I have a Febco 765-1. How do I close and drain it for the winter?

Picture attached, with my guess of what needs to be done.

Basement?

No, I don't have a basement.

No need to winterize your irrigation systems in Texas. I would highly recommend purchasing a freeze cover from a irrigation supply house like Ewing irrigation. I always tell customers to run their systems once a week during the winter just to keep things moving. Also we are in a drought and when you couple that w/ a freeze it can be extremely detrimental to plants. Btw, that's a febco pvb (pressure vacuum breaker)

http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Insulated-Pouches-s/7546.htm

Will those really protect a sprinkler system? I am in Northwest Houston and had to replace my valve a couple of years ago since I winterized it incorrectly.

Yes we use them up here in north Texas and had no problems even when we get into the teens & 20s. You can also get a decorative rock to go over it.

I disagree! We live in CS and didn't winterize and our back flow valve froze and broke. Cost $180 for it to be repaired. Turn off water valve to system and run each zone for a minute to get the water out of the pipes and valves.

Dubi, feel free to do whatever you want but it sounds like you didn't have your backflow properly insulated which is your main problem. I'm a A&M horticulturist, licensed irrigator for 8 yrs, and the owner of a high end residential landscape company for 10yrs. Once again, with the drought we are experiencing and couple that with a freeze, it can be devastating to your plants. Just as severe as a 110 degree summer drought. How much money do you have in your landscape plants & Turfgrass?

I would agree our back flow was probably not properly insulated. That is why we will drain it rather than risk damage again. We have very minimal landscaping, just StA lawn and a few shrubs.

The arrows look correct to me.

That's how I shut mine down for the winter.

Oh and you may want to wrap that white pipe in some foam or other insulate.

Dubi, I think you method above will only drain the water to the lowest point in each station. You need to add air behind that water to truly protect from a freeze. When I lived in Wyoming, irrigation companies would stop by with a big air compressor to blow the water out of the irrigation lines. I've never seen this done in Texas.

Because we don't do that or need to do that in Texas! Maybe in the pan handle but definitely not in north Texas and sure as hell not south of here.

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Dubi, I think you method above will only drain the water to the lowest point in each station. You need to add air behind that water to truly protect from a freeze. When I lived in Wyoming, irrigation companies would stop by with a big air compressor to blow the water out of the irrigation lines. I've never seen this done in Texas.

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They do that up north. They also bury their lines deeper. Neither are needed in Texas. I'm a former golf course superintendent, so that's my specialty. I would graciously defer to ftworthag as residential irrigation is his specialty.

Google is awesome. I just had the bell flow off of this exact valve outside my house. It's 34 degrees. I shut both of the valves off. How hard is this thing to change myself? I ran a 4.6 40 in '93 so that means I should be able to work a wrench...right?

Neighbor here in Houston had their sprinkler valve bust today. Walked around the neighborhood and saw about 4 other houses with similar sprinkler water leaks. They didnt break until the temp warmed up enough to thaw their frozen valve.

I followed this video (in line with OPs graphic) last night and was fine today.

My bad, I should've phrased it differently. If your system has a pvb, Avb, or rpz, then you will need to either winterize the system by shutting off the mainline & draining it or install a freeze blanket over it(some come w/ faux rocks). If you have a dcv (double check valve) that's in the ground then there's no need to winterize the system. Also make sure your system has a rain & freeze sensor installed which is law in many municipalities.

A&M Horticulturist and licensed irrigator.

mnicholls said:

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Neighbor here in Houston had their sprinkler valve bust today. Walked around the neighborhood and saw about 4 other houses with similar sprinkler water leaks. They didnt break until the temp warmed up enough to thaw their frozen valve.

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This isn't how it works. They break when it freezes (freezing water expands remember?)

You simply discover it when it thaws and the water has a means to escape.

If you have a backflow device shut off bottom handle and turn on your system for about a minute which will drain a little water out of your mainline. This will allow for a expansion during freeze. Once done running your system. Turn Sprinkler box off and open up lower valve again. Next I would open two test cock valves (with flat head screw driver which will allow any water to flow out. You can wrap your PVB with instulation and tape but do not wrap bell housing if you intend on using system during winter as this may cause system to vapor lock. Also bell housing is made to break inside if pressure during a freeze becomes to great. You can easily replace the inside of your backflow device for about $30 if you buy it and install yourself. People normally shut off both large valves and the system expands and cracks the metal where handle attaches.

If you don't have a master valve you can locate the ball valve to your sprinkler system normally out by water meter where sprinkler mainline T's into mainline to the house and shut the ball valve off. Then run your system for a minute or two. Shut of at control box then open test cock valves and your good.

Do y'all wrap the backflow device with towels? I've seen this a lot lately

Watchful Ag said:

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Do y'all wrap the backflow device with towels? I've seen this a lot lately

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Should not need to provided you've winterized the system by shutting off the main water line to the system and drained the lines and back flow device (BFD) properly. My system also has a drain valve on each PVC line on both sides of the BFD so when I shut the water off and the pressure is released from the system, the valves autimatically open and drains the lines so there's no water within the BFD.

The key is to remove any standing water from within the BFD during the winterizing method!

I had my insulated and covered but my wife called me at work and said it was shooting water like a geyser. The backflow preventer had broken off. It was probably from the freeze but I've read that they will also break from age. I've ordered a repair kit from Amazon. I managed to turn it off but since I was unable to cut the main water supply off I received a cold shower.

I (or my Febco rather) paid the price as well during the freeze last week.

winterizing seems like the smart thing to do, but I have been in my house now for 6 years and have yet to touch the irrigation system with regard to winterizing and have not run into any issue. Some of my PVC in eroded locations is starting to show too, so all PVC is not 100% buried in some places. I don't know what to make of it all, but we had a a week of sub-30 degree days in Austin this month and I was for sure expecting something to go wrong but it hasn't.

CapCity12thMan said:

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winterizing seems like the smart thing to do, but I have been in my house now for 6 years and have yet to touch the irrigation system with regard to winterizing and have not run into any issue. Some of my PVC in eroded locations is starting to show too, so all PVC is not 100% buried in some places. I don't know what to make of it all, but we had a a week of sub-30 degree days in Austin this month and I was for sure expecting something to go wrong but it hasn't.

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takes about 10 min (including walking slowly time). Why risk it given the off chance you're pipes freeze\blow and you're out hundreds of dollars and you'll spend more than 10min turning the water off when it blows?

I get it...just one of those things that I should be doing that I am not. I am sure when I turn on my system in a month or so, some head will have blown, so yes my laziness might cost me this year.