Sprinkler Winterization on the Front Range

Why Blowouts Aren't Optional Here

Front Range sprinkler lines are buried eight to twelve inches down — well above the frost line, which can push past three feet in a cold winter. Any water left in those lines will freeze, and freezing water expands about nine percent with enough force to split PVC, crack valve bodies, and burst the backflow preventer. Drain valves alone don't get it all; low spots in every yard hold water that only moving air removes.

The math is simple: a blowout costs less than any single component it protects.

The Deadline

Schedule by mid-October. Most years the first hard freeze along the Front Range lands somewhere in October, and every year a share of it arrives early. A blowout takes minutes per zone; the damage from missing it by one night takes a spring repair visit. If a hard freeze is forecast before your appointment, do the emergency drain above — it protects the expensive part.

What a Proper Blowout Includes