How to Winterize a Sprinkler System - Blow Out Method
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2015
- Properly winterizing your irrigation system is essential to preventing damaged pipe and back-flow devices. Ewing Irrigation's Jeffrey Knight with the help of Mark Stuhlsatz from Ryan Lawn & Tree explain the process in this video.
Winterizing instructions from Hunter:
www.hunterindustries.com/site...
Website: www.EwingOutdoorSupply.com/
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Ewing Outdoor Supply is the largest family-owned supplier of landscape and water management products in the country. As your business partner, we offer products and education for irrigation and landscape, turf and land management, outdoor living, sports fields, golf and sustainable solutions. Our nationwide network of friendly, knowledgeable staff helps green industry professionals discover products and services for business success.www.ewingoutdoorsupply.com/pr....
Wow never knew the process ....definitely worth the price to have it don't professionally
Definitely something for up north because no systems in the south would not have a port to connect equipment so it would be a big process to do that.
Perfection! Give this whole crew an Emmy!! Bob Vila would be proud 👏🏼
Ha! Thanks David!
Exactly the information I needed. Thank you!
Beautifully done guys. My guy retired so I’m going to try to give it a go myself this year. Cheers from Cincinnati!
Thanks for the comment. Good luck with your project!
This was an excellent how-to video!! :thumbs up:
Congrats to the Royals for winning the World Series!! I lived in Overland Park back in my college days when they beat the Cardinals (my team) in the WS 30 years ago.
/waves from St. Louis
I do it myself because the first year I had it done by a local irrigation company they charge me commercial plumbing rates. Thanks for the info. Now I'm doing it myself
Hi,
Can you please share the video? So, I can done mine. Thanks
Great video to inspire me with my videos. Well done!
Thanks! We appreciate the comment!
ive been studying this for work 7t was helpful
This guys ask some great questions.
I use a normal air compressor and it works just fine
Was going to ask can I really not use my compressor?
So yeah since this post an hour ago I used my California air tools small compressor and was able to blow out my 8 zone system. I went through each zone twice and also held down certain heads to add pressure to further ones. Took me about an hour to go through and make sure just air was coming out of each zone. I turned of water and both sides of the main valve. I used the shut off on the spigot the compressor was connected to in order to build pressure back up again once it got low. I made sure to shut the valve off between shutting off and turning on zones in order to prevent the air pressure from damaging any of the valves. I use a Rachio controller which made it easy Bc I could be outside controlling the zones with the app and controlling the pressure from the compressor with the spigot valve. Worked great and no mist or water coming out of any of the rotor heads.
I can certainly see how having a big compressor would save you time but I can’t see how it would save you any more than that. I’m confident I got all of the water out of my system it just took a few times to pressurize the small tank again and then releasing the air into the system. Just be sure to have a way to cut off the compressor air pressure when switching zones in order to not try to pressurize a closed valve system.
Good luck and thanks this video helped a lot!
Yeah it would work on smaller systems. But I have 1.5 acres, somewhere around 24 zones, 128 different sprinkler heads, and thousands of feet of pipes. I have to use a compressor like this.
he has a business to run lol
Ya he only "cracked slightly open" the valve a little bit, so much for "volume" of air.
Very informative!! Thank you for making this video!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the short and well explain video , 👍🏼
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
I borrowed a fairly high volume compressor from a friend, yet this video helped me to determine that the ports had to be "beyond" the backflow unit... saved probably $70 - $100 by doing it myself... and not messing something up... thank you guys..
You're welcome! You are correct, the compressor should be connected down stream from the backflow device. Thanks for the comment!
Yes sir if you would have ran it thru the back flow unit you could’ve potentially ruin rpz and those aren’t cheap
Why is there a connector at the backflow?
Good video... To prevent freeze damage on the above ground pipes when we get an early cold snap, any insulation is helpful. Freeze tolerant ball valves are also a nice upgrade to minimize damage... And make sure the main supply valve doesn't leak back into the system over the winter...
Ronald Lehman 1
Super great video thanks guys!
Thanks for watching!
I don't even have a sprinkler system but here I am.
Let us know if you're interested in learning more about them!
Very helpful video...much appreciated
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment!
Nice video! Thank you.
Thank you too!
A regular air compressor will do it.. it's just business what you guys are trying to do.. I own a Landscaping company and also do sprinklers and I think it's not right to be ripping off people.. it's pretty cool that you guys are explaining this though.
