How To Turn Sprinklers Back On After Winter

March xviii, 2022

How to Turn Your Home's Sprinkler System Back on Later on Winter

PROJECT OVERVIEW

APPROXIMATE WORKING TIME: 30 – 45 mins

SKILL LEVEL: Beginner

Residential irrigation systems deliver the proper amount of water and typically relieve much more water than their rubber hose counterparts. They also help you proceed your lawn or garden healthy and dark-green with very little endeavor.

Most Nebraska homeowners with in-ground irrigation systems have them flushed dry out and turned off in the wintertime for many reasons, specially and then the pipes don't burst from freezing. But at present that jump is around the corner, y'all will presently want to turn information technology back on then you can keep your property watered all through the warm weather months.

Some homeowners hire a lawn service or irrigation contractor to winterize the system in autumn and plow it dorsum on the post-obit leap. If yous have the time and desire to turn it back on yourself, there is no reason to pay for this service. It'southward very easy to do yourself, in just a matter of minutes. Nosotros accept a few tips on how to do it:

What Yous'll Need

Flat-head screwdriver
Sprinkler valve key (as needed)
Pliers
Notepad or flake paper with pen or pencil

Warning

When turning on a sprinkler organisation afterward wintertime, the nearly important thing to do is to turn on the water very slowly. If it's turned on too chop-chop, you may crusade a shock wave (sudden change in water flow). That may outburst fittings or even popular off some of the system's sprinkler heads. When yous open the system shutoff valve slowly, you permit it to pressurize gradually. If you accept any reservations nearly doing this yourself, delight give u.s. a call.

Step One: Locate the Main Shutoff Valve

These are usually constitute in your basement or crawl space. Look for pipe coming into the abode, about the ground level. That piping should include a single shutoff valve (usually a brawl valve with a lever-blazon handle). If there is not a sprinkler system shutoff inside your house, look within the sprinkler system valve boxes in the chiliad. The shutoff valve has a cross-shaped handle and could be below footing level, inside a large piping or ground box.

STEP 2: Locate the Vacuum Breaker

The Vacuum Breaker is commonly above basis, located virtually the house. This is a copper valve assembly, connected to 2 pipes, each with a small shutoff valve.

Step Iii: Shut Vacuum Breaker'due south Exam Cocks

Test Cocks look like slotted screw heads. Turn them about 45 degrees to the management of the nipples to which they are fastened. Close them both by turning with a flat-head, standard screwdriver so the slot on the test cock is perpendicular to the nipple.

STEP FOUR: Open Shutoff Valves

Side by side, yous will carefully open the two shutoff valves on the vacuum breaker. Each of the valves is located on a piping leading to the valve and they typically have a butterfly-type handle. Like to the test cocks, the valve handles should be already turned to be perpendicular to the pipe for winterization. Open the valves all the way by turning the handle then it is parallel with the piping.

STEP V: Reinstall Main Valve Bleeder Cap

Certain arrangement shutoff valves have a small metal cap that threads onto a bleeder nipple on the side of the valve. This is for draining residual water from the pipes when shutting down the arrangement. If your irrigation arrangement's shutoff valve has a bleeder nipple, be sure the cap is in place and snugly tightened.

Step Half-dozen: Open System'due south Primary Valve

Return to the main shutoff valve, and slowly open it to let water enter the sprinkler system. If it is a ball valve, plow the handle i-quarter turn until it is parallel to the pipe (that is the fully open position). If you take an in-ground shutoff valve, employ your sprinkler valve key to turn it counterclockwise until it stops.

Footstep SEVEN: Run a Manual Test

Once you have completed the steps above, fix the system's timer to run a transmission examination of all sprinkler zones. Run each zone for approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Watch the sprinkler heads equally each zone turns on to make certain they are working properly and write down whatever issues and/or take photos of them so you can resolve the issues. You volition likely notice water sputter and accident out air when they first plough on. This is normal and should stop within 60 seconds or and so.

STEP Eight: Cheque Valves & Vacuum Breaker

Open each of the valve boxes in the footing to brand sure there are no leaking valves or any other issues. Look over the vacuum billow and related valves and pipage for leaks or any other possible problems. On the chief shutoff valve (as applicative), check the bleeder. If that cap is leaking water, carefully tighten it gently with pliers.

STEP 9: Fix to Gargle

If y'all found any problems during the manual test, right them. Then adapt the sprinkler head spray patterns and/or supersede any damaged heads. For the starting time time using the sprinkler system, you h2o when yous can keep an eye on the whole arrangement to make certain everything is working properly.

If everything is running well, keep in listen it is ordinarily best to water at night, early evening, or in the morning before the heat of the twenty-four hour period to conserve water.

A properly installed and maintained sprinkler system offers many benefits, including saving y'all fourth dimension to self-water your backyard. Accept the time to acquire how yours works and how to troubleshoot potential bug. Of course, your friends at A&A Plumbing are just a phone call away to help!

Source: https://anaplumbing.com/2022/03/18/how-to-turn-your-homes-sprinkler-system-back-on-after-winter/