Boise Sprinkler Blowout and Winterization FAQ's

The simple answer: Schedule your Boise sprinkler blowout in mid-September or early-October, before nighttime temperatures get below freezing.

Make sure you schedule early! We can-not emphasize this enough. The days may still be warm but the weather this time of year can change very quickly. We’ve had hard freezes hit as early as between the middle and the end of October. You just never know what’s going to happen with the weather so play it safe.

As a rule of thumb, most of our return customers will contact us in between the middle of September to ensure they get in the schedule early.

Our sprinkler blowout pricing is based on the number of zones that you have in your system. For additional information and to see our current rates, please visit our Boise Sprinkler Blowout Service page.

Sprinkler Blowouts are a reduced rate service already as we schedule by zip code. Click here for pricing and to schedule.

If you don’t winterize your sprinklers in Boise and Meridian, Idaho, the water in your exterior sprinkler pipes and backflow preventer will freeze and likely cause damage to the system. Freeze damage can be a nightmare and in some cases can costs nearly as much to repair as installing a new system.

Always remember to schedule early and make sure you hire a reputable company that knows what they’re doing!

We pay very close attention to the weather this time of year. The historical first freeze average in the Treasure Valley has been around Halloween, but a freeze can hit us anytime during the month of October!

Your backflow preventer is the one component to your sprinkler system that is most susceptible to freeze damage early in the fall. This is because it is exposed directly to the cold outside air, as opposed to the rest of your system, which is buried and insulated by the ground. If there is an early freeze is forecast, follow our quick-drain instructions. After a quick-drain is complete, you can winterize the rest of your system anytime. Note this is not a substitute for a sprinkler blowout, it just buys you some time.

We try to encourage customers to conserve water when this question comes up. The sooner you shut down the system, the less water you’ll be using (less $). Keep in mind that your grass does not require as much water this time of year because of the milder temps. It is also naturally beginning to go dormant and it’s not going to suffer if you stop watering it now.

If you still feel like you need to water longer (maybe you just got new sod), then you can definitely hold of on having your sprinkler blowout done, as long as you watch the weather closely and feel comfortable performing a Quick Drain.

The rule of thumb we use is to never trust automatic drains. They are great in theory and we use them on all our installation and repairs but they are not infallible. They can clog and shift as the ground settles over time, especially on new homes or those with growing trees.

Absolutely. We’d hate to lose your business but we support “Do-It-Yourselfers” and encourage you to try if you’re confident in your know-how, have the time and have access to a decent size air compressor. There are a lot of things that go wrong so just make sure to use extreme caution and take your time. It may take you a few hours but there’s nothing more gratifying than saving a few bucks on a home maintenance project. If you run into any problems, please reach out to us and we’ll be happy to get you on the schedule and come help you.

A blowout tee is a sprinkler pipe junction that is installed down-line of the backflow preventer. It allows us to hook up an air compressor and winterize your system without having to blow air through your backflow preventer. We can still winterize your system without a blowout tee, however, it is not suggested. This is because the heat generated from the friction (rapid air movement against the pipes) can damage the seals and internal components over time. For some reason many homes in Boise and Meridian do not have blowouts tees, or the plug is stripped out. If your house is not equipped, we offer a backflow reconfiguration service to install a blowout tee.

You’ve already found one! 🙂 We have been doing sprinkler blowouts in Boise, Meridian, and the Treasure Valley since 2002 and have many, many happy customers. Whatever you do, make sure you hire a company that you’re confident will be around next year. The unfortunate truth is that we earn most of our new business in the spring from systems that were not winterized properly.

We schedule our sprinkler blowout appointments on a first come, first served basis.  Based on where you are located. No Exceptions!  While we are unable to provide times/time frames for sprinkler blowouts as we do so many every day. We will send you a text when we are heading over, so you know what is going on.

We own and use commercial grade, tow behind, 185cfm air compressors for all Boise and Meridian Idaho sprinkler blowout appointments.

We currently offer sprinkler blowout service in Boise, Meridian, Garden City, Hidden Springs, Avimor and Parts of Eagle.

Our Sprinkler Blowout Service includes the following: 

· A single text message to let you know we are heading to your home (customer must provide a proper text-able phone number)

· Shut off Outdoor Water Supply to Sprinklers (Valve must be accessible).

· Open Drain Valve to Drain Backflow Preventer (Valve must be accessible)

· Our technician will manually open up your sprinkler valves at the valve boxes and then provide compressed air to blow out the water from your sprinkler pipes. The technician does not need access to your sprinkler control box in your garage. We ask that you turn your sprinkler controller to "off" or the "rain" setting until spring.

· If your sprinkler system has a filter on it, the end cap is removed and water is blown out to prevent damage to the filter and filter assembly. If there are any spigots connected to your sprinkler systems, we will open and ensure they are blown out as well.

· After all water is removed from your sprinkler system, filter, and spigots, all valves are closed and the filter and filter end cap is put back. Your sprinkler system in now winterized and ready to be turned back on in the spring.  In the case that the technician determines a valve or filter cap should remain open or removed to assist in evaporation, he will then leave it open or off. Be sure to check that the filter cap is on and that any open valves are closed before you turn your water back on in the spring.

We accept cash, personal check and all major credit cards.