Perfect amount of detail, appreciate your time to share mate! Cheers from New Zealand where down South we also get -7 degree Celsius winters! Usually underground pipes are insulated enough by the soil as our soil Temps would never go below freezing
Great Video Adam. I just came from a vacation and did not schedule to do mine. Came here and found an easy step by step to do it myself. Sergio Northville, Mi
Great video. You thoroughly covered it all for me. Including the sprinkler box put the icing on the cake. No need for me to watch another video. Thanks
I Like the dog part at the end. In Seattle we have some cold days but rarely a deep freeze - I was told about fifty pounds of pressure in large volumes to keep the rising sprinklers open will do the job. The installers do it free for a couple years but I have a compressor as well so I may do it myself just for the experience.
Great vid. Very helpful. It would be nice to have the shut off inside the basement, but mine's 5 feet down w/ a stop/waste valve. That's what you get from a Holladay home built in '68. My compressor's only 2 gallons also, so it took about 3 runs per zone. Fun times.
You’ve done a great video, Adam! I learned a lot from you. Thank you so much! I especially love the last part of the video. What a cute dog to play with!
Great video, this is my first year with a irrigation system and the company that did the install wants 385.00 to winterize it.. No way was I going to pay that.. Thanks for the video! Really helped!
+AdamDIY My yard is only a 1/2 acre. I knew they was way overpriced. I won't be using them again. The company did do a great job on the install and price was fair for 4 zones. ( I believe ) just the winterizing was way out of line. Gotta love TH-cam! 😁
Thanks for this video! I've flood irrigated for the past 12 years so a sprinkler system was new to me and this was super helpful for a do it yourself kinda guy. 👍
I like the idea of putting a quick-connect compressed air fitting on the line. I've been improvising for about 25 years with a brass hose-end cap that I drilled and installed a valve stem of the type used with tubeless automobile tires and supplying compressed air with an air chuck. I put my gadget on a hose bib at the source and pump air into the plumbing. The Schrader valve in the valve stem keeps the air in the line even if the air chuck is removed and once a quantity of air is in the line, it is enough to push the standing water through the irrigation valves and out the sprinkler emitters.
Your dog is really cute. Home depot, sold me... no "Orbit" valves failed.. I think I'm okay now, found out how to fix these. Thank for your video, good job.
Nice video. Very helpful. I really like the hint about leaving the drain just downstream of the shutoff valve open and drained into a bucket, etc. My manifold is inside but last winter one of the elbows just outside the house broke. I think it might have been due to some slow accumulation of water past the shut off valve. Thanks!
Very helpful - I even have the same RainBird controller with 5 stations. In my municipality however, 2 backflow preventers are required, but the manifold looks basically the same (except my installer placed it underground in a small poly box so it was really hard to get my little compressor hose on the nipples). I had to resort to removing the box altogether to get access.
Well explained and great explained why must be done in areas where Pipes can Freeze. Then save folks money on Damaged Busted pipes on Hard Freezes. Note normally 29 Degrees for up to 6 hours can cause several thousands Dollars of Labor,materials cost.
Hey Daybreak buddy. This was exactly the video I needed since you have the exact same system as me (different electronic controller but all the plumbing was identical to mine. Thanks for the video!
AdamDIY Richmond American built our home - we're the second owners so I don't know if they had to come out and install the drain valve. It was there when I moved in.
At 11:45. Rather than do my own, I just decided to pay a 'professional' to blow out my sprinklers. Sure enough, they didn't open the drain valve just like you explained in the video. Thanks for the warning.
Great video! Quick question tho, in the second example, where did you attach the air compressor to blow out the line? It looks like exactly what I have, but I don’t have the same thing from in the first example of where to attach my compressor…
Hey quick question, I live really close to you in daybreak also. Do you keep the air hose running when you turned those stations manually at the very end of your video? That's what I have. THANKS!
Is compressed air getting to the backflow preventer? I thought compressed air could damage the backflow preventer. In my system, I don't see a way to blow air without impacting the backflow preventer.
You should always hook up the compressor after the backflow valve and shutoff. Also leave the ball valves on the backflow only partially turned (quarter to halway). And you don't want to blow it out until it is just air coming out but rather like a vapor. Itll be mist, then vapor then air. Stop at the vapor.
