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During January 2010, the Houston metropolitan area experienced temperatures below freezing for 18+ consecutive hours. This was extremely rare, but it resulted in tens of thousands of sprinkler systems being damaged since they had not been shut off and drained properly beforehand.
"Normally" southern Texas weather is very mild compared to our friends in northern states. However, I urge all of my customers in The Woodlands, Spring, Conroe and Magnolia to winterize their systems if the temperature is expected to drop below 32 degrees.
Our semi-tropical weather means we don't have to worry about pipes freezing below the ground, but we must protect backflow preventers located above ground level. You've probably seen or were one of people whose sprinkler systems "broke" and ran for hours after this hard freeze.
To prevent this from happening, I want to share my procedures of how to winterize your sprinkler system. This takes two minutes to complete, but first you need to know what to do and learn the terminology.
Don't be surprised if your sprinkler contractor "forgot" to install your system according to standards established by the Texas Administrative code. If your system is as described, don't panic. We can come out and modify it for you!
All homes have a water meter and shut off valve inside a rectangular green valve box. These are alternately called main water shut-off, city water meter, or water main. They are located along the street. If you live on a cul-de-sac, each home might have their own separate box. People living on a regular street normally share a box with their neighbors. Attached is a picture to help you identify and determine where your city water meter is located. To begin the process, most boxes have a round hole where you can insert your finger, screwdriver, or channel lock to help pry and pop the lid off.
#1 City water main valve box
It is this author's opinion that most valve boxes have never been opened by the homeowner, so they don't know what to expect. Below is the valve box at my home.
Picture #2: The first of many surprises
This valve box is filled with water, which is hiding and obscuring the water meter and shut off valve. Valve boxes attract water for a variety of reasons: being installed in a swale or low spot, water following the trench back from the house, or from over-watering. You can use an old cup or can to bale the water out. Be patient since it might be holding several gallons of water. Once the water is removed, here's what you should see.
Picture #3: All I see is mud
Here's your next surprise... Where there used to be water, there is now mud. Don't get discouraged at this point, since once you clean your valve box out, you should never have to do it again! Use a small hand shovel to dig all around the meter, as there could be sharp items buried in the mud. The meter looks like a clock dial, but you are looking for a straight piece of metal BEFORE the meter towards the street. That is the shut off valve. It's about 1.5" long by .5" wide and is reflected in our next picture.
Picture #4: That's it?
The arrow reflects the shut-off valve. If it's straight (in-line) with the water meter, it is turned on. Homeowners have two options for turning their water off, if it becomes necessary. A crescent wrench or water shut-off key, since either will do the job. The latter item is readily available at Home Depot or Lowes, unless it's right after a deep freeze and everyone in town is trying to buy one.
One disclaimer... If your house if more than 5 years old, there's a possibility your valve could be frozen. When something has not been used in quite a while, it tends to become stuck in its original position and even all of your gallant turning may not budge it. If this occurs, most local MUD (Metropolitan Utility Districts) have mobile staff that carry more industrial strength shut-off keys and can turn it off for you.
The reason you need to know where your water shut-off is in case your system does not have an isolation/ ball valve before the PVB (Pressure Vacuum Breaker) is to shut the sprinkler water off. Here's a picture of what this valve looks like and it should be located inside of a valve box. They are always located "close" to the city water valve box or by the PVB, like this one below.
These isolation/ball valves allow the sprinkler water supply line to be isolated and turned off, while keeping your house water on. This is very important to remember, should your PVB freeze and crack, since without one, you MUST TURN OFF YOUR WATER AT THE STREET, which means no water to the entire house!
You might be wondering why you need an isolation valve since you have two shut-off handles on your back flow prevention device. In our tropical location, metal rusts and corrodes if left outside for an extended period of time. Handles on a brand new PVB or DCV commonly break off within 2-3 years of installation. It is good practice to go outside and check the condition of yours prior to an emergency. Try turning one of the handles and see if it is frozen, or turns freely.
Chances are, if it's heavily rusted, when you attempt to turn it, it will break off. Now you can see the value of an isolation valve. Plastic is impervious to rust and should be your primary method of turning your sprinklers on and off, so the rust issue becomes irrelevant. Older systems did not have this requirement, but they are now required under Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 344, Sub-chapter 7, Rule §344.62. This section spells out the minimum standards for sprinkler systems.
Here's the link for your reading pleasure!
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.TacPage?sl=R&app=9&p_dir=&p_rloc=&p_tloc=&p_ploc=&pg=1&p_tac=&ti=30&pt=1&ch=344&rl=62
Specifically, look at....
(k) Isolation valve. All new irrigation systems must include an isolation valve between the water meter and the backflow prevention device.
If you don't currently have an isolation valve or your metal shut-off handles on your PVB or DCV are rusty or inoperative, contact us and we can retro-fit this onto your system within our service area.
Finally, we are ready to shut the water off. Here are the procedures:
1. Locate your isolation valve and turn it 90 degrees clockwise to shut off the source of water.
2. Using a straight edged screwdriver, turn ALL pit cocks 90 degrees to open them up. All PVB and DCV pit cocks turn 360 degrees, so there's no right or wrong way to turn them. Once you do this, you will hear the vacuum break and water will start to drain out of the pit cocks. Leave them open until you want to turn your water back on.
3. Once the vacuum is broken, most remaining water can freeze and expand without harming the brass fitting. If the water was left on, the water turns to ice and expands, breaking the bonnet or brass to relieve the built-up pressure.
4. The final step is to turn on any zone on your controller for 10 minutes to vent the water underground from the discharge side of the PVB or DCV. Your sprinklers will not come on, but will simply dribble water out of the lowest head which you will not see.
Some closing items you should consider:
1. Are your PVB or DCV shut-off handles capable of being shut off in an emergency? If they are similar to these, you should consider getting an isolation valve installed as a pre-emptive measure before the next freeze occurs.
2. Is your PVB or DCV insulated like the next picture? If not, we urge you to get it insulated.
3. Are the protective shipping caps removed from your PVB or DCV? If not, it is MUCH harder to get them off when it's below freezing. They should be removed at installation but are often overlooked, as the following picture depicts.
4. Are your pit cocks facing the correct direction (downward)? If not, I'd love for someone to show me how water can drain uphill. If yours is installed incorrectly, we can correct this mistake for you.
5. Also, are the PVB pit cocks accessible with a screw driver? Some installers think it never freezes here in southern Texas and forget to face them the correct way.
Green Earth Sprinklers is your Woodlands based sprinkler system and we have over 600 satisfied customers whom we e-mail whenever a frost advisory is issued. This includes the duration expected by the National Weather Service, along with step by step directions on how to winterize their sprinkler system.
If we can help prepare you for the upcoming winter season, please give us a call at (281) 298-5050, visit our website or send us an email via our web site at http://www.greenearthsprinklers.com/contact-form and we will respond to your needs in a timely and professional manner.
Contact us Today!
http://www.greenearthsprinklers.com/contact-form
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