Moises, thanks for watching and the comment! The advice given in this video is to use an air compressor with a rating of 80-100 CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) for any mainline 2" or less. This information is common in the industry for winterizing irrigation systems. Yes, it is possible to use a smaller compressor but it will take longer and there is a risk of not getting all of the water out of the system. If you are in the business of winterizing irrigation systems, using the larger volume compressor will also allow you to complete more jobs, more thoroughly in a smaller amount of time. If you would like to review another resource, this article from Hunter Industries has some good information on winterizing irrigation systems:
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system
I agree. They are doing their job and this is their business. It is very helpful for those of us who are handy, but if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing, I would hire someone. If your system freezes up, it would be very costly. Thanks again for sharing this with us, it is very helpful.
do you still blow out systems with automatic drain valves?
Former Montana Dirt Contractor here.
A slight correction.
If there is only some water in your line it should be ok so long as it has room to expand.
Water always takes the path of least resistance so it should expand within the hose without breaking.
You are correct in your assertion it is better to be as thorough as possible however.
I appreciate your video as I recently purchased a house that has a underground sprinkler, something that is voodoo to me at this point :P
Gracia.
@@SlayerofFiction If the underground piping was perfectly horizontal, you're right, a partially filled pipe would be okay. The problem is that the underground piping will have low points and those low points will be completely full of water, and when it freezes, the pipe could break.
I purchased a home with sprinklers 6 years ago this December. I have sprinklers that cover over an acre of my home. I didn’t realize that I needed to winterize them until the next Fall. I came across this video and started using my 30 gallon air compressor. Does it work? Yes. But I can see why this could have issues. The sprinklers that are further away from the blow line struggle to get all the water out and most of the time doesn’t get the mist that the other sprinklers do get. This has been my experience.
Thanks for a very good video. I would add one step: when openining the drain at the supply connection, leave the valve or plug opened a bit. Any water leaking past the irrigation system shut-off valve will exit the drain rather exposing exterior water-filled components to freezing temperatures. Insulation will prevent freeze damage only when the temperature is only slightly below freezing and/or below freezing for a relatively short period. If it is cold enough long enough, exposed water-filled components will suffer freeze damage. The only solution is to remove water from all system components exposed to freezing temperatures.
Good advice. Thanks for watching and for the comment!
When you say "supply connection", where exactly would that be? Is that where he hooked up the blowout air hose? Is that somewhere in the garage? Is that somewhere inside the house? I'm confused.
When he says water leaking past the irrigation valve will freeze on the exterior.... That's also confusing because that's the whole point of blowing out the lines I thought....
Advice does nothing for a know-nothing first timer lol. I have no idea what valve I should be leaving partially open. I'm just gonna blow out my sprinklers and see what happens lol
Great video guys irrigation tech in the Chicago land area
Awesome thank you!
Great instructional video! Typically we'll loosen both check valves as well, but we only blow out the larger, commercial type irrigation systems. Not sure if residential systems pose less of a threat to those valves in freezing weather..
Thanks for watching and for the comment!
You need a big air compressor if you are blowing out 10 or more zones with a house on greater than a 3/4 acre of land . 2 HP and a 30 Gallon tank won't get it done very fast. I tried it, but it will work. I live in eastern Washington, there are lots of guys that like to run their big compressors and will do it for under 100 bucks. Big compressors can blow out 12 zones in about 15 minutes.
My air compressor seems to work fine on the first blow out attempt but the on the second attempt 2-3 minutes after first the heads don't pop up all I hear is air being released from theads. Lines are small
Poly type tubing 40-50 psi. Tia for your help
Hi Joseph, sounds like the compressor doesn't produce enough CFM, the pressure is fine it is the volume of air that is lacking. Most home compressors do not produce enough CFM. I hope this helps.
I use my home compressor and set it at 60 PSI and it takes a few minutes to do. Then I go through the zones a second time. I live in northern New England where the temperatures go well below zero for an extended time and all water must be out of the system.
I live in colorado everybody blows out their sprinklers here, thanks for the video
At the end he takes the connector. When asked if you can do it yourself he gave a runaround answer. It depends how many gallons your air compressor can hold
Here in Conroe, Texas we seldom have to worry about a blow-out, as a business not something we service often. Winterizing not usually needed as this video states, but that's just here.
I don't know if you still monitor here as it's 7 years old, but, here in CO, everyone and their brother is a landscaper that blows out irrigation systems. It looks like they all use some pickup truck with their compressor and rakes and shovels in a trailer. I just got a Metabo compressor that can push 4SCFM at 90psi. If those other people do it and want to charge me $30/zone, would this compressor work here too? I've NEVER seen that giant trailer compressor at anyones house come fall.
