With winter just around the corner, your lawn is probably the last thing on your mind. Summer barbecues are over, and everything will get covered in leaves and snow soon, anyway. However, there is one vital piece of landscaping maintenance that you might have to do before the first frosts start to hit. The shutdown of irrigation systems, or winterization, is crucial to irrigation maintenance. Without properly shutting your system down for the season, you can sustain damage to your sprinkler system, yard, and home. This week, we will discuss the importance of shutting down irrigation systems for property owners.

Acute Damage: Broken Components, Leaks, and Flooding

You may not think it, but even your underground sprinkler system can freeze in the winter. As most homeowners know, freezing and thawing ice can wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing — your irrigation system is no exception. Expanding ice formed by water trapped in your sprinkler system can crack sprinkler heads, damage pipes, and cause chaos. If you are lucky, you will notice the damage early. Leaks in fixtures and tubing can cause your lawn to flood, and in severe cases, it can affect your home’s foundation. Irrigation system shutdown services help prevent this by removing the water from your sprinkler system, usually by blowing it out with compressed air. This means that there is no water left to freeze and expand in your pipes.

Long-Term Damage: Decreased Lifespan of Your Sprinkler System

Even if you have never winterized your system and things appear to be running smoothly, your irrigation system can still suffer from long-term damage due to repeated freezes and thaws. Leaving your system full of water all winter can decrease the lifespan of your sprinkler system and its various parts, causing them to fail suddenly and without warning. Having a qualified professional provide irrigation system shutdown services annually is a valuable investment in your property’s irrigation.

Is Your Irrigation System at Increased Risk?

While all sprinkler systems should undergo proper seasonal maintenance, some systems may be particularly vulnerable to damage from freezing temperatures. Irrigation systems with backflow preventers are often at more risk. This is because many backflow preventers are above ground. Not only are backflow preventers an important public safety device, but they are also incredibly expensive to repair or replace. Winterization can help you reduce the risk of damage to your backflow preventer. If you think that your property might need irrigation system shut down services, contact the experts at Sposato Irrigation today.

Choose Sposato Irrigation

Sposato Irrigation is uniquely positioned to offer high-quality, affordable, and reliable irrigation services to homeowners and business owners in Sussex County, Milton, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millsboro, Dagsboro, and Ocean City, MD. Thanks to our expertise, innovation and decades of professional experience, we can meet the needs of large properties and small gardens. To learn more about our irrigation installation, LED landscape lighting, and commercial irrigation maintenance services, contact us today. We can be reached at 302-645-4773. Also, check us out on Facebook and Twitter.