I don't know how it's possible for there to be so many confusing videos on this topic. Thank you for putting up the most clear, concise, and comprehensive version. This is the one that should be shared everywhere.
Thank you for sharing. I am a local Texas Real Estate Broker in the Houston area and have shared your video with several property owners. Thanks again 🫶🏾🙌🏽
That video is a fall back way of doing it if you can't find the underground valve (I discuss that in my video) but it does still leave pressurized water in that line up to that valve that is shut off. A hard enough freeze and that could break.
Word of caution. If you find your below grade shut off, be careful when opening the cover: Frogs, snakes and other critters like to live there. You don't want a nasty surprise. It happened to me and a friend a couple of weeks ago. Luckily it was a frog that jumped out, but it scared the shit out of us.
This is an excellent video. I winterized before the February 2021 freeze but after the thaw found a slight leak at the area of the back flow dome. I had turned the water off at the below grade valve. But as this guy suggested make sure the valve is fully closed. After watching this video I checked the below grade valve and sure enough it had to be tightened more. The leak stopped. Now, I will just wait until spring to have my backflow valve repaired by my irrigation company.
Thank you for this video. It would have done me some good to watch this last week prior to the winter storm here in Houston. The back flow preventer blew off and water flooded the side of our house.
This is not the standard winterization method. In a nutshell water "Has" to drain out of the PVB (pressure vacuum beaker) in order not for it not to crack or blow off hence freeze over. Certain Irrigation company's offer winterization, I used conserva Irrigation here in the Houston and spring they're a little pricey but totally worth it.
The tubing around my back flow preventer snapped. Luckily it was above the shutoff valve. I was able to just turn that. Had it been below the shutoff, I would’ve freaked out even more. Thanks for this vid. I’ll know what to do next time. I’m in Houston, too. This winter storm kicked my ass. We also have a hole in the roof above our garage from the hail right before the winter freeze.
Thank you for the video. I live in the next town over. (Cinco SW) Ours was full of water so on to the big box store on Spring Green to get a Siphon pump.
Great video. So clear and to the point. For those of us in Southern homes, and in Houston, this is exactly what we need. Can you do one on how to find and cut off the main water to the house? Also, how to check water heater is lit? Thanks!
Buy a cover too. This is good info but it’s simply not enough in hard freeze cases. Residual water will bust it. Even if you cut it off prior to pvb assembly.
Hello again! I just went to locate the below grade shutoff. Inside I see a shut off valve that did not look similar to what you show. I see 3 handles that are hexagonal in shape. I left it alone and thought I'd check on here to see what those may be. I did open the bleeder valves and left them open and closed the valve vertical to the ground. Thanks for your help!
Those are the valves for your zones which are controlled by your controller. The handles are to turn them on manually for testing. not everyone is able to find underground shutoffs.
@@scottsdiyintx7988 TY so much Scott for your reply! I appreciate knowing what they are. I love learning new things. LOL I will go ahead and place the padded cover I bought at Home Depot I mentioned in my other comment. TY once again for sharing your expertise and knowledge to protect our backflow preventers from exploding and breaking.
Sadly that cutoff for sprinkler is not near the back flow but at least near the main line. I have similar setup in area north of Houston. I think code would have required a isolation valve on any permitted installation.
Scott, great video and was pretty much my setup (connection to city line was right by my setup). Question: is there any need to turn the system on and drain the irrigation lines themselves? Or is there ever actually any remaining water in those lines? Underground so might not matter. Just wanted to know if I needed to run the system or not (not sure it would even work with the relief valves open). Thanks!
Just as in the video, you do not want to close the valves. You want everything wide open so as the water freezes it has someplace to go. Closing the valves traps water in them.
How do you open the bleeder valves if there are no screws to turn on/off? Mine have a female thread with no screw instead of the yours that have male threading and screw.
6:50 the below-grade shutoff is specifically for the irrigation system and different from the main shut off for the property, correct? That’s the only thing not clear to me. I assume they’re different otherwise you’d have not water, but just want to be sure
How long do I keep my underground shut off closed? If the freeze is lasting for a week so I keep the underground shirt off valve closed for a week? If that’s the case then I won’t be able to use water to wash hands take a shower etc?
The below ground shutoff under the green cover should be for the irrigation system only. The one for your house is either on the side of the house or in your garage. I leave my system off and winterized until I need the irrigation again.
I purchased a cover for the backflow preventer to add another layer of protection. What are your thoughts on adding a cover after following all your steps in the video? TY!
As long as you follow everything exactly and are able to have it shut off underground then you shouldn't need a cover. But if you have the cover, it would not hurt to use it. If you do not have an underground shut off and have to shut off the valve under the back flow preventer then you will need to cover it.