Hello Mike. The information provided in the video is consistent with instructions from the major manufacturers. Here's an exerpt from Hunter's winterization guide.
"The blow out method utilizes an air compressor with a Cubic Foot per Minute (CFM) rating of 80-100 for any mainline of 2" or less. These types of compressors can be rented at your local equipment rental yard. Caution: a small shop compressor (1-3 HP) will not have enough "free" air to properly winterize the system. Do not attempt to fully charge the holding tank then release the highly-pressurized air flow into the mainline to compensate for the compressor's lack of CFM. " You can learn more here:
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this video I do this every year for the company that I work for but I have a question if I plug in the backflow test cock can I use any of them or you suggest just one of them and which one is better ?
You may have missed it in the video. You shouldn't run air through a backflow preventer as it can damage it. If the system wasn't built with a place to connect your air supply downstream from the backflow device (like a hose bib), then you should add a connection. It'll be a lot less costly than replacing a backflow preventer. Thanks for the question!
@@ewingoutdoorsupply I know I suggested that to the homeowners but some of them don’t do it I have all the equipment and I hooked up from the backflow sometimes I just wanted to know if it can be damaged thanks for the info
You're right, it does take a little bit more time with a smaller compressor but it's $65 I don't have to spend. Plus you know you're not going over 100 psi... That's reassuring.
+Cf4 Cf4
Don't confuse pressure with volume. I'd be surprised if your compressor is not capable of 100+psi. My compressors have adjustments for maximum pressure, but adjusting it is not as straight-forward as you might think. I put an inline pressure limiter on my line so I can adjust the pressure between the tank and blowout connection -- typically 125 psi at full load down to ~80 psi. In simple terms, think of volume as how much sustained airflow you get before the compressor has to kick on. A small compressor will be running non-stop -- most likely running out of air in a very short period. A larger capacity compressor (tank) will last much longer.
My basement is lower than my outside underground pipes. So I have a siphoning mechanism at a point lower in altitude than the rest of the system. Before the first freeze, I turn the valves to start the siphon into a bucket. All the water is then drained out of the pipes. Simple.
That still doesn't get all the water out.
Would like to buy valve and extension shown in video after blow out preventer.
I have one question Im from long Grove Illinois when you guys do the cleaning do you guys put anything to cover the valves or heads we usually put a plastic on the heads so salt and water don't go in side since I do a lot of large homes can that affect anything'? I've done it for 10 years and never had a problem just wondering thanks
Thanks for the question Al! The plastic should not be needed to protect the heads or valves. As long as you get all of the water out of the system you should be fine.
You don’t need to cover the plastic heads brother we usually remove the rpz if it’s located outside and have the home owners store it for the winter
I don’t have a shutoff above the backflow preventer. Can I blow air through it as long as it is in same direction as water runs ( I’ll close valve between backflow preventer and house though)?
It's not recommended to run compressed air through the backflow device as the friction from the air can damage the internal components. Thanks for the question and for watching!
What kind of attatchment do you need to screw onto the Febco backflow preventer? I have an 825y 1" on my system and need a female end to screw onto the backflow preventer
+ll NATE DOGG ll - If you are referring to the attachment for the air line, there are a variety of pneumatic quick connect couplers available so it's hard to say what will work for your situation. Remember that you do not want to send compressed air through the backflow device. In the video, the quick connect coupler was attached to the irrigation supply line downstream from the backflow device. The connection was made using a compression tee and a threaded female adapter. If in doubt, we recommend hiring a qualified irrigation contractor to winterize your system. Thanks for the question!
This is how I realized I'm getting old.
I have watched several sprinkler blow out videos and I don't see anything that looks like what I have. I know how to shut off my water but I can't find any way to hook up a compressor.
Thanks for watching Christopher! Unless the system was originally designed with a connection for the compressor you will need to add it yourself or hire a qualified contractor to do it for you. In the video (4:02), the contractor tapped into the supply line and added a brass compression tee with short piece of pipe and a female compression adapter connected to the tee. This setup allowed him to thread a quick-connect adapter into the female adapter to hook up air line.
whats the reason behind smelly water thats coming out of the lawn sprinkler? seems like every house is like that, where is the water coming from?
+tscooter22 - Sorry, we were unable to reply directly to your comment. The goal is to get the bulk of the water out that can freeze and expand enough to damage pipe and components. The water left in the pipe once fogging begins is not enough to do harm. Also, friction resulting from compressed air running thru PVC can generate enough heat to damage components if left running too long.
