Highlands Ranch Aeration & Sprinkler Blowout
303-759-8383
Sprinkler System Shut Down To Prevent Freeze Damage Of The Vacuum Breaker
1. Turn off / Close Main Sprinkler Valve located in the basement.
2. At the Vacuum Breaker outside, open the 2 small drain valves called petcocks. Leave these small
drain petcocks at a 45 degree angle, half open and half closed. Look for other drain nuts on the sprinkler
pipe coming out of the house wall, open to drain and leave open.
3. Turn the large ball valves at the vacuum breaker to a 45 degree angle, half open and half closed. This
prevents ball valves from freezing and cracking along the sides of the valves.
4. Open the drain valve(s) in the green station valve box(s). This will drain the water from the vacuum
breaker to your station valves in the green valve box(s).
5. Back in the basement, open the sprinkler drain next to the main sprinkler valve or a drain nut on the
side of the main sprinkler valve. This drains the water from the vacuum breaker back to the main
sprinkler valve. I don't recommend leaving this drain or drain nut open over the winter months just in
case your main sprinkler valve starts to leak.
6. If your house is 10 years or older, you should check your main sprinkler valve for leaks. I
recommend opening the drain valve next to the main sprinkler valve or a drain nut on the side of the
main sprinkler valve one week later. If more than a few seconds of water drains out, then you may
have a leaking main sprinkler valve. I suggest double checking the main sprinkler valve again one
week later. If water still drains out, then you need to replace the main sprinkler valve. If you leave a
leaking main sprinkler valve all winter, it will fill the sprinkler pipe to the vacuum breaker and freeze
in the middle of winter.
***NOTE: Freezing temperatures in Fall & Spring can damage your vacuum breaker.
Sprinkler blow-out is always needed, unless you have a self-draining system for the heads.
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