Winterizing sprinklers

[DarthMuffin]

I'm in a new house with a sprinkler system and I've never owned a place with a sprinkler system before. We've got separate irrigation water, which is hooked only to the sprinkler system.

Can I blow out and winterize my sprinkler system with my shop compressor? I have an 80gal compressor that does 16CFM at 90psi. Or do sprinkler companies use a more high-volume low pressure type of compressor?

If so, how? I assume I shut off the irrigation water and hook up the air just past the filter (there's a fitting there which I assume is for the purpose). Is it just as easy as then running each sprinkler zone for a while? How much pressure do I set my regulator for? I don't want to explode my PVC sprinkler lines

 

[nate379]

Yup, blow it out like you say. Let it blow until no more water comes out. 40-50psi should be fine, that is about what water runs at.

 

[ErickForest]

The psi is enough, but I thought you had to have a tank large enough for the volume of the system to blow out the water.

 

[motofly196]

I do mine every year...run one zone at a time...but don't run air for too long. Especially if you have PVC...the air gets really hot, and can ruin joints, or even cause melt down. I also remove my backflow valve and bring it in for the winter...those sucka's are expensive to replace.

Scott

 

[DarthMuffin]

Thanks all. It is PVC but I don't think I have to worry about it getting too hot -- I'll need to run the air through 150' of hose to get there, so it should have plenty of time to cool off.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Ha ha ha sorry. I'm reading this thread wondering why people would be winterizing their sprinklers. You're talking irrigation sprinklers, not what I was thinking.

 

[bry@n]

I shut the water off and then blow mine out right past the back flow. I use the valves to open and close each zone in the box. I usually do 2 zones at a time and it works well for me.

 

[nate379]

It's funny because I have a friend/ex co worker that is 1/2 mexican and I have always given him **** about it. ******, *******, etc. He jokes about it as well, just a thing we have going so it's not like I am insulting him.
I am 1/2 Canadian and grew up near french canada (french is my first language) and they call me "frenchie" at work because of it.

Well he came back to Alaska a few years ago and told me he got a job doing sprinklers. Well like the *** I am, I'm like... yup, about damn time you find a job that fits you..

Well sprinklers as in a $40/hr job doing fire sprinklers... D'Oh!

Ha ha ha sorry. I'm reading this thread wondering why people would be winterizing their sprinklers. You're talking irrigation sprinklers, not what I was thinking.

 

[kbs2244]

Don't feel bad NUGGSGT

I was thinking the same thing.