Water has friction too, if you install lines long enough you have to factor in friction loss, so I do not understand that aspect of your post.
@@SlayerofFiction Rotor heads are lubricated and cooled by the water flowing through them; if you run them dry, there is no more lubrication and you can damage the heads.
My irrigation contractor got smaller compressor than I do. So I would use mine :).
Thanks for the video! One question, when manually switching through the zones do you stop the air flowing from compressor while switching? Or just keep it going while going through the zones? Thank you again very informative.
You do not want to have the compressor running without a valve open so it's best to shut it off between zones. Thanks for the question!
I don’t have any drain for my system in my basement and only have the valve, is their anything I can do to get the water out of the pipe that is leaving the house?
It's difficult to answer your question without seeing the system. We would recommend hiring a professional to take a look. You may want to have a drain installed if the water from the line upstream cannot be drained through the backflow device. Thanks for watching!
I have an old copper irrigation system. what's the best and easiest way to rise the heads to the current grass level? The current heads don't even seem to be solder on the pipe.
You should be able to replace the riser/nipple with a longer one or swap out the heads for taller ones. Thanks for watching!
I live in CO and just had mine done today, but I don't think the guy cycled the sprinkler system to the backyard. I could tell because we had snow, and the front zones left spray in the snow, and the back ones didn't have any signs. Does that matter? Is it just to get water out of the riser, or do the back zones have to cleared out as well? Thanks for any advice!
If there's water still in the system in the back you'll want to get it out. If there's enough in the lines, in a low spot for example, it could freeze, expand and fracture the pipe. Thanks for watching and for the question!
@@ewingoutdoorsupply Thank you so much! Not only for the video, but the super quick and informative reply. I truly appreciate it! Have a great day!
What is the recommended cfm for air compressor? Would be a good thing to know if blowing out my own system.
80-100 CFM is recommended. Heres more on the subject from Hunter.
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system
Thanks for the question!
Using compressed air , will it not introduce oil or other contaminants in whole water system?
No, shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for watching!
Dam im 20 thinking imma 40 hopefully looking as good as these fellers
Did I see a faucet ahead of the backflow without a vacuum breaker?
+Melinda Gloe Looks like that might be the case.
What is the valve called that is after the blow out preventer to blow out the system?
The connection for the compressor can vary but in this case he used a shark-bite style compression tee to tap into the supply line. Thanks for watching!
Sorry guys ik im just popping out of nowhere and acting like ik everything here like everyone else on TH-cam or just social media in general. But I know 80 psi out of an air compressor is NOT the same as 80 psi with water. Although the “pressure per square inch” is the same. Water is incompressible, and air is compressible. It’s essentially hydraulically equivalent to a mechanical spring. Not to mention the viscosity of water is 89 times that of air… I work on and test these things everyday throughout the summer, and every year I see new and crazy damage to irrigation back-flows due to people blowing these things out through the test cocks. If water hammer/pressure spikes are enough to fuck a Backflow up, and a hair is enough to fail a check valve, what do you think blowing compressed air through it will do? Especially over time. Though I suppose its better than the alternative, a freeze break. I just let my system bleed for a while, never had any issues. If you are going to blow it out, id advise to do it on the outlet side of the back-flow with both Shut off valves closed like these guys. That way your not causing any damage to the Backflow. You can always just drain the Back-flow after the fact through the test cocks. (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE INLET SHUT OFF VALVE CLOSED OR EVEN BETTER, HAVE THE WATER COMPLETELY OFF UPSTREAM OR ELSE YOUR GOING TO SOAK YOURSELF LOL!!) ask me how I know..
No one is going to ask you how you know bc you your first sentence calls the reader out on our insecurities and inferiority complex, how dare you say that about humanity, so what if we dont engage in meaningful dialogue, so what if we relay information that caters to our ego and could care less if the information benefits you, bc guess what buddy the world revolves around me. So take that In your pipe and smoke it.
I have access to a big diesel compressor like that but where can I find that adapter?
The connection for the compressor can vary but in this case he used a shark-bite style compression tee to tap into the supply line.
Why are you using shark bite connector outside? Will the O ring fail over time?
This is from the manufacturer: "SharkBite Universal brass fittings can be used in sunlight when installed on copper or CPVC." Thanks for watching!