They are connected to each other, one right next to the other, I'm not sure why that is required, perhaps as a fail safe system in case one fails. I'd take a picture and try and post it (not sure if I can even do that here) if it wasn't dark when I leave for work and when I get home from work this time of year. I live in Bellevue, Washington, an upscale suburb of Seattle.
Just the regular compressor attachment. The threads from a regular compressor hose should fit most backflow preventers. If not you can add a permanent threaded inlet ball valve to attach your hose to. It's would be worth doing seeing how you will need to do this every year.
Great video. I just had my sprinkler system installed and I plan to do the winterizing myself. Is there a required size of air compressor i need to buy in terms of psi? Thanks
I know Kennicott! I grew up in SLC. Anyhow, I usually have my sprinklers blown out my a landscape company but now they want $45. It used to be $20 about five years ago. The only compressor I have is a 1.5 gallon/150 psi job that I used for tires and stuff. Is that tank enough to blow out sprinklers? I have a tiny sprinkler system - two stations, one with 10 heads and one with drip.
Two questions? I live in Herriman, right next door to you. I bought a new townhouse and have hired someone to blow my pipes out for the last two years. After watching your video, I noticed my inside drain was installed 3 inches lower than the turn off valve. Your video shows that your drain is higher than the valve. Will that cause problems? It hasn’t yet, from what I can tell. Also, I pay $50 a year to have my sprinklers blown out and you said, “if you don’t have an air compressor, just make sure everything is open”. For such a small system, I have no idea if they should really be blown out, or if I’m throwing away a lot of money. What would your advice be? One last thing. I’ve heard the newer systems have drains, but I can’t say for certain if mine does. Since they throw so many townhouses together so quickly now, I never thought to ask. Anyway, your input and advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would recommend removing the backflow during the winter if you are not going to do anything else. The reason I am saying this is because last winter I had someone come out to blowout the zones but the backflow still froze and cracked on the side.
TechMechRandom - Thank you for your reply. Honestly, I have no idea how to remove it. ☹️ I suppose I can ask the guy, who blows them out, to see if he would be willing to show me. 😊
your amazon link shows : DEWALT Pancake Air Compressor, 6 Gallon, 165 PSI (DWFP55126). It's about $175. Can I follow your instruction to drain without compressor and then use a power washer to connect to each drain outside and suck remaining water?
Not in every circumstance. It's just bonus protection for me. But its totally possible that in another install the lines will break. If you have got away with never doing it, I would not worry. Draining the back-flow preventer however is a must!
Thanks for this video Adam. I noticed my system looked more like the second "underground" irrigation control with the ground level lid you showed in your video, with 4 "control zone" cylinders pointing upwards and the electrical connected to each. However, I don't see any compressor fittings. There is a hose spickit next to the 4 cylinders, but that's all. I traced the city water main to the sprinkler system, but cannot find anything that looks like a back flow preventor. Any tips on how to figure out where to connect my compressor ? Thanks !
I have read that you should not exceed 30-40psi of air pressure, but should have a large volume of air because of air hammer damaging system underground
Adjust your air compressor output to no more than 60 psi. Any more could possibly damage the water lines. A 20 gallon air compressor is recommended. Great video by the way.
Hey there, I bought a pretty old house in Murray and I don't think I have one of those metal manifolds.. is there another way for me to blow out my sprinkler lines?
If you have a neighbor with the same age home, ask them what they do. Failing that, you will have a water shutoff valve somewhere on your property. Sometimes you need one of those long rods amzn.to/2AVYxDX to reach down the pipe to the shutoff valve. Once the water is off, look for access ports near the sprinkler valves. You may find a place to hook up the air hose there. If not, ports can be installed. If you cant find a way to blow out the lines, I at least like to run the sprinklers with the water off. Doing that will open the lines and hopefully let some of the water drain.
Every year I watch your video! Thank you for helping me out!
Great video. The last step (keeping supply line drained) is very important. Many of the other videos did not mention this. Thanks.
Perfect amount of detail, appreciate your time to share mate! Cheers from New Zealand where down South we also get -7 degree Celsius winters! Usually underground pipes are insulated enough by the soil as our soil Temps would never go below freezing
This gives me a better understanding of what my work wants me to learn. Thank you.
Great video! This was the simplest one and easy to follow.
This vid was a huge help! Thank you from Herriman, UT.
Cool. From Salt lake.
Very helpful! Thank you from Herriman!!!
Just helped me out too! Hello from west valley city
Here we go again. Another year, another view. 😆
Thanks for showing the alternate setups. Very good instructions.
