How to Quick Drain your Sprinkler System! #sprinklers #winterization #irrigation #sprinklerblowout, by Kaleo Lawncare LLC on YouTube. 2 min 8 s.
- Video length
- 2 min 8 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Shut off the water feeding the sprinkler system at the main shutoff valve or the backflow preventer. Turn it firmly, then check that no water runs at an outdoor tap.
Cut the power to the irrigation controller so the timer cannot open a zone while you are working on the lines.
Put on safety glasses. Open the drain valves at the lowest points of the system, working one zone at a time.
Open the manual bleed screw on top of each zone valve. This lets air into the pipe so the water can actually flow out.
If your system has a quick coupler or quick drain, open the cap or attach a hose and let the line drain until it stops dripping.
Open the test cocks on the backflow preventer to release the trapped water inside it, then close them again.
Once the water stops, close every drain valve and bleed screw. Leave the main water valve off until spring.
Tips and common mistakes
Drain on a mild day before the first hard freeze, not after the ground has frozen.
Never push compressed air through PVC pipe above 50 psi, because high pressure can burst fittings and throw debris.
Photograph or note each valve you open so you can be sure all of them are closed afterwards.
If water keeps running, the main shutoff is not fully closed rather than the drains being blocked.
Questions
Do I need an air compressor to drain a sprinkler system?
No. If your system has drain valves or a quick coupler, gravity does the work. A compressor blowout is only needed for lines with no low-point drains.
How do I know the lines are empty?
Water stops coming out of the drain valves and test cocks, and you hear air moving through the pipe instead of gurgling.
What happens if I skip this?
Trapped water freezes, expands and can split pipe, valves and the backflow preventer, which turns into an expensive repair in spring.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
