Cypress South November 2019

MAKE A CHAIN OF THANKS FOR THANKSGIVING
Turn giving thanks into a game. Print out our free printable template,
attach to twine and ask your Thanksgiving guests to write down what
they’re thankful for, then take turns reading the sentiments aloud during
dinner.
HOW TO WINTERIZE A SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Winterizing a sprinkler system requires a homeowner to know the type of
system installed. Proper care and maintenance in the fall prevents heartache
over cracked pipes, ruined seals and broken valves in the spring. Damage to an
underground irrigation system is costly to fix and may require a large portion of
the yard to be dug out to locate the problem. Most systems have a built-in manual
or automatic drain valve that uses gravity to move water from the pipes. Yet the
thin tubing used in irrigation systems has a tendency to shift and sink over time.
This movement allows water to become pooled within the pipes. Any water left
behind has the potential to destroy the plastic and metal within the system as it
expands in freezing temperatures. Winterizing is fairly easy to learn and most doit-yourselfers
already own the necessary tools for the job. To completely remove
water from the system, a purge must be completed using compressed air. Follow
these steps to “blow out” an underground sprinkler system.
Step 1 - Shut Off the Water Supply: All underground sprinkler systems
have a main shut off point. For safety, it is usually located in a basement,
a crawlspace, or buried underground in a valve box. Valve boxes are
buried up to 5 feet underground and may require a long key to shut off. If
the original key cannot be located, contact the contractor that installed
the system or the manufacturer to obtain a replacement. The shut-off
valve should turn easily - do not force it. Simply turn the valve to the
“off” position. If the system operates with a pump, this will need to be
drained, disconnected, and stored indoors for the winter. If it is not a
removable variety, wrap it in insulated blanketing for the winter. This can
be purchased at the hardware store and is similar to insulation used for
hot water heaters.
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Materials Needed:
kitchen twine
paper cutter or scissors
4 sheets of metallic card stock
hot glue gun and glue sticks
double-sided tape
pens, pencils or markers
Create a few templates with the words I’m thankful for... in different
fonts. Print them out on four sheets of card stock. Use paper cutter or
scissors to cut strips along template guidelines.
Attach to Twine: Heat hot glue gun. Add a line of hot glue to back of paper
strip then press twine along line of hot glue. Add a small piece of doublesided
tape to one end of strip then fold over to meet taped side and press
to seal. Repeat with remaining paper strips, adding a paper strip about
every five inches, alternating colors as you go.
Fill In: Display completed chain on a flat surface with assorted pens,
pencils or markers. Invite guests to write what they’re thankful for on
blank sides of chain links.
Source: www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/entertaining
Step 2 - Purge the Backflow Device. Sprinkler heads in a lawn. Systems
that run from community water usually have one of two kinds of
backflow devices: an Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker (AVB) or a Pressure
Vacuum Breaker (PVB). Sometimes a PVB is also called a Reduced
Pressure Device. If the system is supplied with privately owned water,
check the installation plan. If no backflow device was installed, then the
homeowner can skip this step. AVBs are installed below each valve and
are purged with the system. PVBs should not be purged with compressed
air because the heat may cause them to soften and melt. After the system
is purged, return to the PVB and rotate the ball valves and test cocks
back and forth several times. Then, leave them in a half-open position to
prevent moisture from building up on either side of the valves. Draining a
Reduced Pressure Device is much more complicated, and a homeowner
should refer to their manufacturers’ instructions to find the correct
procedure for their device.
Step 3 - Drain the System: Compressed air is a great way to ensure all of
the water is removed from the pipes and valves in the downstream, a
portion of the system. Both pressure and air volume must reach a critical
point to completely purge the system. A range of 40-80 pounds per square
inch (psi) is ideal, with 80 psi being the maximum for rigid PVC tubing and
50 psi for a polyethylene pipe. To find the appropriate volume, use this
simple formula: gallons per minute (GPM) divided by 7.5 equals the cubic
feet per minute of compressed air necessary. Most sprinkler systems are
given a GPM rating per zone at the time of installation. Since each system
has a unique design, the GPM is marked on the original design plan. If
needed, this can also be calculated based on the information provided
in the manufacturer’s instructions or on their website. Essentially, the
zone GPM is calculated by adding up the GPM for each nozzle within
the zone. Find the GPM rating for the different nozzle models on the
manufacturers’ website. Use a compressor providing the proper CFM of
air within the correct psi range. If a smaller compressor is used it will take
much longer for a complete purge and will overwork the compressor.
An oversized compressor can still be used as long as it is fitted with a
regulator, without an air pressure regulator the system will “blow out”
too fast causing friction as the hot air passes through dry pipes. This will
result in melted pipes and blown valves - a costly mistake. The backflow
device must have a blowout fitting downstream. If not, compressed air
cannot be used to purge the system, but one can be added any time
after installation. While a metal fitting for the air compressor line is not
required, it will reduce the amount of friction and heat passed into the
system and will prevent unnecessary damage to the system.
Attach the compressor line to the blowout valve. Be sure the isolation
ball cock downstream of the backflow device is closed. During this step,
you should wear eyewear protection. Any loose fittings or nozzles may
pop off unexpectedly and can cause injury. Turn on one or more of the
zones at the irrigation controller and set the compressor to the correct
psi and start it up.
Use two short cycles of compressed air to completely blow out each zone.
Once a zone is blown out do not run it through again. This will cause
undue heat to build up and may cause damage to the pipes underground
that will not be visible until the system is turned on in the spring.
Step 4 - Program the Controller - Four sprinkler heads in a row.
After disconnecting the air compressor, make sure to turn all valves on
the backflow prevention device to the half-open position for the winter.
Also, leave the controller plugged in since the small amount of heat it
gives off will prevent condensation from building up inside the device.
Program the controller to run at a minimum cycle once a week to keep
the solenoid plungers from becoming stuck in one position.
In the spring, remember to turn all the test cocks and ball valves to the
closed position again before pressurizing the system. When the water
supply is re-established, slowly reopen the ball valves to prevent damage.
www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-winterize-a-sprinkler-system
November 2019 | Cypress South