Spring Showers: Winter Sprinkler System Damage Uncovered
Say goodbye to winter! The worst of the cold weather may be behind us, but chances are, it has left some nasty surprises for homeowners in the northern NJ area.
On average, months December through March reach freezing temperatures most days. If water is in a crack, crevice or pipe, once it freezes it will expand and has the strength to damage otherwise resilient materials found in your outdoor plumbing system. This damage can trickle down to your sprinkler system if you aren't careful. The expansion of the ice causes pressure to build up and break valves, sprinkler heads, and even your backflow device.
If you have your system winterized each fall, then most of the potential problems are avoided. However, there are some issues that are difficult to avoid and need to be unearthed before your system is operational.
Potential Damage Your Sprinkler System
Some of these may be evident, but many of them won’t be, so having an expert take a look at the beginning of each season is strongly advised. These problems include:
Sprinkler Head Damage - This can occur from snow plowing. Cracked Backflow and/or Valves - This results after a failure to winterize your system. Frozen pipes expand and break. We offer a winterization service as an alternative to replacing this expensive part. Stuck Valves - A compacted mixture of snow and dirt can cause this issue. Leaking and flooding will occur when stuck valves are present.
Exorbitant Water Waste
Most damaged parts of your sprinkler system will leak water if not repaired. This ends up wasting a significant amount of water over the course of just a few days unnoticed. It’s actually quite staggering how much can be leaked from one crack.
A sprinkler pipe that is ½ inch in diameter will leak as much as 16 gallons per minute if broken. After one month of an underground pipe leak, thousands of gallons can be lost. If you were to leave the leak for several months to a year, you would pay hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in wasted water bills.
Take Action with a Sprinkler System Maintenance Plan
Fortunately, all these hassles can be avoided with a call to All Wet’s technicians for spring start-up maintenance and repairs. With a good maintenance plan, you can avoid hiccups and have your sprinkler system running efficiently and effectively all year long!
If you choose to become a contract holder with All Wet Irrigation & Lighting, you will be reminded of your sprinkler system start-up service with a postcard annually in mid-March prompting you to call in to confirm your appointment date. If you are a current contract holder and you did not receive a postcard, please call in to speak with one of our friendly representatives today!
If you would like to learn more about our spring sprinkler system start-up service or inquire about our maintenance plan contracts, call 973-366-8754 today to speak to one of our friendly staff members!