Great Video Adam. I just came from a vacation and did not schedule to do mine. Came here and found an easy step by step to do it myself.
Sergio
Northville, Mi
Great refresher thanks. Although during the winter I keep everything 45 degrees open.
Just refreshing my memory. Thanks, from Ogden UT.
Great video. You thoroughly covered it all for me. Including the sprinkler box put the icing on the cake.
No need for me to watch another video.
Thanks
I Like the dog part at the end. In Seattle we have some cold days but rarely a deep freeze - I was told about fifty pounds of pressure in large volumes to keep the rising sprinklers open will do the job. The installers do it free for a couple years but I have a compressor as well so I may do it myself just for the experience.
i use this video every fall. thank you so much!
LOL. Me too.
This video made my day. You answered all of the questions that I couldn't seem to find and made me laugh. Thanks!
Nice video. You saved me a few hundred dollars. I appreciate your help
Great vid. Very helpful. It would be nice to have the shut off inside the basement, but mine's 5 feet down w/ a stop/waste valve. That's what you get from a Holladay home built in '68. My compressor's only 2 gallons also, so it took about 3 runs per zone. Fun times.
Super awesome. Thanks. I live in Daybreak and this has been super helpful.
You’ve done a great video, Adam! I learned a lot from you. Thank you so much! I especially love the last part of the video. What a cute dog to play with!
Well done. Very long video, but I learned a lot. I'm glad that I watched it. Thanks Adam.
Great video, this is my first year with a irrigation system and the company that did the install wants 385.00 to winterize it.. No way was I going to pay that.. Thanks for the video! Really helped!
Whoa! How big is your property? Here in Utah you can get it done for $35 for a standard residential yard.
+AdamDIY My yard is only a 1/2 acre. I knew they was way overpriced. I won't be using them again. The company did do a great job on the install and price was fair for 4 zones. ( I believe ) just the winterizing was way out of line. Gotta love TH-cam! 😁
+AdamDIY must be in hillarys state ,, taxes taxes ,, "who cares" lol
Thanks for this video! I've flood irrigated for the past 12 years so a sprinkler system was new to me and this was super helpful for a do it yourself kinda guy. 👍
Thanks for posting this very helpful video. I especially liked your playing with the dog at the end. Hilarious!
Very good video! Thank you for the clear instructions!
Thank you Adam, great video and great advise.
I like the idea of putting a quick-connect compressed air fitting on the line. I've been improvising for about 25 years with a brass hose-end cap that I drilled and installed a valve stem of the type used with tubeless automobile tires and supplying compressed air with an air chuck. I put my gadget on a hose bib at the source and pump air into the plumbing. The Schrader valve in the valve stem keeps the air in the line even if the air chuck is removed and once a quantity of air is in the line, it is enough to push the standing water through the irrigation valves and out the sprinkler emitters.
***** Great idea.
Adam you rock! You have a great voice for video.
A great face for radio too.
Excellent video! You told me exactly what I needed to know! Has to be one of the best videos I've seen!
Very helpful , and easy to understand Thank You
Thank you from Layton
Your dog is really cute. Home depot, sold me... no "Orbit" valves failed.. I think I'm okay now, found out how to fix these. Thank for your video, good job.
Nice video. Very helpful. I really like the hint about leaving the drain just downstream of the shutoff valve open and drained into a bucket, etc. My manifold is inside but last winter one of the elbows just outside the house broke. I think it might have been due to some slow accumulation of water past the shut off valve. Thanks!
Excellent video. exactly the info I was looking for, thank you.
Great video, thanks. Be sure and stick around till the end if the video anyone watching
Clear, concise and helpful information
Very helpful - I even have the same RainBird controller with 5 stations. In my municipality however, 2 backflow preventers are required, but the manifold looks basically the same (except my installer placed it underground in a small poly box so it was really hard to get my little compressor hose on the nipples). I had to resort to removing the box altogether to get access.
Wow 2 backflow preventers! Are they totally separate units? Where do you live?
Thank you for this. I live in your neighborhood so it was nice seeing the set up.
Awesome video. So helpful. Thank you!!!
Thanks man. Great video.
Thank you for this video! It helped a lot
Very informative. Thanks for sharing!
Great job doing this and providing tips for the other type of systems!
