Seasonal service
Winterization & Spring Start-Up
We blow the lines out in October and turn everything back on in April. Included the first year with every install.
Sprinkler winterization and spring start-up is the annual fall blow-out and spring re-charge of an in-ground irrigation system, which prevents freeze damage over Iowa winters.
How the job goes
How a winterization & start-up job goes.
Every step below is how this service runs when we do it, no surprises on the invoice.
- 01
Fall blow-out
We connect a truck-mounted compressor to the manifold and push air through every zone one at a time until each head runs dry. Water left in poly lines is what cracks them over winter.
- 02
Backflow drained
Both check valves on the backflow device are drained and left slightly open so trapped water can't freeze and split the copper.
- 03
Controller set to off
We move the controller to the rain/off setting so it doesn't try to run a program mid-winter if the power blinks.
- 04
Spring start-up
In April we come back, re-charge the system slowly to avoid water-hammer, walk every zone, adjust heads knocked out of alignment over winter, and reprogram the controller for the new season.
Ready for this specific job?
Start a winterization & start-up quote.
Address and the number of zones is enough to get you on the fall or spring schedule.
Common questions
Common questions about winterization & start-up.
These are the questions we actually get about this service, not a generic FAQ pasted onto every page.
- When do you schedule blow-outs?
- Mid-October through the first hard freeze. We call our list in order, the sooner you're on the schedule the earlier in the window we can get you.
- Can I just shut the water off and skip the blow-out?
- No, even after shutoff, poly lines hold water. When that water freezes it expands about 9%, which is enough to split a pipe or crack a valve manifold. A cracked mainline is a much more expensive spring surprise than a winterization.
- Is spring start-up automatic if I did the fall blow-out with you?
- It's on the schedule but not billed until we come out. If you're going to be out of town or don't want the system up yet, tell us and we'll hold.
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