A lot of home and commercial yard maintenance needs to be done in the warmer months. Fall is already here, and the cold winter weather is on its way—our clients are wondering whether it’s already too late to winterize their sprinkler systems in Burlington County, NJ.

Here’s the good news: until we get the first deep, long freeze in the Northeast, you can still winterize your system. The lower the frost line, the harder it is to fix any issues—and the more likely it is that your sprinkler system will suffer damage.

The ideal weather for winterizing

Winterizing your system involves draining or blowing out the lines with compressed air, so it’s important to get to that task before the ground starts freezing. Otherwise, you could be dealing with broken or cracked pipes, among a whole host of other problems.

A “hard freeze” is when the temperature drops below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. That means you’ve still got some time, but you’ll need to act quickly. Once the temperature drops below 0, your sprinkler components are far more likely to be damaged.

Since you won’t be watering your plants and lawn as much during that time, you don’t need to worry about killing them—they’re already preparing for the cold winter weather.

What can happen if you fail to winterize your pipes?

Here’s what you can expect if you forget to winterize your sprinkler system:

• Frozen pipes: Blowing out your pipes before the first deep freeze is important. If there’s water in your pipes when the ground freezes, you will likely experience problems once the ground thaws. When water is present in the pipes, it expands, causing cracks or breakage. This will cause leaks when the water and ground eventually thaw. Instead of digging up parts of your sprinkler system to replace them, simply get a sprinkler blowout before the first deep freeze.
• Frozen manifold: Your manifold also needs to be drained before the first hard freeze. The manifold includes a main pipe and several valves, which can also freeze and break if there’s water inside them. This is one of the most expensive and labor-intensive parts of your system to repair or replace, so you’ll want to make sure you get as much of the water out of the manifold as possible.
• Frozen sprinklers: Finally, water can freeze inside your sprinkler heads, too. The frozen water can break the above-ground pipes and components, pop the sprinkler heads off or even break the small rubber supply tubes. If any of these issues occur, you’ll need to replace the entire sprinkler head.

The best way to avoid winter weather-related problems is to get a sprinkler blowout in Burlington County, NJ. Taking care of your sprinkler system before the first hard freeze will help you avoid costly repairs later on.

Star Sprinkler Systems Inc. can help you winterize your sprinkler system and ensure it’s ready to serve you again come springtime. Call us today to schedule your appointment before the cold weather sets in.