I live in a condo development and have been doing some of the simpler jobs on our irrigation system such as changing heads, solenoids and diaphragms, managing seven control timers, season start-ups, etc. Management has asked me if I could handle blowing out the system this year so I have been doing some research, including watching your video 3 or 4 times so far. We have 5 backflow preventers, 109 zones with 691 heads running off 7 timers. Each zone has a control valve.
Questions for you -
You never mentioned anything about control valves in the blow-out process.
1. Do you start the compressor first and then open each valve one at a time until the water coming out is fogging, then move on to the next zone? Or open the valve first, then start the compressor?
2. Should the compressor be shut off between zones?
3. Does the timer remain shut off the whole time? Or can you run the system from the control timer at, say, 3 or 4 minutes at each zone, turn on the compressor and run it automatically?
Your help will be most appreciated. TIA
Ralph
Hi Ralph! You'll want to avoid introducing pressure into the system with no way for it to escape (watch at 4:37). I think that answers your questions. Good luck with the job!
What is the model of large compressor used in this video?
Sorry Keith, I don't recall the model used but if you do a search for 'mobile air compressor trailer' you will find several options. Thanks for watching!
it's an compressor from Atlas Copco one from the serie 7 range. (somthing like XAS 77 or XAS97)
Question: Is there any reason not to blow it out more thoroughly than a fog, or is this a case of good enough because it's not necessary and you might be in a hurry, or is it something more important?
Again, thanks for providing a very informative how-to video. :thumbs up:
I had the same question. Its frustrating when someone tells you something that goes against common sense (in this case, that you want ALL the water out) and doesn't EXPLAIN why you would leave some of the water in.
@@JM-nh8yp when water freezes it expands. When the pipe is full it will burst or break the pipe. If the pipe is mostly empty any water in there has enough room to expand without causing damage.
@@ryanlavallee3239 Yeah, I understand that water will expand and cause damage. I was the one making that point. That you want the water out.
@@JM-nh8yp When I researched "how much does water expand when it freeze" the answer came back 10%. Think about that.
Running the air longer can actually generate to much heat to the system and damage valves. It sounds crazy but it doesn't take long for heat to built and that is why experts quit when they start to see fog.
I see this as a good service that a pro can do better than a homeowner as the pro generally has better equipment. I also see that anytime mankind creates something for betterment there always seems to be more money leaving the pocket to maintain such improvement. I say to hell with an irrigation system and it's time we all start living simply again. Not likely but for me very likely.
I followed this except keeping the valve halfway open and it cracked first cold week
80 psi? wow. Did I do something wrong then? Mine came up and sprayed water at about 43ish-45ish PSI until it started fogging.
You should be fine. Anything between 40-80 psi is okay. It's important to never exceed 80 psi as higher pressures can damage system components. Thanks for watching!
I discussed with my winterization specialist where to connect the air compressor to blow out the air for winterization. He told me always connected to before the backflow preventer, the left side as shown in the video. He said if connected to after the backflow preventer, as what the video suggested, it won't blow out the water inside the backflow preventer. I am not sure what to follow.
We do not recommend forcing air through the backflow device as it can damage internal components. This is an excerpt from Hunter's winterization instructions for reference.
"The compressor is attached to the mainline via a quick coupler, hose bib or other type connection, which is located after the backflow device. Compressed air should not be blown through any backflow device. "
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system
@@ewingoutdoorsupply Thank you for the reply. But check the TH-cam videos. Most of them do not even have a way to connect to after the backflow preventer to blow out water, as what the video suggested. In other words, many home installation can't meet the need, including mine.😓
Can somebody explain how the backflow preventer is useful when used in homes irrigation system? First of all, in the normal condition, the city water has a 50 psi pressure preventing a backflow. Second of all, if something happens like the main water shuts off in the main line , the water inside the irrigation system cannot come back because first it's in lower level and second the irrigation valves are closed preventing the water motion.... It's an unnecessary device which usually breaks due to cold weather adding a burden on homeowners....
Thanks for watching and for the question. Protecting potable water sources from the possibility of harmful contaminates is very important to the safety and health of the public. That's why many municipalities require backflow devices to be used. Here's some information from one of our blogs that might help clear things up:
www.ewingirrigation.com/news/blog/the-basics-of-backflow-prevention/
In regards to your comment about cold weather harming your backflow, be aware that you can purchase a backflow blanket to help prevent damage from freezing temperatures.
www.ewingirrigation.com/45w-x-22h-large-b-f-blanket
I just read on Hunter's website not to "fully charge" a small home compressor to compensate for the low CFM. What is the harm in doing so?