@@scottsdiyintx7988 Thank you so much Scott for your reply! I appreciate it so much. If I don't have to put a cover I will take it back since I have not used it because it sure was pricey!!! LOL I do have the underground shut off one in the front yard and even one in the backyard. My system was installed 19 years ago and I am so happy the included the underground shutoffs. I will be happy when this current super cold spell is behind us!!! LOL Thanks again Scott for your great video and your reply! Now back to shivering!!! BRRR!!! ☃❄🌨🏔
This video was shot real quick on a day before a freeze to share with people asking me for help so it was uploaded quickly without editing. I did just go in and chop it up in TH-cam studio. It wasn't monetized or anything so there wasn't alot of time put into it.
@@scottsdiyintx7988Thanks for your information. The walking time is NOT important but the information is vital. Some people just want something to complain about.
I don't know how it's possible for there to be so many confusing videos on this topic. Thank you for putting up the most clear, concise, and comprehensive version. This is the one that should be shared everywhere.
Coming back to this video I saved in 2021 after the Texas Winter Freeze. Getting prepared for this week’s freeze
Same here 😄
Thank you for sharing. I am a local Texas Real Estate Broker in the Houston area and have shared your video with several property owners. Thanks again 🫶🏾🙌🏽
This is a very direct to the point instruction on how to winterize a sprinkler system the right way. Thank you
th-cam.com/video/weBJoCUFeVk/w-d-xo.html
That video is a fall back way of doing it if you can't find the underground valve (I discuss that in my video) but it does still leave pressurized water in that line up to that valve that is shut off. A hard enough freeze and that could break.
Best winterizing video I've come across. Simple and easy to follow!
Thanks Scott. Getting prepped for Jan 2025 in Katy
Thank you!!!! Great clear, precise video. We are going to double check our equipment now.
Word of caution. If you find your below grade shut off, be careful when opening the cover: Frogs, snakes and other critters like to live there. You don't want a nasty surprise. It happened to me and a friend a couple of weeks ago. Luckily it was a frog that jumped out, but it scared the shit out of us.
This is an excellent video. I winterized before the February 2021 freeze but after the thaw found a slight leak at the area of the back flow dome. I had turned the water off at the below grade valve. But as this guy suggested make sure the valve is fully closed. After watching this video I checked the below grade valve and sure enough it had to be tightened more. The leak stopped. Now, I will just wait until spring to have my backflow valve repaired by my irrigation company.
You prevented a catastrophic failure. Still a win in my book.
Great video! Clear and easy directions 👍
Thank you for sharing this. Easy to understand so now let me see if I can follow your instructions. Thanks again!!
Thank you for this video. It would have done me some good to watch this last week prior to the winter storm here in Houston. The back flow preventer blew off and water flooded the side of our house.
Mine too
Me 3
This is not the standard winterization method. In a nutshell water "Has" to drain out of the PVB (pressure vacuum beaker) in order not for it not to crack or blow off hence freeze over. Certain Irrigation company's offer winterization, I used conserva Irrigation here in the Houston and spring
they're a little pricey but totally worth it.
Here we go again
my name is Scott, I live in houston, I have this exact systems LOL
Thanks so much! Best explanation on youtube!
I have the same setup as yours and I love it. One extra valve to shut off the main backflow device.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you, this will definitely help me this year by prevent my system from busting again this winter if we have a repeat of last year winter.
The tubing around my back flow preventer snapped. Luckily it was above the shutoff valve. I was able to just turn that. Had it been below the shutoff, I would’ve freaked out even more. Thanks for this vid. I’ll know what to do next time. I’m in Houston, too. This winter storm kicked my ass. We also have a hole in the roof above our garage from the hail right before the winter freeze.
Thank you for the video. I live in the next town over. (Cinco SW) Ours was full of water so on to the big box store on Spring Green to get a Siphon pump.
Thank you for a great video. Totally clear on what I need to do.
Thank you for posting this video. Happy new year 🎆🎊
Thank you that’s exactly what I was looking for
Good video, sir. Thank you👍🏾
houston is boutta freeze up, thanks for the help!!
Great video. So clear and to the point. For those of us in Southern homes, and in Houston, this is exactly what we need. Can you do one on how to find and cut off the main water to the house? Also, how to check water heater is lit? Thanks!
Thank you! No one of explains this part!
Thanks for your video....very much appreciated!!
Great video. Covers everything! Should have more views.
This is very helpful and much appreciated!
Buy a cover too. This is good info but it’s simply not enough in hard freeze cases. Residual water will bust it. Even if you cut it off prior to pvb assembly.
Hello again! I just went to locate the below grade shutoff. Inside I see a shut off valve that did not look similar to what you show. I see 3 handles that are hexagonal in shape. I left it alone and thought I'd check on here to see what those may be. I did open the bleeder valves and left them open and closed the valve vertical to the ground. Thanks for your help!
