A Few More Winter Tips

Although it’s been an unseasonably warm this November here in Southern Ontario, temperatures will soon be dropping and winter will be on its way. For most households, if you haven’t done so already, that means it’s time to close up the garden until the spring. One of the most important jobs when it comes to preparing your yard for winter is to shut down and store your irrigation system properly to prevent damaged equipment and plumbing leaks.

Since our Ontario winters have been known to see temperatures that plummet into the negatives quite drastically, your main priority is to prevent water in your irrigation system from freezing, which can lead to winter plumbing leaks. That requires you removing all the water from any outdoor pipes and hoses as best you can. Start by turning off any shut-off valves that lead to your outdoor areas and drain out the water that remains. Next, shut down any automatic or electronic components if you have a sprinkler system. With everything shut down and drained, you can disconnect the hoses and break down the sprinkler system if possible. Try to store all removable components in an area that’s protected from the weather as best as possible.

However, in most irrigation systems, there will still be components that are exposed to the outdoor elements. In order to prevent any freezing, you will need to insulate any parts of the plumbing system that are found outside. To do this, cover up any pipes, faucets and above-ground sprinkler equipment that can’t be stored by using insulating foam or tape. You should also leave the valves open on your hose hookups and other outdoor faucets, so that any water that does happened to remain inside can escape instead of freezing and expanding.

We hope this was helpful and should you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at 289-244-9843 or by e-mail at  info@gogreenplumbing.ca!