I typically don’t but I would say it depends on where you are and how long it will stay below freezing. Where we are located it doesn’t stay below freezing but for a few hours or days at the most. Most of the time it is above freezing and the ground temperature stays fairly warm. I have seen guys fill the valve box with insulation, packing it all around the backflow. So that is something that you could do.
But just FYI, if the backflow is in the ground in a valve box below grade it is a double check. RPZ’s have to be installed above grade. They look similar, the RPZ just has an added part on the bottom that is the relief valve. Because of that it must be above grade having 12” of clearance under it and have somewhere to drain.
@@AmericanIrrigator The valve box is filled with large rocks/gravel up to the RPZ. I live in Austin, TX. There is going to be a freeze over night and the next few days so I shut the connecter water valve shut, released pressure from the knobs on top, and left the 2 handles at 45° angles.
That should be good. I shut the water off on several properties during this cold front as well. Most of the time these backflows that are under ground are good and will survive the cold. The cold weather is one of the only reasons they still let us install them below grade.
Weird, I was actually taught that Backflows weren’t meant to have air and high psi of air go through them
Ever put heat tape on one?
It can actually damage it and I’ve seen it happen
Do you have to winterize your RPZ of its underground?
I typically don’t but I would say it depends on where you are and how long it will stay below freezing. Where we are located it doesn’t stay below freezing but for a few hours or days at the most. Most of the time it is above freezing and the ground temperature stays fairly warm. I have seen guys fill the valve box with insulation, packing it all around the backflow. So that is something that you could do.
But just FYI, if the backflow is in the ground in a valve box below grade it is a double check. RPZ’s have to be installed above grade. They look similar, the RPZ just has an added part on the bottom that is the relief valve. Because of that it must be above grade having 12” of clearance under it and have somewhere to drain.
@@AmericanIrrigator The valve box is filled with large rocks/gravel up to the RPZ. I live in Austin, TX. There is going to be a freeze over night and the next few days so I shut the connecter water valve shut, released pressure from the knobs on top, and left the 2 handles at 45° angles.
That should be good. I shut the water off on several properties during this cold front as well. Most of the time these backflows that are under ground are good and will survive the cold. The cold weather is one of the only reasons they still let us install them below grade.
@@AmericanIrrigator Thank you so much 🙏