The sudden burst of compressed air can burst pipe or damage other components of the system. You'll notice at 5:03 in the video that Mark slightly opens the valve on the compressor before firing it up. This slowly introduces the air into the system. Thanks for watching and for the question!
@@ewingoutdoorsupply Thank you for the quick response!
you guys should be making this all universal, my system is nothing of what you guys have, my is just the hose faucet, and it connects to two pipes that have a twisty head on top, how the hell do I do any of what you guys just said???
Small compressor at one end and a wet vac at the other. Just have to empty the vac before full.
what is a Zone? and what does it mean if you have more then one blow out?
Depending on the size of your irrigation system, you may have more than one zone or areas of irrigation. Each valve in your system operates a zone. For example, one zone might irrigate your front yard, another could handle the back yard while another might be dedicated to drip irrigation that irrigates a planter bed or trees and shrubs. Each zone should be winterized to remove the water from the pipes to prevent damage from freezing/expansion. Thanks for watching!
@@ewingoutdoorsupply Thank you so much for the reply. That helps a lot with my work and learning about irrigation systems. Now, where can I find a blow out location? Its not really telling me on google.
The people I hired said the final necessary step is to fill the lines with a desiccant gas.
How about a master valve in advance of all this and use King drains?
+Karen McCarthy We've found that method can lead to wasted water during the spring and summer.
Hi, would you be able to help with an issue? I just had my winterization and afterwards, it has been draining continuously for more than 12 hours and a lot of water, so what is causing that? As I checked the water supply to the sprinkler has been shut off completely....
It's difficult to say. You may have a bad valve. Corrosion or debris could be preventing it from closing completely.
I have a back flow preventer that has two test ports. One is upstream and one is downstream of the back flow preventer. The downstream test port is just upstream of my zone valves. I have heard you can introduce air to the system on the downstream test port but not on the upstream side as air going through it would damage it, BUT I have also read you should not put air through any test port on a back flow preventer. Which is correct? I really don't have anywhere else to introduce air to blow out my sprinkler system.
Hi Charles. You should not connect your air supply to the blackflow device. Our recommendation is to install a connection on the downstream side of the backflow device similar to what is shown in the video. Here's some information from Watts that may be helpful.
media.wattswater.com/fp765.pdf
Thanks for watching and for the question!
So you don't have to drain the back flow preventer? How about showing how to add the special connector?
Yes, the backflow needs to be drained as well. He does this starting at 6:10 in the video. The connection for the compressor can vary but in this case he used a shark-bite style compression tee to tap into the supply line. Thanks for watching!
I use a regular compressor
I'm going to add a tee for the compressor connection on mine for blow outs, but what parts do I need on a galvanized pipe?
The threaded female adapter is mainly what I'm questioning. Are the compression tees only in brass?
This is a tricky one since corrosion can be an issue if going directly from galvanized to copper or other metal. If you can avoid it, refrain from tapping into the galvanized pipe. Assuming the galvanized transitions to PVC below the backflow, it would be a better idea to dig down to the PVC and add a tee there. Cover the new connection with a small round valve box for easy access in the future. If you have to tap into the galvanized pipe, you can use a galvanized compression tee. Be aware that if you transition from galvanized to another metal, you will need to use a dielectric fitting in between, a union for example, to prevent corrosion. We would recommend hiring a qualified contractor in this situation.
Okay, hold on now. At 4:35, why can't you go ahead and turn on the compressor and build up pressure on a closed system? If your air compressor PSI is set at the same level as the normal water utility PSI (somewhere between 50 to 70 PSI in my case) why would this create problems? PSI is PSI, and the piping should be just fine and not burst whether it's fluid or air PSI, right?
The sudden force could damage components. The same is true when you first return water to the sytem in the Spring. You slowly open the valve to prevent damage to the system from water hammer. You can learn more about the process of winterizing from this article from Hunter:
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system#:~:text=It%20is%20better%20to%20use,heat%20and%20could%20cause%20damage.
Thanks for watching and for the question!
If I forget to winterize my system it ends so bad. All kinds of damage. I’m from eastern Washington
Had to replace my backflow valve this past spring
I moved from Eastern Washington to Colorado! I was in the Tri-Cities, so I know exactly how cold it gets there. Definitely need to blowout the sprinkler there!
Thanks for the video... Seems like the previous owner hired a rather idiotic team to install the irrigation... Downstairs draining valve and the air compressor hookup point for outside don't exist.. they were using the only option which is to blow air through the backflow preventer...
