Winterizing Your PVB Sprinkler System Backflow Freeze Prevention
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
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Prepare your sprinkler system's backflow device for the next freeze with pipe insulation and a Backflow Armor insulation pouch. Sprinkler Warehouse Pro Alfred Castillo gives you a detailed tabletop demonstration about how to winterize your PVB. Although a Febco backflow preventer is used in this video the process of insulating your unit's water pipes is the same no matter what Backflow Prevention device you use.
We recommend also covering your entire backflow device with an insulation pouch, such as this one: bit.ly/3rDXYsb
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Excellent demo. Now I'll go to your site to get some supplies - replacing rusty valve knobs. Thank you.
I put in a water spigot about 6 inches above the ground on the inlet side to keep water from sitting in the pipe. Worked perfectly for the cold weather a few weeks ago here in Houston. The bleed valves only drain so much but this definitely keeps the water out of the back flow.
Good idea! Can I just move that shut-off valve near ground( new shut-off valve with drain port)?My inject shut-off valve damaged and try to fix it now.
I was out today looking at the sprinkle supply lines next to the house. You just answered my questions. Off to Lowe’s to buy insulation and tape. Thanks! By the way, excellent presentation.
I come back to your video here every year. Thanks!
😁😁🤣
Nice Video. I learned something, getting ready for a 6-inch snowstorm with 27 degrees... I feel much more confident that I have beaten nature this time around! Thanks
Nicely done. Great tutorial
Great explanations, thank you very much.
As another mentioned below, you must drain all the water from the supply line into the PVB, and leave the valve half open. This will allow you to shut off water to the supply and the water can drain out of the supply line and prevent freeze damage.
Not draining the supply line, this routine will probably only work in USDA Freeze Zone 9 and maybe 7 and 8, but any of the others you really need to drain the supply lines.
Oh boy... ice storm of 2021 in Houston Texas...I had the EXACT SAME crack on the supply side valve that you showed here. The ice storm of Houston Texas 2021 got me. Like you said...I did everything (shutoff the valves, drained the two small valves, wrapped it the whole thing with 2 Beach towels... put a trash bag over it) except insulate the the supply valve.... and still a CRACK at the valve.
Don't worry, u didn't do anything wrong, it was a hard freeze and nothing would have stopped that crack, you're not the only one.
Did you drip internal faucets to keep the flow moving?
@@rickkay9548 yep,but this was for the pvb backflow, I have a really good landscaping company that I use that has parts if anyone needs help replacing.
If you need someone to help replace your pvb, I have someone that I use, very reliable and professional
@@joshuanovuss7866 know where I can get a 1/4" quick connect that fits that febco 765-1 testcock?
Winterizing is extremely easy by having two unions & just remove the PVB. If you have a isolation valve close to your meter for the irrigation that should also be shut off. All irrigation lines from upstream supply & downstream of PVB should be drained.
Your videos content are amazing. Your videos have helped me a lot in my home sprinkler system. Can you make one video about how to replaced FEBCO 765-1 ball valve (600 cwp). I looked everywhere about how to replace the ball valve, but I couldn't find any video.
Great vid. Very informative
Thank you!
Great educational video!
Glad you liked it
Very helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Shouldn’t an isolation valve and a valve for draining be installed below the back flow preventer valve on the inlet line? This would insure that all the water has been drained out of the ball valve directly below the back flow preventer valve. We have had many cracked casings on that ball valve in the area where I live because very few systems have the drain-bleed off point installed.
Intelligently articulated. Well done! Thank you.
I've seen some videos that say you should leave the valves a quarter of the way open during winterization rather than closing the input valve and leaving the valve to the sprinkler box open?
