Definitely that time of the year again around my neck of the woods supposed to get down in the 20's! Thanks again Adam, great work! Very easy to follow along. Keep it up!
Always good to hear from you Sam! Same around our parts -- we had our first frost a week or so ago, and our first freeze last Thursday. I'm going to miss the longer warmer days, but I'm sure looking forward to Thanksgiving :)
The jump cuts were strong with this one 😂 We appreciate your feedback! We hope we still helped you with Winterization, despite the many jump cuts. 😅 -Alex, Drip Depot Videographer
Glad it was helpful! Winterizing drip is fortunately pretty straight forward and fast. Speaking of Fall, there's still plenty of time to plant a Fall garden! =D
for more than a decade, we just shut the water tube's access to the magnet valves (below ground) before the frosts, so they have no more pressure nor the drip tubes do. in spring we use to open the system again after the frosts, during daytime we might open the system individually for a short while if necessary during the winter. we live in moderate climate w/ only light frosts normally. also a mulch cover is necessary over the drip tubes during winter at least. weather reports inform about temperature forecasts.
When I winterized my system, I connected the compressor to the hose where the systems start at the faucet (after removing timers, pressure regulators, etc.). Is it okay to push the water out from this point in the system? I've done this for the past 3 or 4 years and my system has worked fine each spring. Thanks for a very helpful video and your excellent products!
You bet Bob -- if you're getting the water to come out of the end caps, you're doing a great job. When we filmed the portion of the video using the compressor, we did it exactly like you did -- removed the head assembly parts, and pushed the compressor into the Female Hose x Tubing Adapter and then blew the water out -- it all came out of the furthest end cap that we had uncapped. Even with just using our hand as a coupling it shot out.
Thank you for the kind words! What a great way to start the week down here :) At low enough PSI you likely could, but for thin walled drip tape I'd recommend just letting it gravity drain if at all possible. It's surprisingly resistant to freeze damage -- if your end caps are at a low point, gravity will drain the lines pretty thoroughly. If they're not at low points and the lines are of reasonable length, you can remove the caps and then walk the lines holding it up as you go so water drains out. If none of that is possible, try to keep the compressor as low PSI as possible, I'd start trying at about 10 PSI and, similar to what I did in the video, use your hand as a "coupling" between the compressor discharge and the drip tape so that pressure that cannot easily get into the line can bleed out :)
Lyssa, thank you for the kind words! What a great question, and I'm cautiously optimistic this could work -- to some degree it depends on the pump, as some hand pumps can put out a lot of PSI. I'd do it much like the compressor -- use your hand as a "coupling" between the tubing and the pump discharge so any excess pressure bleeds out between your fingers. This means it might be a two person job (unless it's a foot pump), one to work the pump and one to hold the pump discharge and tubing. Essentially, I do think this could work :)
I am setting up a multizone system. Do I need only one low drain per zone? Thanks! I love all these videos! I'm hoping to place my order this week for my new system.
Possibly! If the water from other points of the system flows to that point, there's a very good chance it will be the only one you need. If there are parts that just won't flow to that point, you could setup another one for draining. So long as you get most of the water out you'll be good to go. For this video we tried to damage some tubing by filling it with water, capping it and placing it in the walk-in freezer. We wanted to illustrate the risks of not winterizing and I'm pretty sure that tubing is still in the walk-in taunting us in its undamaged state. :)
This was the very first video myself and our videographer did and we fully agree -- newer videos have much fewer transitions, we learned our lesson pretty quick on this one :)
If they're well drained, they can also be left outside over winter -- the "bend but don't break" property of the materials comes in handy during freezing temperatures :)
Any suggestions on general air compressor specs or a link? Gallons/cfm/psi specs would be helpful….smallest compressor possible for a very basic / small drip system. Thanks!
