You may be noticing that the nights are getting colder and the days are following suit. As the leaves begin to change color and fall off their tree for this year; there are a few things to think about before the worst of the chill arrives. If you have an automated home sprinkler system, irrigation system, or other water connected areas of your home landscaping; now is the time to properly winterize them. See our article on Is a Home Irrigation & Sprinkler Systems Something You Should Consider?
What is Winterization?
Home Irrigation Contractor Rockland NY
Winterization (for sprinkler systems) is the process of preparing your system for the cold winter months. This means ensuring that any and all water is removed from the entire system (pipes, sensors, etc.). The reason this is so important is because when water freezes it expands. If your sprinkler system pipes are still filled or partially filled with water from the warm season, those pipes and lines run the risk of bursting. This is not only a major hassle to fix but it can also be rather costly.
When you consider that fact that burst pipes or lines need to be completely replaced, the prospect of replacing a portion or all of your underground irrigation piping becomes rather expensive. So, take the proper steps now to ensure that your system is ready for freezing winter temperatures.
How Long Can I Wait to Winterize?
The short answer is not long. If you haven’t yet prepared your sprinkler system for the freeze that is coming you could be in trouble. Temperatures are night have already been plummeting below 40 degrees and that means temperatures below freezing aren’t far off. Delaying on something like this even for another week or two could spell disaster for the integrity of your sprinkler system. If you are unsure of what needs to be done to winterize your system, or your system is too large to do on your own, it’s time to bring in a professional home sprinkler system contractor to get the job done right.
What Winter Damage Looks Like
There area a few types of damage that can arise from a frozen irrigation system. The most common include:
- Cracked pipes: depending on the severity of the damage pipes may need sections replaced or entire portions replaced.
- Burst pipes: a step worse that cracked pipes, this can be a very costly and time consuming repair project as lines need to be completely replaced.
- Damaged sprinkler heads: frozen or damaged sprinkler heads may need to be replaced.
- Clogged sprinkler heads: this can be caused by debris in the system or a broken pipe.
No matter which way you look at it, if pipes have been damaged due to freezing temperatures it is never an easy fix. A sprinkler system contractor will need to get at the piping (which is underground) in order to first determine the extent of the damage and then to make repairs. This means your yard being torn up where needed and can be a more complicated repair than you may imagine. Don’t cut corners, get your sprinkler system properly winterized today and avoid this expensive headache all together.
Hiring an Irrigation System Specialist
You can look at this in one of two ways really. Firstly, do you still have a relationship with the contractor who installed your irrigations system in the first place? Secondly, you don’t know the company or you’re looking to hire a different team. No matter which way you approach this, be sure that you’re working with a legitimate irrigation specialist. Any skipped steps or forgot pieces of sprinkler system winterization can lead to some costly damage down the road. So be sure to ask around and go with a contractor who specializes in this sort of job. Ask questions and get an estimate. Winterizing your system shouldn’t be a costly or time-consuming project.
For the best Home Irrigation Contractor Rockland NY, look no further than over 30 years of local expertise, right here at Pro Cut Landscaping. 845-727-8815