Here in New Jersey it is common to blowout for the winter the entire sprinkler system, zone by zone, through the PVB. In looking at many posts people believe you should not do that for the reasoning that you can damage the internals of the PVB. In my installation there is a hose bib on the supply side piping of the PVB and another on the outlet side to the valve box(s). So, I can do a system blowout either way. My winterizing guy has always said that a complete blowout of the piping and PVB can really only be accomplished by blowing out through PVB. He has done this for the last ten years with no apparent PVB damages. (Watts Series 8004M 1") I do not see any recommendations from Watts or Febco concerning this in their instructions if blowing out through the PVB is a bad thing.
Insulating the pipes in a harsh winter environment is not going to work if there is any standing water in the system or in the PVB.
Came here to find the same answer. Just moved into new house in NE OH, where we need to blow out the system. Just had someone out today and he wouldn’t do it since there are only the test ports on the PVB for blowing out the system. I can only imagine this is what they’ve done in the past, but this seasoned sprinkler technician was adamant that I need a plumber to add a hose bib on the downstream side of the PVB. Interested to hear if that’s my only recourse or if going through the PVB is acceptable in any cases.
Febco has their own video. This guy isn’t doing enough for northern climates. I’ve been doing mine for 31 years. No insulation used. Wouldn’t work anyways. Too bad he didn’t say what state he was in.
@@PaulKuester I'm in Michigan yes you do need a port after the PVB .. that way you don't have to worry about messing up the PVB internals. But if you do not have a port after.. then going through the side ports before the PVB is possible if done cautiously. Its actually easy to make your own port if you buy the Sharkbite tee valve and add a hose thing to it... Probably can be done in 10 minutes. Watch some videos on "sharkbite" and how to . Its real simple.
I did this and my pipe below the shut-off valve on the water supply side cracked! I did have insulation cover the whole thing, all pipes/valves above the ground.
I have seen some videos that have a water bib on the pipe to release any standing water.Do I really need this? Also, do they sell something to just cover the PVB unit excluding the pipes?
I'm here due to the Freeze and mine was gushing into the air. Merry Christmas to me. Mine doesn't have the two blue valves though. It's just a brass bell thing with the two white PVC pipes going into and out of it. Should I go buy one like this? Thanks! My house is like 1960's.
This kind of advice is really good for Spring repair business!
Thank you for the sharing the videos, very clearly 👍👍👍
Thank you!
Thank you!
You're welcome!
very helpful thank you
You're welcome!
Also, excellent video, btw.
One fail point in this video: ALWAYS wrap UP vs down. The point is to deny water getting under the tape adhesive.
Does this get ‘blown out’ as well via compressor?
Oh my goodness, thank you. This was very helpful. Do you have to do anything about the golden bell piece at the top?
We are glad to hear! Yes, you do have to winterize your unit and we do recommend to utilize a insulation bag. Please review the link below.
th-cam.com/video/YAXJI7O2_UU/w-d-xo.html
Alfred!! I have a ton of your shirts and wear them in my new home in FL. How can I get more?
What’s the point of this insulation? If it is not heated, or doesn’t have continuous water flow from the inside, it will freeze anyway. Maybe not in 10 minutes, but in an hour, but it WILL freeze.
slow freeze i assume is better than quick freeze. Plenty of places in US, it will only drop below 32 degrees for few hours of the day.
@@spacecadet28 It cannot be a general advice then, and you are also pushing your luck. If it goes below freezeng point regularly, then in every few years you will get a more extreme weather where it deep-freezes.
Check the official frost-line in your area. If it is close to zero, then you might get away with insulation only, and your in ground pipes might be also okay. But in most of US, it is not close to zero.
It might freeze. But the purpose is to not crack during the winter
Very nice explanation…
Does the valve and Bell need to be insulated or covered? I'm in West Texas and lots of wind blows sand everywhere, and I'm thinking sand will get into the bell area.
The system is actually sealed tight and won't be affected by a small amount of sand under the bell. However, to be safe, if you are that concerned you should ask a local licensed irrigation contractor, they will know the best practices for your local conditions. Remember the water enters from the bottom and exits out the side. So insulating the inlet valve is a must. Everything on the outflow side is just safety in case you don't use air to blow out your pipeline in the winterization process.
