And another FREEZE ALERT!!

Looks like another cold snap coming in this weekend of April 26th - 28th. If your sprinkler system is already operating, please shut down and drain your systems, or heavily wrap and insulate the above ground pipes and backflow preventer. Hopefully this will be the last for this spring, but honestly, I have seen systems freeze up in mid-May.

Freeze Alert!!!!

Cold temperatures and snow are moving in April 16th and 17th in the Colorado Springs and Monument areas. Please shut down and drain your sprinkler systems, or heavily wrap and insulate the above ground pipes and backflow preventer. See the post of "Do not freeze these..." which has photos of typical backflow preventers.

Do not freeze these......

These are two of the most critical parts of the sprinkler system that you do not want to freeze. Your system may have one or the other, or something else a little similar. These are safety devices called backflow preventers. They protect your drinking water from getting contaminated. They are also very expensive to replace when they crack from freeze damage. And when the ice thaws out, water can then continuously run out of the broken components and possibly flood your home or basement. Please be careful and either drain your sprinkler system at night during the spring, or heavily wrap these and any exposed above ground pipes and valves with heavy blankets or insulation. Freezing water will expand and crack any exposed copper, brass, galvanized steel, PVC or any other pipe or parts.

Changing look and feel

If you are viewing this site, and this looks completely off, I am trying to change the look and may be in the middle of updating. This is my first attempt at blogging so give me a little break - K?

April woes...

Spring time is rough for our sprinkler service company. Especially with this prolonged cold weather. This causes us to get a very condensed rush of work, as once it warms up everybody will call at the same time, which can cause us to be booked up 2-3 weeks in advance. It is tough to hire more people for this period, only to let them go in 6-8 weeks when the rush is over and the work is steadier. This would also mean more vehicles stocked with lots and lots of supplies that will also have to sit once they are let go. But, it's the same cycle we've gone through for over 13 years, and have gotten used to it.

It has been dry this spring so far, with no big March or April snowstorms yet. If you are planning on starting up the sprinkler system, please wrap any above ground pipes, valves, or backflow preventers. Anything above ground can freeze in one night, while pipes below ground are protected this time of year.

Beginning of SprinklerGeek

After venting to my wife/girlfiend (Windy) for the last 13 years about lawn sprinkler woes, it is time for me to vent to the rest of the world. This blog will share tips, troubleshooting, photos, and frustrations from my daily encounters with sprinkler systems. I'll even share some personal endeavors as well.