Charlotte Irrigation System Winterization

Would you believe me if I told you winter was right around the corner? Unfortunately, the warm days of summer are coming to an end. Yesterday, sunset in Charlotte was expected to be around 8:00 p.m. and on September 1^st it’s expected to be around 7:45 p.m. The days are, in fact, getting shorter and the cooler weather is on its way.

With winter sneaking up on you, it’s time to start thinking around winterizing your irrigation system. To many people, winterizing an irrigation system seems like an afterthought. The reality, however, is that failing to winterize your irrigation system is one of the most common causes of irrigation system repair.

“Each winter, your irrigation system needs to essentially be put to bed,” says John Minor of Irrigation & Lighting Specialist. “The cost of having your irrigation system winterized is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of freeze repairs. In other words, an ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure.”

What Is Winterization?

Irrigation systems consist of underground pipes, connective plumbing, valves, and sprinkler heads. When the system is running, water flows through the underground plumbing, eventually coming out through the sprinkler heads. When the system is not running, water still sits in the system.

Once the ground freezes, the water inside the pipes and sprinkler heads freeze. As you know, water expands when it freezes. So, when the water inside the irrigation system freezes it will expand, potentially cracking the pipes or sprinkler heads containing it.

Reasons to Winterize Your Irrigation System

Below are a few of the reasons why you should winterize your irrigation system:

• Freezing temperatures can severely damage your irrigation system.
• Failure to winterize may void your warranty.
• Less expensive to winterize your system than to repair it.

For more information or to schedule your irrigation system winterization, call John Minor with Irrigation & Lighting Specialist at 877-433-5833 or email John. We look forward to helping you ensure your irrigation system is properly “put to bed” and ready to go again when spring comes around!