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What Happens to Your Denver Sprinkler System if You Don’t Schedule a Blowout
September 14, 2020
Your sprinkler system is one of the most important components of your home’s landscape design. When it’s in good condition, it will reliably water your yard for years. However, to ensure that the unit works properly for years to come, you need to let your Denver sprinkler repair pros take care of regular maintenance tasks on schedule. One of the most important things you can do for your system and your yard is to schedule an annual system blowout before the weather starts to turn. Though most homeowners remember to take care of this task on time each year, others just keep putting it off. So, what happens to your sprinkler system if you don’t schedule a blowout?
Your Pipes Could Burst
Every sprinkler system pulls water from your home’s water supply and sends it into your yard through buried pipes. Those pipes are what help you keep your lawn watered without having to worry about setting up a garden hose or move a detachable sprinkler around the lawn to make sure everything gets watered correctly.Â
During warmer months, those pipes stay in good condition. The water flows through them freely and easily. However, as the temperatures drop and the ground starts to freeze, your pipes can freeze, too. When this happens, the water inside them expands and pushes against the walls of the pipes. If the freeze is hard enough, the pipes could burst. Once this happens, you’ll be in for an expensive repair come spring.Â
Leaks Could Hurt Your Yard’s Growth in Spring
The ground often thaws long before you have to worry about turning the sprinkler system back on. When the pipes are empty of water, this won’t be a problem. They’ll stay dry until you turn the water supply back on. However, if those pipes burst, you’ll have a serious leak going on underground. Though it might not seem like a huge issue, those leaking pipes can do serious damage to your lawn and your landscaping.
The soil in your yard needs to be moist, not soaking wet for your plants to thrive. If the dirt is soaked by a leak, the roots in your garden will start to mold and decay. Over the course of a few weeks, your landscaping will start to show visible signs of damage. Unfortunately, you’ll likely end up needing to redo the full landscape design if the leak has a chance to spread.
The Sprinkler Heads Might Get Damaged
The pipes underground aren’t the only components at risk for freezing. The sprinkler heads are, too. Though they don’t store water inside, some excess water from your pipes will still get trapped inside the heads. If the temperatures drop and the heads start to freeze, you’ll ruin the sprinkler heads entirely.
Once you go to turn your system on in the spring, you’ll notice that the spray either won’t go where you need it to go or won’t come out at all. Regardless of what happens, you’ll be without a sprinkler system until your repair technicians can come and inspect the sprinkler heads. In most cases, the heads will need to be replaced completely to restore your system to 100 percent functionality.Â
Your Water Bill Could Skyrocket
One of the most common reasons homeowners choose to install sprinkler systems on their property is to reduce their overall water usage. When sprinklers are in good shape and properly maintained, you’ll be able to keep your bill as low as possible without having to cut back on your watering habits. However, if you forget to schedule a blowout, your bill will likely go up.
Remember, when your pipes burst, all that water seeps into the ground rather than getting distributed to your plants. Anytime you turn the sprinkler system on, your unit will need to use more water to hydrate your yard which, in turn, means more water gets wasted through the cracked pipes. Over the course of the season, this can easily add hundreds to your regular water costs.
The Backflow Device Can Break
If your yard is set up like most homeowners’ yards, your sprinkler system’s backflow device is located outside your house. The backflow device keeps the water in your sprinkler system from running back indoors and into your home’s drinking water supply. This helps prevent contaminants, dirt, and debris from ending up in your home’s taps. Since it’s outside, it needs to be drained as part of your normal blowout appointment before the first hard freeze.
If you forget to take care of your annual blowout, you risk damaging the backflow device. At best, water can start leaking out from the components around the device. The only way to stop the leak is to shut the water supply off entirely. At worst, water from your sprinkler system can get back inside your home resulting in contaminated water and potentially clogged pipes and drains.
