This is the process of removing irrigation water from the irrigation system to prevent freeze damage during the winter season. This is accomplished by using pressurized air to force the water out of mainline piping, valves, lateral piping, sprinkler heads, and drip tubing/fittings. 

During this process, we will connect a pressurized air source downstream of the backflow device. This is critical to prevent damage to the backflow device, and to ensure a cross-connection/backflow event is not created. We will then force air through the mainline piping, each valve, and each active sprinkler zone. We do not normally winterize zones that have been “capped” or removed from service. We base the number of zones winterized on the number of valves we locate, compared with the number of zones wired to the irrigation timer. We rely on the customer to notify us of any exterior spigots, separate or difficult to find zones, or battery powered clocks/zones that exist on the property. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that we are aware of all zones and other components that require winterization. 

Once the water has been evacuated from the system, we will shut the irrigation system off at the isolation valve or backflow device, depending on the system. We leave the valves in a configuration that ensures to the greatest extent possible that water will not leak into the system. We also complete an additional check of the shut-off valves to ensure they are holding tight at the time the system is winterized.  We will then turn the irrigation timer to the “OFF” position.