Fall is back and with it, the crisp cool air in the morning! One thing we all need to remember as Houston’s temperatures begin to drop and we enjoy the beautiful weather outside, is to adjust our sprinkler systems.
We have noticed in the past, that some residents choose to leave their sprinkler systems on during the winter. Remember leaving them on can cause the grass to become shallow and unhealthy. The basic rule of thumb is to turn off your sprinklers during the winter months.
H.C. M.U.D #208 recommends out residents
TURN OFF the sprinkler system and winterize
the pipes when it’s time to reset our clocks for
the end of daylight savings time.
Don’t forget about your sprinkler system! Sprinkler systems need to be winterized as well, since the PVC pipes are so close to the top of the ground, making them susceptible to a hard freeze. This will include at a minimum, your back flow preventer and depending upon the systems, some valves and pipes. Your back flow preventer is a brass device that sticks up out of the ground about a foot or two. Proper insulation of the back flow preventer and it’s piping protect it against leaks. If your system has a drain valve, you might also consider draining the system before a hard freeze is expected in the area. Water standing in the pipes can freeze, which could lead to unwanted leaks. The following short video describes a method for winterizing your irrigation system:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8oKOv6GGfU
Only you have control over your sprinkler system!
When the clocks “Fall Back: Don’t let your irrigation get off track!
Turn your sprinklers OFF for the winter!
EVERY DRIP COUNTS!