Blowing out system

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rucraz2
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Blowing out system

Post by rucraz2 » October 1st, 2017, 10:44 pm

Just moved into our new place with 1.3 acres. 1 acre is irrigated. I have manually turned them all on (18 zones, thankful we are on a good well.) a few times and found only one head that needs to be replaced. Should i just wait till spring to fix? Im short in time and im hoping it can wait. I am also looking at blowing out the system myself with my own airtank. Its a 30gal tank and from other advise should be sufficient. It looks like they have plugged into the line before the backflow preventor to blow out. From what i have read this is a bad idea.? From what else i have read you should also take off the PVB for winter and or insulate it. I know they didnt atleast last winter. Any advise? Thanks. -irrigation newbie.

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HoosierLawnGnome
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » October 2nd, 2017, 10:18 am

I'd fix it in the spring. I imagine first frost is any day for you now, and you probably don't need it thereafter. On an acre, there are always adjustments that need to be made after winter due to frost heave. Always have a few extra heads on hand for an acre too - especially if you mow low!! (ask me how I know....)

I agree, everything I've read is to avoid running high pressure air through the backflow area. But, I know people do it. You do want to make sure you get the water out of there - normally you leave the little pressure valves slightly open with a quarter turn of the screwdriver.

I've never taken off any valves on my systems in Indiana, but we don't get the freeze you do either over the winter - so I'd listen to your local experiences.

rucraz2
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by rucraz2 » October 2nd, 2017, 9:39 pm

How late do you wait to winterize? I was hoping to do some agressive fall fertilizing after the first light frost. I would obviously love to water in the urea. Last year i was able to with hoses and sprinklers without any issues of freezing.

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HoosierLawnGnome
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by HoosierLawnGnome » October 3rd, 2017, 8:51 am

Well, I don't really wait to see how long I can keep it open, I close it up when I'm done with it - which is normally first frost for me - average mid Oct. So by the end of the month.

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1977212
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by 1977212 » October 3rd, 2017, 9:07 am

We shouldn’t get crazy cold till the end of October


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ken-n-nancy
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by ken-n-nancy » October 3rd, 2017, 10:57 am

rucraz2 wrote:
October 2nd, 2017, 9:39 pm
I was hoping to do some agressive fall fertilizing after the first light frost. I would obviously love to water in the urea. Last year i was able to with hoses and sprinklers without any issues of freezing.
Be careful with your hopes to do aggressive fall fertilizing late in the season. As described in Andy's Fall Nitrogen Regimens article, the time of the *average* first frost (which is probably around now in Minnesota) is the time to make a temporary "pause" in fertilizer applications and let the grass slow down and get ready for winter.

Yes, temperatures have been warmer than usual this year, so it may make sense to keep fertilizing with a quick-release fertilizer for an extra week or maybe even two, but continuing to fertilize for too long isn't a good idea, as ultimately, a warmer than usual fall just means that when the transition to winter does eventually happen, it'll happen more quickly than normal.

If the fall fertilizing you're talking about is the last quick-release fertilizer application made shortly after grass top growth ceases then that should really be made within a week after the grass stops showing top growth for the year. Making that application too early can be a problem, as the fertilizer application can kick-start the grass just as it's supposed to be going to sleep for the winter.

In any case, this last application of fertilizer will be well after your irrigation system should have been blown out for the winter, so the final quick-release fertilizer application needs to be watered in by either natural rainfall, hose and sprinklers, or you'll have to re-blow-out the irrigation system after watering in.

Fullheadofturf1234
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by Fullheadofturf1234 » September 29th, 2018, 8:52 pm

So is this legit?
I really need to blow out my system twice?

Im concerned now because I thought I had more time on how to figure out how to winterize my system... g

TimmyG
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by TimmyG » September 30th, 2018, 10:54 pm

Really need to? No, of course not. No one said that. Blow it out when appropriate and then either apply the winterizer app of urea before a rain or water it in by other means.

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andy10917
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Re: Blowing out system

Post by andy10917 » October 1st, 2018, 9:03 am

I don't blow out my system until early November, but I do it myself. It's a 20-minute job even for an acre (9 zones) with a quick-connect nipple for connecting an air compressor and 150 PSI air. One time I had a less-experienced helper who slammed the air on all at once, and it launched a sprinkler head into orbital flight. Oh well - such are the perils of DIY work.

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