It is dangerous to let your sprinkler system go unprepared in freezing temperatures — 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. If you live in a wintery climate, the best time to start thinking about winterizing your sprinkler system is when temperatures hover around 40 degrees.
It is best to turn on your system during the warmest time of the day when anticipating freezing conditions. Be sure the outside temperature is 40 degrees fahrenheit or above when you run your system. You ABSOLUTELY do not want to run your sprinkler system during a hard freeze as this will cause damage to your system.
Running the sprinkler system when it is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below is cause for concern.
However, if the temperatures do dip down into the 20's, or temperatures remain below 32 degrees for an extended period of time, your irrigation system can be damaged.
While you may be eager to get your lawn back to its pristine green state, it is important to remember that temperatures at and below 32 degrees Fahrenheit put your sprinkler system at risk of freezing.
A sprinkler system will freeze if the temperature falls below 32° F (0° Celsius). Now, most indoor sprinkler systems are inside of buildings or homes where the temperature won't ever drop into the danger zone.
Pipes are at risk of freezing when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, but they most commonly freeze at temperatures of 20 degrees and below. (Keep in mind, wind chill increases the risk of freezing.)
Pipes can freeze in as little as six to eight hours, meaning they can freeze overnight. If the outside temperature is below 32 degrees F and your pipes are unprotected, your chances for a frozen pipe increase.
What Temperature Will Cause My Pipes to Freeze? Pipes run the risk of freezing at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, especially if they're not insulated, but most insulated pipes start to freeze at 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Anywhere from 55-62 degrees will keep your pipes from freezing while cutting your heating bill dramatically. PROCESS: While the weather outside is frightful and inside is so delightful, sooner or later you'll have to brave the blizzard and leave the house.
The hot air is pushed toward the ceiling, walls, or other spots where the sprinkler heads are located. When the air around them reaches a certain temperature – typically 135° F, 155° F, or 250° F (57° C, 68° C, or 121° C) – the liquid inside the bulb expands until the pressure causes the glass to break.
Nothing should be in that area between the bottom of the sprinkler heads and the imaginary horizontal plane parallel to the ceiling that is 18 inches below. This is done to allow an even and unobstructed spray pattern from the sprinklers when triggered to extinguish the fire.
The colder weather does not evaporate moisture from the lawn as quickly as it does in the warmer weather. Most lawn experts recommend watering your grass until the soil or ground temperature reaches the 40-degree Fahrenheit mark. It is true, less water is required and needed when the temperature drops.
Weather To Watch Out For
This is why it's crucial to check that your home is insulated correctly to help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. The weather you should keep an eye out for is when it becomes 22 degrees or lower outside for a total of six or more consecutive hours.
As a general rule of thumb, for your home's water pipes to freeze, the outside temperature needs to be below 20 degrees, for a total of at least six consecutive hours.
The rule of the thumb is that it takes roughly 6-hours for water in your pipe to freeze after left in an unheated area. Meaning if you lose power at your home and the weather is reaching below freezing point, you have approximately 6-hours until the pipes will begin to freeze.
We all know that freezing begins at 32° F or 0° C, but at what point do pipes freeze within our own homes? Temperatures only need to drop to about 20° F for a few hours to put exposed pipes at risk.
Pipes can freeze at 32 degrees or below, but it will take a sustained period of time for this to happen. In other words, a pipe needs to be at freezing temperatures for at least half a day before homeowners have to worry about any freezing occurring.
Another best practice to remember is that PVC piping lines should be installed at least one to two feet below ground to prevent damage from freezing and thawing cycles.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are: Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.
Although PVC is a great choice to maintain heat, keeping the water inside the pipes quite hot, PVC doesn't do well in freezing temperatures. Plastic is brittle, so at low temperatures, PVC can crack.
Frozen pipes can be inconvenient, a danger to life and danger to the home so it's always best to stay on top off ways to prevent this situation. No matter what type of pipes you have in the property, plastic or copper, they will freeze and burst if there is water inside them.
And those temperature swings and freezes can cause havoc with your outdoor irrigation system. Whether you face frozen pipes or some other form of winter pipe damage, you could end up with a flooded lawn and pricey landscaping problems and home exterior issues in the blink of an eye.