With temperatures warming up, you may be thinking about turning on your sprinklers.
Some of us already have. Not to put a damper on those plans, but you should wait a couple more weeks.
Ice is less dense than water, so when water freezes, it expands. If water is left in your sprinkler system during a freeze, this expansion can damage the pipes and the areas where pipes are joined together. The end result is a costly headache in spring.
To prevent this, we winterize sprinklers by insulating the pipes, turning off the water, and draining the lines. This can be done manually or, in older systems, by using an air compressor to blow the system out.
If you've done that, the easiest way to prevent spring issues is to wait until after the final freeze of the season to turn them back on. And those dates are fast approaching. Pueblo's average last freeze is April 30th. Colorado Springs is on May 8th. And Monument's is on May 18th. But what if you've already turned your sprinklers on and freezing temperatures are ahead?
First, re-insulate exposed components. If the freeze will only last a couple of hours and temperatures will be above 30 degrees, insulation may be sufficient. Any colder or longer and your safest bet is a full system drain.
When you do de-winterize your system, inspect it. Check for cracks and leaks. Turn the water back on slowly and do so zone by zone. Turning the water on too quickly can cause a sudden surge in pressure that can damage the system.
Remember that sprinkler damage can occur underground too and may not be visible right away. Signs of buried damage include zones not working properly or producing normal pressures.
____
Have a question or story idea you would like the First Alert 5 Weather team to consider? Email: weather@koaa.com
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