He left out the most important thing. Do not run the pressure too high to your sprinklers! 90 psi max. You will blow out your heads or worse, break stuff. Also If you are a home owner with a moderate or small spinkler system a $100 compressor with 4 scfm is fine. You just have to wait a few times for it to build up pressure again. Overall it was still quicker for me doing it myself than calling the irrigation guy, meeting him, and writing an $80 check.
There is no reason to use a huge 185cfm or whatever size that is. I've used my 20 gallon 5 cfm @90 psi for years and always gotten all the water out just fine
+KMT15 - Thanks for the feedback. Yes, depending on the size of of the lines in your irrigation system, a smaller compressor can get the job done. However, a smaller size tank may require multiple refills in order to clear out a zone. The main concern we have is that a low CFM compressor may not get all of the water out. To err on the side of caution, we recommend that a high CFM compressor be used. It'll also take a lot less time, which can be an important consideration to a contractor offering this service.
AS SOON AS YOU LOOSE THE ORIGINAL PUSH OF AIR AGAINST THE WATER... THE WATER THEN RUNS BACK INTO ALL THE PIPING YOU JUST CLEARED... THEN THE PIPE IS NOW 1/2 FILLED ... NOW THE AIR YOU PUT BACK TO IT WILL JUST SKIM OVER THE TOP OF THE WATER ... LEAVING WATER IN THE LINES !!! # 2 Standard piping used in most systems is rated at 80 PSI... KEEP PUTTING 90 PSI. TO YOUR SYSTEM SEE WHERE THAT GETS YOU !! CFM DOES MATTER !!!! NEED TO BE ABOVE 25 CFM UNLESS IT IS ONLY A DRIP SYSTEM... NEVER MORE THAN 80 PSI !!!! IF YOU HAVE HIGH ENOUGH CFM 50 PSI IS OPTIMUM PRESSURE !! YOU CAN PUT 100 PSI in your car tires & they will not blow up right away ... EVENTUALLY THAT KIND OF PRESSURE WILL RUIN THE TIRE !!!! YOUR ARE DOING THE SAME TO YOUR SPRINKLERS WITH THIS MISLEADING INFO POSTED !!
KMT15 I
i also use my 20 gallon for last 9 years never had a problem getting it done and never had a pipe issue
3:08
So your basically telling us that everyone needs to hire a service every single year to blow out their sprinkler system because the average air compression won't do it. Yeah, I'm not buying that!
I do mine with an 8 gallon air compressor. Works fine but just takes a little longer.
Of course he is. That baby is his bread and butter. LOL
As a person who has blown out about 20,000 systems over 30 years, I would suggest hire a professional. I live in Alberta Canada and going price for a 6 zone blow out is about $85. If you choose to do it yourself rent a big compressor if your longest line runs more than 200 feet. Lot of houses are crammed together in 40 ft wide lots, and are 3 zones at most. You can use a compressor with a 30 gallon tank. You need the maintain the volume not the pressure. If you have a bigger yard You should use a diesel powered compressor. Now the video is wrong when you blow out, you open the valve manually in the green box, and you can do 4-6 at the time depending how big your compressor, mine is a 210 cfm Sullivan, so it's big. The reason why you open four zones, is to disperse the pressure. A big compressor is usually set at a 110 cfm, and if your switch is set to high it might run at 150psi. Another reason why you don't use the timer is because one of your valve might have a dead solonoid and is not functioning. Now my advice is rather than pi***ing around, hire a contractor. Have you ever phoned a sprinkler contractor in the spring, and you couldn't get one because they are too busy? I'm a sprinkler contractor and I literally get 30 calls a day in the spring, guess who I choose to repair first? It's the people who call me year after year to winterize the systems. I have a vested interested to fix those customers first. The reality is when the weather turns nice in the spring everyone wants their sprinkler fixed.
People that don’t fix their own sprinklers… it’s the easiest thing ever. People are just lazy and ur lucky they are lazy
This video appears to be for homeowners yet you are recommending a tow behind compressor... ok.. Small compressors work just fine in my business.
Ewing is a wholesale distributor of irrigation and landscape suppiles serving professional contractors accross the US. The information provided in the video is consistent with instructions from the major manufacturers. Here's an exerpt from Hunter's winterization guide.
