enjoy the pleasures of the season, you know that your business is slowing down. Soon, when the cold sets in and snow blankets the landscape with white, you and your crews will be idle. Before that happens, you need to make some preparations for the long, cold winter ahead.

While the cold, brisk air invigorates you, it is freezing the water in the irrigation pipes. As it freezes, it expands, and can cause the pipes, to crack, sprinklers and other parts of the system to crack. Now is the time to take the necessary precautions and winterize your customers’ irrigation systems.

Although winterizing may not be high on your list of priorities, it provides a regular source of additional service and revenue. It falls under the heading of preventive maintenance. It has the potential to introduce you to new customers for your core business.

Actually, winterizing is needed in many parts of the country; however, there are differences in how it should be handled. Wherever you operate, it is a job that should be handled by a trained professional.

“Winterization needs to be done correctly,” says John Lee, of Landscape Solutions of New Jersey, LLC. “I can’t think of how many problems you can have at spring start-up, if shut-down is not done properly.”

In both northern and southern regions you should adjust the water flow. In the North it should be shut down completely. It is recommended that you wire tie the main shut-off valve in the closed position, so that no one can turn it on. The main shut-off valve should always be protected from the cold. This can be accomplished by wrapping it with insulation.

In the cold climates, if your customer’s system has an automatic controller, it too should be shut off and insulated. This will save the customer money because he will save on the electricity it would have taken to run it, and who doesn’t like to save money? So be sure to mention it; it will increase his perception of the value of your service.

Rotors and sprinkler heads installed above ground need to be drained. Often the water will drain out on its own. If it doesn’t, you should either install drain valves or remove them and shake the water out of them. Once that is done, you can either replace them or store them for the winter.

If the system has a backflow prevention device (which it should), drain it completely, then insulate it. This can be done by wrapping it with foam pipe wrap. “It is important to leave ball valves at a 45 degree angle,” says Lee, “to reduce damage to the valve.”

In the southern area, insulate the backflow prevention device, along with any inlet pipes and valves. If a “hard freeze” situation comes up, however, the system will need to be drained. You will have to shut the inlet valve off at the backflow device, then open the two valves that are on either side of the unit (test cocks) and allow the water to drain. Be sure to clear the system of water.

There are two methods for eliminating the water from the system, with automatic drain valves or blowing out the system. Automatic drain valves, which must be installed before the winter season, protect against early freezes and require fewer maintenance calls. However, they are expensive, and more importantly, they don’t get all the water out.

The most popular type of drain valve is a pressure-activated rubber valve that closes when the psi reaches 9 or 10. The automatic drain valve “waits” until the zone cycle ends and shuts off, then the valve reopens and a portion of the water drains, providing protection against damage from freezing. These drains can be used on polyethylene and PVC pipes, and are usually installed three per zone. You need a drain valve at every low point in the piping, but they still do not get all the water out.

The only way to get all the water out is the blowout method. This is done by
pumping compressed air through the system to remove all the water. In the cold climate areas, where freezing winters are a given, the blowout method is most often used.

Lee recommends using both, although not all contractors do. “The best way to clear a system,” he says, “is to have drains on the system and to blow it out.”

As John Eggleston manager of Service First Irrigation, Lansing, Michigan, explains, we use the blowout system. “Our system is not necessarily different from any others, what counts is expertise and reliability; training is the key and service is paramount.” Learning to use the right amount of air pressure is critical. “There is a tendency to use too much pressure,” he says. “Too much air velocity can cause heat friction damage to the system. The idea is to use low pressure and high volume. The cost of the winterizing process to the client” says Eggleston,” is $80 to $120 for a typical six to 12 zone system.” The savings from freeze-related damage can be considerable.

If the air pressure is too high, it can blow the sprinkler heads off like miniature bottle rockets and even break-up the pipes underground. You need to watch the temperature of the air too; it tends to heat up as it gets compressed. It can even get hot enough to melt the plastic pipe. You can try adding some extra length of hose between the compressor and the connection to the sprinkler which will allow the air to cool before going into the system piping.

Before you begin the process of blowing out the water, be sure to open the air valve on the air compressor, and open the valve on the irrigation system. Begin with low air pressure low and slowly increase it. Contractors’ recommendations regarding the maximum pressure varies a bit. Some think the maximum pressure should be 50 psi, while others say up to 75 to 90 is alright. If it takes more than two to three minutes for the water to get out, stop the compressor and let everything cool down. After a few minutes you can start again.

“You should know about irrigation systems,” says Lee. “Site knowledge comes into play. It’s experience.” Lee is a certified New Jersey landscape irrigation contractor, which is nationally recognized. “As long as I supervise the work, then the people who work for me don’t have to be certified,” he says. Although his certification fulfills a legal requirement, many of his people are certified as well. “There is a push to get everyone certified,” he adds.

If winterizing irrigation systems and general irrigation is not part of your core business, and you wish to get into it, there is another way to go—by buying a franchise. Service First Irrigation is just this kind of company. It’s been around for more than 25 years and offers irrigation training, technical support, etc.

Carl Petelle of Turf & Earth Lawn Care in West Carrolton, Ohio, is one of the people who have bought into the Service First Irrigation franchise system. As Petelle tells it, “We received some communication from Eggleston about ad-on business, checked with others who knew of him, and decided to go ahead with the franchise.” Petelle now has 60 customers.

In early October, Petelle was just beginning winterizations. He uses a 100 cfm diesel pump to blow the compressed air and get the water out of the pipes, sprinkler heads and back flow prevention system. “We also disconnect the clock and pull the battery to prevent leakage.” Petelle always makes a complete evaluation of the entire system so the client is aware of any existing or potential problems.

Lee has a slightly different take on winterization. “We do commercial irrigation services only. We do office complexes and such, not residential properties. We use Ingersoll Rand, 185 cfm compressors to blow-out the systems.”

“Winterization is part of an overall maintenance package,” says Lee. “We have start-up inspections, shut-downs, and mid-winter inspections. We document any repairs we see. We educate our customers. We give them the knowledge to manage their site. We show up with a cost analysis of what their system is doing. Our customers know we try to save them money on their water.”

Lee goes on to explain that he has a problem with computerized regulators he sees on some irrigation systems. “They put computers on systems that are poorly installed. Then the computer doesn’t measure what it should. You’re not saving any money on water. Some contractors are putting a computer in, but the system is designed poorly or it’s poorly installed.”

In preparation for spring start up, while the system is down, check it for problems and make repairs. In addition, during the winter, dirt and dead bugs collect in the pipes, so in the spring it must be flushed out before the first watering. Don’t make the mistake of not flushing it long enough; it usually takes longer than you think it should.

If you have shut off the automatic controller, you will need to reprogram the time and perhaps other settings. Check the system out by running it and looking for clogged emitters or nozzles, and check for leaking valves.

With the proper winterization, your clients’ systems will run properly all year long and they will keep coming back to you for their irrigation needs. Winterizing irrigation systems can also prolong your season. You can start a few weeks earlier than you normally would and end the season a few weeks later. It can extend your season by at least a month.

So as falling leaves, cool breezes and Halloween signal that the weather is changing, this should let you know that Jack Frost is right around the corner and it’s time to winterize those irrigation systems.