Those are the valves for your zones which are controlled by your controller. The handles are to turn them on manually for testing. not everyone is able to find underground shutoffs.
@@scottsdiyintx7988 TY so much Scott for your reply! I appreciate knowing what they are. I love learning new things. LOL I will go ahead and place the padded cover I bought at Home Depot I mentioned in my other comment. TY once again for sharing your expertise and knowledge to protect our backflow preventers from exploding and breaking.
Super helpful!!! But if you shut off the main water line, won't it shut off water supply to your house?
The irrigation underground main should not shut off the house too.
Thank you! Very helpful
Does every house have a "blow grade" shutoff valve?
Sadly that cutoff for sprinkler is not near the back flow but at least near the main line. I have similar setup in area north of Houston. I think code would have required a isolation valve on any permitted installation.
I have two below-ground power knobs. Do those need to be would turned off as well along with the below-ground flow valve?
Good video
Scott, great video and was pretty much my setup (connection to city line was right by my setup). Question: is there any need to turn the system on and drain the irrigation lines themselves? Or is there ever actually any remaining water in those lines? Underground so might not matter. Just wanted to know if I needed to run the system or not (not sure it would even work with the relief valves open). Thanks!
So what happens when the valves are open and you turn the water back on?
Ok so after the freeze which handle do we close to run our sprinkler?
You close the tiny bleeder valves which you had used a screwdriver to open. It is on 4:46.
for the 2nd option, why would you only close one of the valves on the backflow preventer?
Really helpful, thanks!
So after bleeding water, you don't need to shut off the two valves(Blue color)?
Just as in the video, you do not want to close the valves. You want everything wide open so as the water freezes it has someplace to go. Closing the valves traps water in them.
@@scottsdiyintx7988 Now I understood. Thank you.
how do you de-winterize in the spring? Just doing everything opposite?
How do you open the bleeder valves if there are no screws to turn on/off? Mine have a female thread with no screw instead of the yours that have male threading and screw.
6:50 the below-grade shutoff is specifically for the irrigation system and different from the main shut off for the property, correct? That’s the only thing not clear to me. I assume they’re different otherwise you’d have not water, but just want to be sure
Could you shut off the underground shutoff and try to run all the water out of the system?
Thank you
How long do I keep my underground shut off closed? If the freeze is lasting for a week so I keep the underground shirt off valve closed for a week? If that’s the case then I won’t be able to use water to wash hands take a shower etc?
The below ground shutoff under the green cover should be for the irrigation system only. The one for your house is either on the side of the house or in your garage. I leave my system off and winterized until I need the irrigation again.
drain the water or take the preventer off, this setup can freeze in the south
thanks! well done!
I purchased a cover for the backflow preventer to add another layer of protection. What are your thoughts on adding a cover after following all your steps in the video? TY!
As long as you follow everything exactly and are able to have it shut off underground then you shouldn't need a cover. But if you have the cover, it would not hurt to use it. If you do not have an underground shut off and have to shut off the valve under the back flow preventer then you will need to cover it.
@@scottsdiyintx7988 Thank you so much Scott for your reply! I appreciate it so much. If I don't have to put a cover I will take it back since I have not used it because it sure was pricey!!! LOL I do have the underground shut off one in the front yard and even one in the backyard. My system was installed 19 years ago and I am so happy the included the underground shutoffs. I will be happy when this current super cold spell is behind us!!! LOL Thanks again Scott for your great video and your reply! Now back to shivering!!! BRRR!!! ☃❄🌨🏔
Thanks!
Girl asked boy, "What's a "bleeder valve?'
boy replied: 😂 oh you know.
Girl: silly boy.
Does the below-grade water shut off in front of the house also turn off the water to your house?
No, it should be independent just for the irrigation.
Newer homes will have the isolation valve
Mine still broke 😭
yupe, pipes dont have body heat to make the insulation work
Wish I had watched this before the freeze. Would have saved me $45.00.
Only $45?? Wow, lucky
maybe at best
8:40
If you could cut out all the walking time, this would be a much better video
This video was shot real quick on a day before a freeze to share with people asking me for help so it was uploaded quickly without editing. I did just go in and chop it up in TH-cam studio. It wasn't monetized or anything so there wasn't alot of time put into it.
It’s a “southern home” video. Nobody is in a rush
It’s apparently super hard for people to double tap the screen to fast forward
Yeah that 20 seconds really cut into my weekend plans.
@@scottsdiyintx7988Thanks for your information. The walking time is NOT important but the information is vital. Some people just want something to complain about.
Here we go again 😒
put mayonnaise and sugar on it and deep fat fry it.
This has to be on the list as to the dumbest inventions ever. "Back flow preventer"