Nice video Only problem Most valves and lines are close to wall of house Making it difficult to wrap with a roll of tape. Thank you
Hello, Thank you for reaching out! Yes, many do encounter this issue. Below we have provided a link to help assist. Please view at 4:53
th-cam.com/video/-p5Gx-Wnsok/w-d-xo.html
Is it necessary to also shut off the main line by my water meter, or will shutting off the valve on the supply side pipe be sufficient? Thx.
Yah. Insulating the water inside your pipes only buys you time before it freezes. I’m sure this is good for some certain latitudes and elevations, but it’s not going to help in any areas that gets below freezing and stays there for over 18 hours
If outside temperature is below freezing piont isolation will NOT help you, because nothing will warm your pipes. Pipes are not alive and don't have energy sources. It will freeze anyway after couple of days. The only way to keep pipes in working conditions is to remove the water completely from all irrigation system components before freezing season.
I am another ice storm of the Houston Texas 2021. I had all the proper insulation and additionally a winter cover of all the backflow preventer and still the same crack. One of the days we had -8deg F. For the looks of it, sprinklers are not made for those temperatures. Your thoughts?
Really need to blow out the water to be safe. Commonly done in Northern climates
The bobwallace comment is a good one (count 3 comments above yours to read it) He said: "I put in a water spigot about 6 inches above the ground on the inlet side to keep water from sitting in the pipe. Worked perfectly for the cold weather a few weeks ago here in Houston. The bleed valves only drain so much but this definitely keeps the water out of the back flow."
What do you do when you don't have any blead valves on the back flow preventer?
you can drain the pipes out the other end or unscrew the bib and sop it out or blow it out.
Maybe this works in the South, but I would need to drain both pipes. Everything outdoors will freeze down to the freeze-line.
It doesn’t work in the South now. We live in Texas. My ball valve has a crack last month.
NOT accurate for northern climate. There is NO source of heat that insulation is retaining, and it won't effectively keep out the cold. As others have stated, just do not open the bleeder valves all the way, that allows any little bit of water behind the valve to evaporate to the atmosphere.
Why not just add two sch 80 unions and everybwinter just take down the preventer?
Some people put the close valves at 45 degree angle. Why? Is this necessary?
For winterizing - to drain the water from in and around the ball otherwise you may have trapped water that can freeze and cause damage.
What about the blow-out procedure. This setup is missing a blow-out port.
This got my hopes up on not having to blow it out, nope, the comments say get rid of the water
what kind of tape do you use to tape pipe insulation?
Hello, the Pipe Wrap Tape utilized is the King Innovation SKU: 86080
www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/king-innovation-pipe-wrap-tape-100-ft-86080
To me this is all for show (you may do it, but not really need to). What is important is the water supply side MUST have a water draining switch to let all water out, and kept it open but turn the main supply OFF preceding to the switch. Let's think for the moment, just because you wrapped the the so called cold preventing isolation, the exposed water pressure breaker is made of metal. If you are high school graduates, you should know that metal is 'high level' heat/cold conductor. It will literally transmit the heat/cold nearby section of the pipe. So, does the isolation really do the justice? Have you measure the temperature difference between the exposed and covered sections?
Literally being extra, no one does that lol. Makes no sense
Well done Alfred. Our back flow preventer assembly is located about 1" away from the outer wall of the house. Wrapping tape around that is quite a challenge. Do you have any suggestions about how to do that? There's not enough room to pass a spool of tape between the preventer and the wall.
It takes a little longer, but you will have to cut them into strips to wrap around the insulation. Try lapping the tape 50% longitudinally (where it goes horizontally around the pipe) and have at least a 1.5" overlap on the butt joint (where the strip of tape ends on itself)
rather than passing the spool of tape, just pull the tape off the spool that your going to use. then you only have to slip the tape behind the pipe.
Use outside heavy duty zip ties around the proper size pipe insulation (you will not see any gap) instead of using tape to avoid that headache.