You’ll End Up Spending More Money on Repairs
The most important thing to remember when deciding whether you can put off your sprinkler system blowout is that ignoring this important maintenance step can lead to serious and costly repairs. Those repairs are preventable and the easiest way to prevent them in the first place is to schedule a blowout before the first hard freeze. Remember, preventative maintenance is always going to be cheaper than paying for a full system replacement or having to dig up your pipes to repair ruptures and leaks.Â
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’ve been wondering if a sprinkler system blowout is absolutely necessary, the answer is a definitive, “yes.†Putting it off or failing to take care of it altogether puts your sprinkler system at risk for serious damage and could derail your springtime gardening plans before the weather even has a chance to warm back up. The best thing you can do is schedule an appointment with the team at Water Solutions Sprinkler Service now. We’ll help you figure out the perfect time to take care of the blowout and will handle the task quickly and easily.Â
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Your Pipes Could Burst
Every sprinkler system pulls water from your home’s water supply and sends it into your yard through buried pipes. Those pipes are what help you keep your lawn watered without having to worry about setting up a garden hose or move a detachable sprinkler around the lawn to make sure everything gets watered correctly.Â
During warmer months, those pipes stay in good condition. The water flows through them freely and easily. However, as the temperatures drop and the ground starts to freeze, your pipes can freeze, too. When this happens, the water inside them expands and pushes against the walls of the pipes. If the freeze is hard enough, the pipes could burst. Once this happens, you’ll be in for an expensive repair come spring.Â
Leaks Could Hurt Your Yard’s Growth in Spring
The ground often thaws long before you have to worry about turning the sprinkler system back on. When the pipes are empty of water, this won’t be a problem. They’ll stay dry until you turn the water supply back on. However, if those pipes burst, you’ll have a serious leak going on underground. Though it might not seem like a huge issue, those leaking pipes can do serious damage to your lawn and your landscaping.
The soil in your yard needs to be moist, not soaking wet for your plants to thrive. If the dirt is soaked by a leak, the roots in your garden will start to mold and decay. Over the course of a few weeks, your landscaping will start to show visible signs of damage. Unfortunately, you’ll likely end up needing to redo the full landscape design if the leak has a chance to spread.
The Sprinkler Heads Might Get Damaged
The pipes underground aren’t the only components at risk for freezing. The sprinkler heads are, too. Though they don’t store water inside, some excess water from your pipes will still get trapped inside the heads. If the temperatures drop and the heads start to freeze, you’ll ruin the sprinkler heads entirely.
Once you go to turn your system on in the spring, you’ll notice that the spray either won’t go where you need it to go or won’t come out at all. Regardless of what happens, you’ll be without a sprinkler system until your repair technicians can come and inspect the sprinkler heads. In most cases, the heads will need to be replaced completely to restore your system to 100 percent functionality.Â
Your Water Bill Could Skyrocket
One of the most common reasons homeowners choose to install sprinkler systems on their property is to reduce their overall water usage. When sprinklers are in good shape and properly maintained, you’ll be able to keep your bill as low as possible without having to cut back on your watering habits. However, if you forget to schedule a blowout, your bill will likely go up.
Remember, when your pipes burst, all that water seeps into the ground rather than getting distributed to your plants. Anytime you turn the sprinkler system on, your unit will need to use more water to hydrate your yard which, in turn, means more water gets wasted through the cracked pipes. Over the course of the season, this can easily add hundreds to your regular water costs.
The Backflow Device Can Break
If your yard is set up like most homeowners’ yards, your sprinkler system’s backflow device is located outside your house. The backflow device keeps the water in your sprinkler system from running back indoors and into your home’s drinking water supply. This helps prevent contaminants, dirt, and debris from ending up in your home’s taps. Since it’s outside, it needs to be drained as part of your normal blowout appointment before the first hard freeze.
If you forget to take care of your annual blowout, you risk damaging the backflow device. At best, water can start leaking out from the components around the device. The only way to stop the leak is to shut the water supply off entirely. At worst, water from your sprinkler system can get back inside your home resulting in contaminated water and potentially clogged pipes and drains.
You’ll End Up Spending More Money on Repairs
The most important thing to remember when deciding whether you can put off your sprinkler system blowout is that ignoring this important maintenance step can lead to serious and costly repairs. Those repairs are preventable and the easiest way to prevent them in the first place is to schedule a blowout before the first hard freeze. Remember, preventative maintenance is always going to be cheaper than paying for a full system replacement or having to dig up your pipes to repair ruptures and leaks.Â
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’ve been wondering if a sprinkler system blowout is absolutely necessary, the answer is a definitive, “yes.†Putting it off or failing to take care of it altogether puts your sprinkler system at risk for serious damage and could derail your springtime gardening plans before the weather even has a chance to warm back up. The best thing you can do is schedule an appointment with the team at Water Solutions Sprinkler Service now. We’ll help you figure out the perfect time to take care of the blowout and will handle the task quickly and easily.Â
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