Well explained and great explained why must be done in areas where Pipes can Freeze. Then save folks money on Damaged Busted pipes on Hard Freezes. Note normally 29 Degrees for up to 6 hours can cause several thousands Dollars of Labor,materials cost.
Good info bro! Thanks!
Well done, thank you.
Thank you for your very helpful video! Really appreciate it.
Thumbs up x 1 million
Nice job… I’ll give it a go.
Your awesome dude thanks!
Hey Daybreak buddy. This was exactly the video I needed since you have the exact same system as me (different electronic controller but all the plumbing was identical to mine. Thanks for the video!
Glad to hear it helped! Who built your home? Mine is a Destination. They had to come back and install a pipe drain valve.
AdamDIY Richmond American built our home - we're the second owners so I don't know if they had to come out and install the drain valve. It was there when I moved in.
Great info. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks dude.
LOL that dog - that's something I'd do LOL
At 11:45. Rather than do my own, I just decided to pay a 'professional' to blow out my sprinklers. Sure enough, they didn't open the drain valve just like you explained in the video. Thanks for the warning.
Great video
What do you do if you don’t have that shut off valve in the basement? Also, do you ever shut off the supply from the street?
Great video! Quick question tho, in the second example, where did you attach the air compressor to blow out the line? It looks like exactly what I have, but I don’t have the same thing from in the first example of where to attach my compressor…
This is great, Thanks
Where is this? That's a spectacular view!
No way! You are in here in Utah. I recognized that mountain before you mentioned Kennecott.
14 :44- super video !!!
Great video on how to blow out the system. My only question is regarding the size of your compressor. HP? CFM? Tank size? Voltage?
Excellent Thanks!
Hey quick question, I live really close to you in daybreak also. Do you keep the air hose running when you turned those stations manually at the very end of your video? That's what I have. THANKS!
Is compressed air getting to the backflow preventer? I thought compressed air could damage the backflow preventer. In my system, I don't see a way to blow air without impacting the backflow preventer.
You should always hook up the compressor after the backflow valve and shutoff. Also leave the ball valves on the backflow only partially turned (quarter to halway). And you don't want to blow it out until it is just air coming out but rather like a vapor. Itll be mist, then vapor then air. Stop at the vapor.
They are connected to each other, one right next to the other, I'm not sure why that is required, perhaps as a fail safe system in case one fails. I'd take a picture and try and post it (not sure if I can even do that here) if it wasn't dark when I leave for work and when I get home from work this time of year. I live in Bellevue, Washington, an upscale suburb of Seattle.
We just moved here recently- do you do house calls?
what parts did you use to connect the air compressor to the irrigation backflow preventer?
Just the regular compressor attachment. The threads from a regular compressor hose should fit most backflow preventers. If not you can add a permanent threaded inlet ball valve to attach your hose to. It's would be worth doing seeing how you will need to do this every year.
Awesomw video, thanks!
What do you do when they isn’t a back flow? Can you unscrew the sprinkler head and fab something up to screw on and hook air to it?
Better off plumbing a hose connection right before the manifold
Utah - yay
Let’s hope this winter doesn’t beat last winters snowfall! That was crazy.
Great video. I just had my sprinkler system installed and I plan to do the winterizing myself. Is there a required size of air compressor i need to buy in terms of psi? Thanks
Most compressors can do it. It's just that the weaker ones will take longer.
You need at least 50psi. so again, most will do that except maybe some small hobby compressors.
Thanks
I know Kennicott! I grew up in SLC.
Anyhow, I usually have my sprinklers blown out my a landscape company but now they want $45. It used to be $20 about five years ago. The only compressor I have is a 1.5 gallon/150 psi job that I used for tires and stuff. Is that tank enough to blow out sprinklers? I have a tiny sprinkler system - two stations, one with 10 heads and one with drip.
Nice video, thanks. One thing you didn't mention was the amount of pressure you want to use in the compressor. Is 80 psi accurate?
I think average water pressure is 40 lbs. So 40 lbs pressure on the compressor should do it.
Two questions? I live in Herriman, right next door to you. I bought a new townhouse and have hired someone to blow my pipes out for the last two years. After watching your video, I noticed my inside drain was installed 3 inches lower than the turn off valve. Your video shows that your drain is higher than the valve. Will that cause problems? It hasn’t yet, from what I can tell.