Question if anyone can help me with an answer. Can I just leave it wrapped all year?
Sure. The insulation is useless in every season. See the comment above by Nomina sunt Odioza. Insulation will only delay the pipe from freezing for a few minutes. The only way to prevent freeze-damage is to remove all water from the system.
@@russjohnson6396 Exactly. I was fooled by this wrapping insulation method and my pipe crack on the inlet side where there was still water.
Insulating the line coming into the PVB IS CRITICAL but if the system is winterized, meaning all water has been removed from the output side of the PVB in the actual sprinkler pipes, there should be no water in it to freeze and therefore NO POTENTIAL LEAKS. Appearance may be a consideration but not possible frozen water.
If you need to winterize, insulating the PVB does nothing at all. Insulate that all you want. When it's 20* outside, go outside, pull that insulation off and measure the temp of the pipe. Guarantee you the pipe is also 20*.
Sustained temps below freezing will not be mitigated by insulation.
Insulating is only to get you through moderately cold temps at night if you have not drained the pipes and if temps are going to rise above freezing the next day.
@Christopher Campbell I’m from Minnesocold and I used heat tape on our pipes on where I could reach. That was in the basement though. Then out side on the hose bibs I used heat tape too. Just need an out side power outlet and extension cords. This is my 1st sprinkler system,so would heat tape work down here in a freeze? Same for my pool auto feed BFP? Thanks
I can't even turn the valves on. Stuck in 45 degree angle.
Following these instructions provides homeowners w false security. The only people that this advice benefits is sellers of PVBs and the guys that come out to replace them after they freeze and burst 😀.
Mine broke and it was almost all drained, had pipe insulation as shown and covered with a thick movers blanket and a trash bag. Insulating like this does nothing. I replaced it with a new one and installed a T with a stopper on either side to completely drain the valves. We’ll see how I fare this next winter.
@@henryuta Good idea. Where are the Ts? Right above the ground?
No. Blow the water out. Trust me on this. The only thing the foam can do is buy you a little buffer time if the temperature outside drops below freezing overnight for a few hours before warming above freezing again in the morning. But if you live where the sun doesn't shine much in winter, and the outdoor temperature stays 10 degrees below freezing for a half-day or more, the foam isn't going to prevent the metal from eventually freezing.
How do you blow the water out of lines
@@israelrosales2244 You either hire someone who does "sprinkler blowouts" using an air compressor or you do it yourself with an air compressor that can reach sufficient continuous pressure. Research that. I prefer hiring a professional since they have all the adapters and experience to know when it's getting done.
Please let me know What size pipe insulation in this video?
Hello, the size utilized is 1''. Below we have provided the link to both sizes available for the Insulation
www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/thermacel-seam-seal-polymer-foam-pipe-insulation-3-4-in-x-6-ft-tc118bsm
www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/thermacel-seam-seal-pipe-polymer-foam-insulation-1-in-x-6-ft-tc138asm
It's called two unions and take inside. Problem solved.
Still wrong .. you have to close the main cut off valve close to water meter and leave all valves open on backflow
Take a shot every time he says "particular"
just go ahead
Lol that's why you put the valve at 75% angle not all the way open or all the way close you don't get cracks.
That’s what happened to my valve. I guess pool noodles and duct tape and towels wasn’t enough. Maybe heat tape would work.
Don't need it if the system is installed correctly.
My ball valves froze and ruptured despite being wrapped. Now I'm adding permanent heat trace, insulation, and a PVC jacket to better protect the insulation from my string trimmer. If the power goes out the heat trace has low draw and be powered with a car battery and inverter. The things you learn when you buy a house...
@@jghall00 … the water has be shutoff before it goes outside. Febco has a video on how to do it the right way. Then you blow out each zone. No insulation or heat tape needed.
That insulation wont save the internals up top, you have to cover the top end or it will mess up the plastic internals
Do they sell some kind of insulated "sock" that can cover this unit?
I've never put insulation on my PVB. My system was set up right.