"The blow out method utilizes an air compressor with a Cubic Foot per Minute (CFM) rating of 80-100 for any mainline of 2" or less. These types of compressors can be rented at your local equipment rental yard. Caution: a small shop compressor (1-3 HP) will not have enough "free" air to properly winterize the system. Do not attempt to fully charge the holding tank then release the highly-pressurized air flow into the mainline to compensate for the compressor's lack of CFM. " You can learn more here:
www.hunterindustries.com/winterizing-your-irrigation-system
Thanks for watching!
That houses Street number is 9999
You didn't explain WHY you stop when the water is just a fog. Would it hurt anything to continue? Are you saying its "close enough?" What's the rest of the story there???
Once you see fog you have removed enough water in the lines to prevent freeze damage. You do not want to continue past that because the compressed air moving through the pipes can cause friction, which will create heat and the heat could cause damage. Thanks for the question.
I have never "blown out" my sprinklers. I have had them for over 18 yrs. And I live in utah.
+B Neilson -Thanks for watching! At 1:58 in the video you'll see an image depicting what can happen if an irrigation system is not winterized in climates where freezing occurs. We're happy to hear that you have been able to beat the odds of something like this happening to you! Do to the potential damage and associated costs for repair, we always recommend winterizing irrigation systems located in areas that experience freezing temperatures.
That is because the pipes are above ground. I have never heard of this and dont know anyone who does it. Maybe some people dont have a drain or something? So, in my life of 60yrs this hasn't happened to me or anyone I know. It seems like the odds are in my favor by a very big margin. Thanks.
B Neilson congratulations on never having a problem. What's the objective of your comment? If it's to convince people not to blow out their systems you're doing a disservice to them. Believe it or not, in colder climates, water does freeze. When the water freezes it will easily burst pvc pipe.
I have found in smaller systems running the sprinklers with the water turned off at the irrigation line (those that don’t have culinary water and back flow preventers) can blow out enough water that risk of frozen pipes is near zero.
However, any above ground or near surface pipes will burst if not treated properly. Also seen this. It’s awful to fix.
I also live in Utah.
I was thinking the same thing. Who has their pipes above ground (especially in colder climates)?? I've never had a problem with freezing pipes, but my neighbor has. His pipes were buried maybe 6 inches, so I'm not surprised. My pipes are a foot below the surface and my valves are at least two feet below the surface.
I've been curious if blowing out the lines is a nice precaution, or if it's really critical and I've just been lucky for years. I think this video is good, but it seems more relevant for someone with above-ground pipes. Also, the guy's yard looks like it could rival a park, so I can see why you'd want the volume of that air compressor. I think most lots range between 0.15 and 0.25 acres (and of course not all of that requires irrigation), so a homeowner will likely be fine with their own air compressor.
Omg I just bought a house that has a sprinkler system and this is already irritating me.
Wendy C it’s actually irrigating you
Hope you have a good irrigation contractor in hand 👍🏽
@@Cmack6025 hahahaha I just now saw this! Hilarious
If you have a compressor, maybe do it yourself. We’ve had several landscaping companies do the winterizing blowout … and they did it wrong! And, got angry at us for pointing out that they shouldn’t be connecting to the pressure vacuum valve. Idiots.
"Be careful when removing the blowout cap. Sometimes there could be a lot of pressure behind it. So remove it slowly."
Guy kneeling in the line of fire also not wearing safety glasses. 🙄
Dont use Double checks for your irrigation. They are not approved for high hazard use. Landscape irrigation is high hazard.
As a professional irrigation contractor i would never recommend using a normal air compressor due to it might not blow out all the water always use a large compressor like these as me i use ingersoll rand compressors, i hate when homeowners tell me that a line is broken cause they didn't blow out most air
Thanks for watching and for your input!
It’s not a lot of damage 🤣 and never ran in to a backflow under the ground🤣
You say first turn on zone because the pressure of the air can burst a pipe? If an average house has around 50psi on the plumbing system and you turn the water off and replace the water pressure with air pressure - not 80psi like you say, but 50 psi - how on God's green earth are you going to blow a pipe? Does not make sense at all.
Wrong
Thumbs down, only showed how to blow the first station. We all have more than just one station.
Hello @31acruz, to blow out the other zones, you just follow the same process as the first one. So if switching to zone 2, turn off the compressor, manually start zone 2 to run for a few minutes, then start the compressor again. Watch again from 4:47 for the steps.
3 mins in and no demonstration. Thumbs down
You guys really shouldn't post videos showing end users how to do something that contractors who buy from you normally charge those customers to do.
Poor attitude you have towards customers!
If they don't show how to do everything efficiently someone else will. Why not try to get as many views so they can make money from it?