With winter drawing to a close and spring on our doorstep, it’s time to check your sprinkler system to ensure that it’s in good working order. Checking your sprinkler irrigation system now, sets you up for a lush green yard all year long.
One of the aspects that requires particular attention is your backflow preventer, which can be easily damaged during a winter freeze. For this reason, backflow inspection is critical.
In Austin, winter freezes are not uncommon, with the average number generally being about 12 freezes between October and March. However, over the past few years, freezing temperatures have occurred far more frequently than average. Due to the hard freeze Austin had this winter, several sprinkler systems that have already been inspected were found to be damaged and leaking.
When water freezes, it expands. Therefore, when water freezes inside a confined space, such as a pipe or valve, the expansion can cause damage. This is no different for backflow preventer assemblies, which can also suffer ruptures and cracks when not adequately winterized or insulated...