@@99wallygator Bully for you
My valve is so close to the house there's no way I could get that pipe taped like that.
Hello, Thank you for reaching out! Yes, many do encounter this issue. Below we have provided a link to help assist. Please view at 4:53
th-cam.com/video/-p5Gx-Wnsok/w-d-xo.html
This works ok but not in a bad Houston winter. You might save the bell but your inlet brass ball valve will split. The folks recommending unions and a plastic ball valve (to rig so you can remove it and take it into to the garage) have the right idea. But this common sense is rare.
He’s very particular
Morons that installed mine in OK made no...zero, nil, nada....provision to shut off water supply. They tapped into the well feed to the house. And don't get me started on the other plumbing. Anyway, it was, generously, a shitty install. So, dug out the supply line well below grade and cut the pipe and removed the supply side PVC (they used a pipe thread PVC fitting on the back flow preventer (BFP) straight cut threads...I don't even know where you get a pipe thread PVC fitting...). Get an empty plastic pail that has a snap on water tight lid such as premixed drywall mud or something similar, 12 to 14 inch diameter works nicely. Your hole should be deep enough to spread maybe an inch of gravel around the supply pipe stub. Use a hole saw to cut a hole at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch bigger than the supply pipe in the base of the pail. Slip the pail over the stub. Install your PVC shut off ball valve on the stub ensuring you have room enough to swing the valve lever to the closed position. Glue in some vertical PVC to a height that will allow cutting it to accommodate a PVC disconnect fitting near the top of the vertical before it makes the 90° to the BFP valve. The disconnect allows you access to the remaining water in the vertical after you shut off the supply ball valve....I use an air powered parts washer suction spray gun to suck the water out then reconnect the disconnect fitting. From here plumb the rest of the vertical and 90° elbow and horizontal screw fitting into the BFP inlet.
Fill the space around the outside of the pail with material removed making the hole. To winterize you can use some glass insulation bats wrapped around the pipe and shut off valve. Take the snap on lid and hole saw a hole just the size of the supply pipe. Using tin snips cut the lid from the outside to the hole. You can now warp the lid and slide it over the pipe and down to snap onto the pail's rim. You can then place some more dirt material onto the lid to insulate if you need to depending on your lowest expected temps. My whole above ground BFP and piping is covered by an insulation muff that you can buy commercially and this is all covered by one of those fake rock items. I've also taken a cheap trouble light and used a 15 watt incandescent bulb (doesn't require much heat) and placed them in the muff and plugging it in for really cold temps or long term below freezing. I also have two wireless remote temp senders in plastic zip locks, one at the bottom of the pail next to the pipe and another just above the ball valve. The top one is the alarmed sender. The senders were both checked before install and were within a half degree. In use the temp at the top of the pail is about 6° warmer than the bottom sender with the light plugged in and about 1 degree difference without heat.
The advice here to use foam to insulate...why are you insulating an empty pipe supply, BFP and outlet? All the water should have been removed when you blew the water out of the sprinklers and (in my system) sucked the water out of the below grade vertical above the shut off ball valve.
wow... So much of this is wrong
Care to elaborate...?
The valves should be left 1/2 open. And this method only works in some regions where the ground doesn't freeze. Many regions will require a blowout or complete draining of the supply line or removal of the backflow device. Writen by a certified backflow tester.
@@SmartIrrigation1 Why make valve 1/2 open instead of leaving it totally open? What's the difference?
Ball valves that have been opened at some point during the season will have some water trapped between the ball and the brass on the inside of the valve. This can only be released by opening the valve 1/2 way. So if you winterize it by opening the valves 1/2 way and fully cleared, you could technically then return the valve to fully open afterwards, but you need to be 100% that it has fully drained, otherwise the trapped water can freeze and break the valve. So it is safer, plus it is a good reminder to show you and anyone else that this valve has been winterized. Every once in a while there are circumstances where leaving it fully open or closed are warranted, but generally leaving it 1/2 way is safest, and informative. @@stevec9669