OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Kevin Bacon with Pioneer Underground Lawn Sprinklers shares tips for homeowners with sprinkler systems as the temperatures drop.
This time of year, he said he expects to make about 20 house calls each day, and is prepared to meet some homeowners who forget what to do
"I kinda see it pretty often," he said. "People don’t know how to shut it off inside and they don’t know the proper steps of draining it."
With overnight temps in the 20s, Bacon says this is the time to ensure your irrigation system is ready. His first tip is to turn off the water to your system and ensure the water valves on backflows are open so water can escape.
When trapped water throughout the system doesn’t come out by itself, it can be blown out with pressurized air.
"You push all the air through here, through your main line, and out to your valves," he said.
Bacon refers homeowners to online videos that can show homeowners how to do this. It's also a service he performs.
Forgetting to winterize sprinkler systems can have disastrous consequences.
"Water will either come out of the top of the backflow or bust out the copper and create a huge ice mountain," Bacon said.
That kind of damage, Bacon says, is not an easy nor inexpensive fix.
"It can get up there," he said.
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