IRRIGATION: Winterization Education

Have you ever left a can of soda in the freezer? As the soda solidifies the liquid expands and bursts the can leaving a sticky mess. Frost on the ground has the same affect on the water inside an irrigation system, but this situation requires costly repairs.
 
Contractors must educate their clients about the importance of winterization and how seasonal irrigation shutdown service ensures peak system performance when spring rolls around. In addition, having winterization on a service menu can increase a contractor’s profitability and reduce the amount of work necesary to fix improperly shut down irrigation systems.

WHY WINTERIZATION. Even though irrigation pipes, also known as lateral pipes, are installed 8 to 12 inches into the ground, when the surface freezes its not uncommon for frost to reach 3 to 4 feet below, says Steve Schepers, contractor account manager for Azusa, Calif.-based Rain Bird.
 
If systems are not shut down before temperatures drop below 32 degrees it can start a catastrophic chain reaction. First the backflow preventor freezes and then water left in the system solidifies, ultimately causing the pipes to burst. When installing an irrigation system it is up to the landscape contractor to inform customers about these consequences.
 
Irrigation winterization is a necessity for areas in the Northeast and outside the Sun Belt where temperatures drop well below freezing, says Mike Merlesena, Southern California sales representative for DIG Corp. in Vista, Calif. “In the Southern states, such as Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and the Carolinas, selling irrigation winterization is harder because there is less of a chance of freezing weather,” he says.
 
Contractors in these warmer regions have to convince their customers that the price of the service will be less costly than the price of repairing a damaged system. Ultimately, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
IRRIGATION SHUTDOWN. Winterizing an irrigation system in September or October is not a complicated procedure, however there are a number of details irrigation technicians should keep in mind to perform the service properly. 
 
Bob Farrington, irrigation supervisor at Jetstream Landscape and Irrigation in Grand Blanc, Mich., sends two technicians to a job site. “This way one guy can talk to the homeowner while the other one can hook up the air compressor,” he says.
 
Technicians have three winterization methods to choose from: manual drain valve, automatic drain valve and  compressed air blow out.
 
Regardless of the technique, though, the first step is to turn off the main water supply. If this is not done, then the pressure in the system can force the water back into and contaminate the municipal water system.
 
The manual drain valve method is not used very frequently since the invention of the automatic drain, Schepers says. If an irrigation technician happens to encounter one, they must first turn off the mainline shut-off valve then proceed to open one of the irrigation system’s control valves to relieve pressure on the system’s mainline. From here, he must slowly open the manual drain valves one at a time to release water from the mainline.
 
The automatic drain valve method requires no manual intervention. The system will drain itself every time the system is shut off. The downside of this method is the technician can’t tell by looking at the valve box if it is an automatic system. The only way of knowing is if the contractor has prior knowledge of the system. This is why installing the systems you are currently shutting down is helpful. As for what they should do if they are not 100 percent sure the system is automatic, Schepers says it is best to blow out the system with air.
 
Mike Todd, owner of Milwaukee Lawn Sprinkler Corp., Menomonee, Wis., used to manually drain systems until the late 1970s when he read about winterizing with compressed air. He used a golf course as a guinea pig and was so pleased with the outcome he started offering blow out services along with his other irrigation services. Now he uses the blow out method to winterize all his commercial and residential customers.
 
“Winterizing irrigation systems with compressed air is efficient, fast, eliminates auto-drains and saves water,” Todd says.
 
The compressed air blow out method involves attaching an air compressor to the discharge side of the backflow preventor, which is found in the yard or near the water meter. The compressed air clears water out of the mainline pipe, lateral pipes, sprinkler control valves and the sprinkler heads.
 
It’s vital that all zones are open. “One of the key mistakes irrigation technicians make is providing air to the system before opening up the zones,” Schepers says. Turning on the compressor before opening the zones allows pressure to build up and when finally released it can cause severe stresses on the system.
 
After the water sprouting from zone one’s sprinkler heads has turned into a fine mist the irrigation technicians can turn the zone off and continue to the next one. To efficiently blow out a system it is important for technicians to cycle each valve for two to three minutes, and they are advised to turn the stations off and on multiple times rather than leaving the valve open for the full allocated time. Going through each zone twice will also ensure water has been pushed out.
 
For the irrigation technician’s safety, when the last zone is completed the compressor needs to be shut off before closing the last zone or else pressure will build causing the compressor hose to disconnect and hit the irrigation technician. Irrigation technicians must also pay close attention to how much pressure they are sending through the system. “It’s best to winterize at the systems current operating water pressure but never to exceed 70 pounds per square inch (psi),” Schepers says. Excessive pressure will damage the valves and the system.
 
One air compressor is all an irrigation technician will need on a residential job site. A common misconception contractors have about compressors is they think the pressure pushes the water out when actually it’s the volume of air that pushes water through the pipes. Irrigation technicians should use a compressor that can provide 10 to 25 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air pressure. Irrigation technicians can purchase bigger compressors for bigger sites as long as the pressure is regulated to 70 psi.
 
After all the valves have been cleared and closed there is one last task an irrigation technician must attend to and that is winterizing the backflow preventor. “You should first and foremost check with the manufacturer for the winterization techniques,” Schepers says. Typically the manufacturer’s process includes leaving the “ball” shut-off valves at a 45-degree angle for the remainder of the winter, and if extreme temperatures occur irrigation technicians might consider insulating the backflow preventor.

WINTERIZATION PROFITABILITY. For many contractors the irrigation season – including the winterization  and spring start up – is the second busiest time of year. “Between 30 to 40 percent of a company’s overall profit comes from irrigation shutdowns and spring startups,” Schepers says.
 
Pricing for irrigation winterization varies on the region the contractor works in. Most contractors, though, price on how large the system is or the number of zones a system contains. Todd quotes a fixed rate for both winterization and spring startup on the customer’s service proposal, which he sends out in February. All the customer has to do is sign and return it.
 
When charging customers, consider a technician’s gas, mileage, labor rate and the amount of work they can accomplish in a day. “In the current market, irrigation winterization contractors charge anywhere from $50 to $75 for residential and $65 to $95 for commercial,” Farrington says.
 
One mistake contractors make is waiting too long to start winterization. “Give yourself a time line and expect the unexpected or you’re just playing with fire,” Merlesena says.
 
Another factor contractors should consider is the lasting impression an irrigation technician’s shut down performance leaves on a customer. Todd understands the importance of this service to his company and to his customers. His company couldn’t function as a full-service irrigation company without its irrigation winterization service. “Our customers depend on us to maintain their systems at least twice a year, which is also a reliable revenue source,” he says.
 
Irrigation contractors need to understand customers only see them twice a year when technicians come to shut off and turn on their systems. If an irrigation technician is a little sloppy in the job and the system is damaged because of it, the customer has no attachment to the company and will look elsewhere.
 
“This is the only time the customer is going to get an in-depth perspective of your company,” Schepers says. “The impression you leave is what differentiates yourself from your competitors.”