By Brad Haire
University of
Georgia

Homeowners should winterize outdoor pipes soon, and don’t forget
about the lawn sprinklers. A few precautions now can save a lot
of time and headaches come springtime, says a University of
Georgia expert.

Winter temperatures dip well below freezing, even in Georgia.
It’s simple. When water freezes, it expands. Freezing
temperatures can cause the water in a small, exposed pipe to
expand. If the water expands too much, the pipe bursts, says
Kerry Harrison, an irrigation expert with the UGA College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“With home irrigation systems, you wouldn’t know you had any
pipe damage, probably, until you turned it on for the first
spring watering,” he said.

The past few Georgia winters have been relatively mild. This
winter, however, is predicted to be a bit cooler, Harrison
said.

Two-inch freeze

Most built-in-ground sprinkler pipes will be OK, because only
the top two inches of the ground freezes in most of Georgia.
Pipes should be well below this level. Other irrigation
components, like backlog prevention valves, are at ground level,
though, and could be in danger.

If there are any exposed valves or pipes around your home, tape
them up or “use a good ol’ sack to wrap them,” Harrison said.
Home-improvement stores have many tapes, foams and gadgets to
keep these pipes warm on cold, winter nights.

The tips of sprinkler heads can hold water. When frozen, they
can rupture. The whole sprinkler system holds water, too, even
when it isn’t being used, like in the winter. Don’t forget to
drain the system, he said. If you don’t drain it properly in
the winter, your sprinkler could be a geyser when you turn it on
next spring.

“Arrangements should have been made in the installation process
to have a way to drain those lines that would hold water,” he
said.

If you’ve bought a home with an installed irrigation system,find
this drain valve. Some systems are equipped with automatic drain
valves.

Manual care

Don’t forget about the manual, or “hose-dragger,” systems. You
can do two things:

* Leave the hoses hanging outside. But disconnect them from
faucets.

* Disconnect, drain and store hoses someplace with a constant
temperature. This will prolong the life of the hoses.

Whatever you do, if you leave hoses undrained outside in the
winter, don’t move them or touch them. You could be the one to
break them. Frozen hoses are fragile, Harrison said.

Pump pipes

Private water users and rural residents with wells should check
out their main water pump. There is usually a half-inch pipe
connected to the pressure switch. If it’s metal, it probably
won’t freeze. If it’s plastic, it might freeze and burst. This
could cause the water pump to fail or continue to run and cause
some major winter repairs.

But if all these precautions fail and a pipe bursts, there’s
still one thing to remember. “Know where your main water cutoff
is,” Harrison said.

Farmers should start preparing irrigation systems for winter
weather, too.

“Obviously, farmers need to make sure that all of the drain
ports have been opened and the water that could be held in that
cavity is drained out,” he said.

Farmers should check all the wiring in an irrigation system and
contact a trained electrician to repair or replace frayed or
loose wires during the winter, he said. This can prevent a time-
consuming breakdown next spring.