Irrigation blowouts in Interlochen, MI

What is an irrigation blowout?

An irrigation blowout clears water from the lines, valves and heads of a lawn sprinkler system before the ground freezes. Through the season, those lines hold water, and water left in them over winter expands as it turns to ice. That expansion cracks pipes, splits fittings and bursts heads, and the damage shows up the next spring when the system is turned on and a line floods the yard. The blowout uses compressed air pushed through the system to drive the water out ahead of the cold.

A property needs an irrigation blowout because a sprinkler system is an investment that winter can ruin. The lines sit below the frost line in some places and above it in others, and any water left in them over winter has nowhere to go as it freezes and expands. The damage is rarely visible until spring, when a cracked line floods the yard or a burst head sprays where it should not. The blowout prevents that damage before the cold sets in.

The condition an irrigation blowout addresses is a system full of water heading into a freeze. The work clears each zone in turn, driving the water out with compressed air so the lines, valves and heads are empty for winter. The job is done before the first hard freeze, not after, because once the ground is frozen the damage can already be done. Each zone is cleared until the air runs dry, and the system is left empty and ready for winter.

The job is approached zone by zone, with the air pressure set for the system. The crew works through the zones in order, opening each and running the air until the water is out. The heads and fittings are checked as the work moves through, so any that need attention are noted before winter. The system is shut down and left empty, protecting the investment and avoiding a spring repair that costs far more than the blowout.

Questions about irrigation blowouts