Also, I pay $50 a year to have my sprinklers blown out and you said, “if you don’t have an air compressor, just make sure everything is open”. For such a small system, I have no idea if they should really be blown out, or if I’m throwing away a lot of money. What would your advice be?
One last thing. I’ve heard the newer systems have drains, but I can’t say for certain if mine does. Since they throw so many townhouses together so quickly now, I never thought to ask. Anyway, your input and advice would be greatly appreciated.
I would recommend removing the backflow during the winter if you are not going to do anything else. The reason I am saying this is because last winter I had someone come out to blowout the zones but the backflow still froze and cracked on the side.
TechMechRandom - Thank you for your reply. Honestly, I have no idea how to remove it. ☹️ I suppose I can ask the guy, who blows them out, to see if he would be willing to show me. 😊
how much pressure you use from compressor to blow out lawn sprinklers???
Please advise minimum compressor size required to do the job,
Thanks for Your video. It was very informative and learned lot from it.
Vijay
Very helpful, I have a compressor but not sure of amount of the minimum pressure needed to clear all water. Is there a recommended minimum pressure?
I keep it around 90 PSI.
Lol is this in Daybreak, UT?
Thank You
I have a leak outside in my yard. Can I just turn off the water vale in the inside of my house to prevent any outside leak?
your amazon link shows : DEWALT Pancake Air Compressor, 6 Gallon, 165 PSI (DWFP55126). It's about $175. Can I follow your instruction to drain without compressor and then use a power washer to connect to each drain outside and suck remaining water?
Do valves need to be removed afterward?
good vid. Thank you
did a search on winterizing the sprinkler, what are the chances you must be in daybreak too. which means my system looks nearly identical.
Is it absolutely necessary to blow the lines out? I live in UT as well and I’ve never heard of that before.
Not in every circumstance. It's just bonus protection for me. But its totally possible that in another install the lines will break. If you have got away with never doing it, I would not worry. Draining the back-flow preventer however is a must!
Also, systems these days have automatic drains on each zone. Blowing them out still is more protection.
Can I shut off the water from the street and do it or not? Thanks.
Thanks for this video Adam. I noticed my system looked more like the second "underground" irrigation control with the ground level lid you showed in your video, with 4 "control zone" cylinders pointing upwards and the electrical connected to each. However, I don't see any compressor fittings. There is a hose spickit next to the 4 cylinders, but that's all. I traced the city water main to the sprinkler system, but cannot find anything that looks like a back flow preventor. Any tips on how to figure out where to connect my compressor ? Thanks !
I'm in the same boat as you. Did you figure anything out?
hi, what size air compressor are you using. i only have 5 zones for now. thanks for the video.
Great share
how much air psi are you using?
about 80psi or so. But my compressor cant hold that for long. So it soon lowers to about 50 or so.
AdamDIY Most places I read including Rainbird site states not to go above 50 psi.
Alex P Thanks for the info!
Very clear. Anyone need the air compressor quick connect to do winterize, Please let me know!
Will a 3 gallon air compressor do this job done ?
I have never tried but I doubt it.
hahaha thumbs up for the ending!
I have read that you should not exceed 30-40psi of air pressure, but should have a large volume of air because of air hammer damaging system underground
Super smart
Fellow Utahan and New Home Owner. How Big of a Air Compressor do you think you would need to flush an average system?
I do mine with a 12 gallon, but i have to let it recharge between stations.
good way!
Adjust your air compressor output to no more than 60 psi. Any more could possibly damage the water lines. A 20 gallon air compressor is recommended. Great video by the way.
I've been winterizing my system for 19 years and only use 35 psi. Never had a problem. 60 psi seems very high.
Hey there, I bought a pretty old house in Murray and I don't think I have one of those metal manifolds.. is there another way for me to blow out my sprinkler lines?
I have the same problem. I installed a tee with 1/2 inch ball valve on the main line before the valves. It seems to work fine.
I also live in Utah, but I don't have one of those manifolds connecting to my main waterline. (old home) So what do I do?
If you have a neighbor with the same age home, ask them what they do. Failing that, you will have a water shutoff valve somewhere on your property. Sometimes you need one of those long rods amzn.to/2AVYxDX to reach down the pipe to the shutoff valve. Once the water is off, look for access ports near the sprinkler valves. You may find a place to hook up the air hose there. If not, ports can be installed. If you cant find a way to blow out the lines, I at least like to run the sprinklers with the water off. Doing that will open the lines and hopefully let some of the water drain.