Sprinkler Blow out question:

[Ramsker]

I had the same issue with not enough pressure to keep the backflow "plunger" sealed using the connector closer to the house . . . but I had 2 quick attach connectors on ball valves on there already and I just flipped one 180 degrees so the shutoff was still between the breaker and the manifold but the hose connector was on the other side of the shutoff. I just shut that off to blow out the system and it eliminates needing to have the pressure to hold the plunger in the sealed position. All the air just goes right down the line to the sprinklers.

Just blew my system out about an hour ago. Hit each zone once to just clear things out ahead of the cold. Planning on turning the water back on again probably Sunday, since the warm weather looks like it will make a return for at least a couple weeks. Want to be able to water just a bit longer, so I'll have to do a more thorough blowout in a few weeks.

[Gman]

There should be a cutoff valve between your valves and your back flow preventer. Your air hook up should be after the valve to the bf.
Project time!

The air connection is after the BF, but there is no valve between the air connections and the BF and no room to insert one. It's easier for me to be careful than to re-engineer the plumbing.

[ray1970]

Blew mine out after work today. Just in case.

[Irving]

Need to do tomorrow. I'm sure I'll forget. I've forgotten the sump pump the last two years.

[ray1970]

I have a pipe under my deck for a garden hose that I shut off and drain every year. As a reminder, I stuck a note on the sprinkler controls to remind me.

[Gman]

I have a pipe under my deck for a garden hose that I shut off and drain every year. As a reminder, I stuck a note on the sprinkler controls to remind me.

You have to touch your sprinkler controls? That's barbaric.

I love the Rachio 3 controller that I installed this summer. There's an app for that.

[BladesNBarrels]

You have to touch your sprinkler controls? That's barbaric.

I love the Rachio 3 controller that I installed this summer. There's an app for that.

Is there an app for draining and blowing out the system?

[Irving]

Yep! Juan.com.

[ray1970]

You have to touch your sprinkler controls? That's barbaric.

I love the Rachio 3 controller that I installed this summer. There's an app for that.

Ha. No. But the water shutoff valve is maybe a foot away from where the control box is mounted so seemed like a good place to post my reminder.