Winterizing your irrigation system
Drain water from pipes
How to Winterize Your Irrigation System
If you live where is freezes, you need to insulate mainline sprinkler pipes and drain the rest.
#1 Wrap exposed mainline sprinkler pipes with insulation foam and insulating tape.
# 2 Drain drip lines. Add auto flush valves and threaded end caps to your drip mainlines. Flush valves should be installed at the lowest point on your drip system. The flush valve will automatically open 
and drain the water from your drip sprinkler line when it 
is turned off. It will close at 7psi. A threaded end cap will allow you to easily open the line and drain it.
Create a "Quick Disconnect"
If you want to disconnect and put away your drip lines for winter, make a few "Quick Disconnects" and simplify the job.
STEP ONE: Attach a swivel hose adapter to one pipe and a compression x male hose thread fitting to the other.
STEP TWO: Pick up a few hose end caps to cap off lines to keep them clean while in storage.
You can also use a Compression Swivel Tee to construct a quick disconnect.
When it is time to shut off and winterize your sprinkler system, follow these steps:
In-line or anti-siphon sprinkler valves:
1. Close the gate valve or backflow preventer to stop the water supply to your irrigation sprinkler valves.
2. Open each irrigation sprinkler valve individually to drain water between it and the gate valve and/or back flow preventer.
3. Open the end caps or figure 8s at the end of your drip lines to facilitate drainage.
Hose bibb connection:
1. Close the hose bibb (faucet, spigot, hydrant).
2. Manually turn on the hose end timer to drain water between the hose bibb and timer.
3. Unscrew the end cap or remove the figure 8 on the end of your drip mainline.
4. Unscrew the swivel adapter on the regulator.
5. This will allow water to drain out of the drip mainline.
Save water in cooler weather
Make Seasonal Adjustments
Create your watering schedule based on mild weather conditions for your area. In most cases this will be in early spring. From there you can use the “Seasonal Adjustment” feature on your controller. For example, in the summer you can increase your overall watering duration, and in the fall you can decrease it.
A Paper Clip Quickly Cleans a Hole Punch
Insert the wire to clear the tool
A good hole punch will actually cut a tiny circle out of the drip irrigation tubing. The plug of drip irrigation tubing can be removed from the cutting edge of the punch with a paper clip. Push it through the cutting end to clear any plastic debris.
Here's a list of all the parts discussed in this tutorial.
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$0.32 - $0.50
Volume discounts 1 - 4 $0.50 5 - 24 $0.45 25 - 99 $0.36 100 + $0.32 This drip irrigation threaded end cap attaches to the end of the 1/2" drip poly tubing. The cap unscrews for easy flushing and draining of poly tubing for winter. Black rings indicate 700 fittings (for .700" drip tubing) -
$0.65 - $0.90
Volume discounts 1 - 24 $0.90 25 + $0.65 Automatically flushes the drip mainline when the system shuts off. It opens when the pressure drops below 7 PSI.
The flush valve closes at 7 PSI -
$0.55 - $1.00
Volume discounts 1 - 9 $1.00 10 - 49 $0.80 50 - 99 $0.65 100 + $0.55 Attach to a hose-threaded regulator or faucet when you want to branch the drip mainline tubing. -
$24.90 - $29.90
Volume discounts 1 - 5 $29.90 6 - 29 $26.90 30 + $24.90 Out of stock
Battery powered hose end irrigation timer with LCD display. Reliable & cost effective for home and garden drip irrigation systems. Up to 8 Start Times Per Day. Box Qty: 12
For a complete listing of all our irrigation products, Irrigation Direct
Last modified: September 26, 2011