Will the compressor mainly be used to blow out the irrigation system (and will it be just drip irrigation or also lawn irrigation)? If it's just for drip irrigation you won't need anything too powerful as it's best to stay around 30 PSI (or use your hand to join the compressor to the tubing so excess pressure bleeds there rather than getting into the drip system). I've seen the smaller 20 gallon compressors work great for blowing out drip systems (and 20 gallons is enough capacity for others tasks as well and they tend not to be too expensive). Not sure how prices will be up your way, but Home Depot here in Oregon has some solid 20 gallon compressors for $299 right now. And with all that said, if it's a smaller drip system you can likely just gravity drain it if you have a low point you can uncap or open up, everything except the head assembly parts are remarkably resistant to freeze damage (we actually tried to cause some freeze damage to the fittings and tubing by filling it completely full of water and then freezing it, but no damage occurred, not what we expected). :)
If I plan on leaving the tubing outdoor overwinter after draining, which is better at a) withstanding zone 5 winters and which is b) less likely to get clogged: 1/4" Polyethylene Dripline with Emitter Spacing or adjustable emitters on stakes?
If it's well drained, I'd lean towards the 1/4" drip line, the materials are just a little bit more flexible. The adjustable emitters on stake can also be left out over winter, but we have seen the adjustment caps get displaced by freezing water trapped in the threads where the adjustment cap is connected to the rest of the assembly. Typically easily fixable, but that's not something that can occur with the 1/4" drip line so it gets the edge, even if by a small margin :)
If they're pretty well drained of water, they can be left out over winter -- if it's not too inconvenient to bring them inside to the garage or something, it's definitely acceptable to do. Having them inside helps prevent other issues -- dirt and debris and insects can get into lines over long winters, but as far as freezing goes, just making sure they're drained will keep them from freeze damage :)
Nope! If you have some end caps at low points, a gravity drain will usually be more than sufficient, even in places with particularly harsh winters. Poly tubing has a "bend but don't break" material property that allows it to be left out over winter, even above ground, so long as it has been reasonably drained. I'd say for poly tubing drip systems, using a compressor is usually the exception rather than the rule. :) Head assembly parts (timer, backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator) should be stored indoors, but the tubing itself can be safely left out when gravity drained.
people in gardening groups have highlighted that even expensive timers seem to stop working after one season due to water and elements. Especially water reaching the battery compartment somehow. My outdoor spigot is not shielded from the elements at all. Is there anything I can do to protect the (pretty expensive) automatic hose end timer outdoors to make it last (during gardening season) ?
@@mnchnn This is a great question, as it is correct that exposure to the elements will shorten their life span -- particularly direct sun exposure. It's not so much the UV, but the heat generated from sun exposure, particularly on any timer with an LCD screen (the liquid crystals can overheat). If you have any way to create a temporary shade or enclosure for it, that would be best to keep the heat at reasonable levels. Water getting into the battery compartment isn't one I hear about too much -- the hose timers can typically handle rain with no problem, but definitely avoid submersion -- they're water resistant, but not water proof. This would also be from not removing them from winter -- if there's some water left inside and the timer is left outside, the freezing water could expand and cause internal damage that then allows water to enter the battery compartment. With all that said, I find heat damage to be the most common by far, and shade (even if it's something temporary just for the season) will go a long way towards getting its full life expectancy.
Definitely that time of the year again around my neck of the woods supposed to get down in the 20's! Thanks again Adam, great work! Very easy to follow along. Keep it up!
Always good to hear from you Sam! Same around our parts -- we had our first frost a week or so ago, and our first freeze last Thursday. I'm going to miss the longer warmer days, but I'm sure looking forward to Thanksgiving :)
intern: "I've been playing around with editing software and I learned about something called a 'jump cut'"
The jump cuts were strong with this one 😂 We appreciate your feedback! We hope we still helped you with Winterization, despite the many jump cuts. 😅 -Alex, Drip Depot Videographer
2023 will be my 1st year winterizing… this was helpful. Time to start planning for Fall supplies soon. 💦
Glad it was helpful! Winterizing drip is fortunately pretty straight forward and fast. Speaking of Fall, there's still plenty of time to plant a Fall garden! =D
for more than a decade, we just shut the water tube's access to the magnet valves (below ground) before the frosts, so they have no more pressure nor the drip tubes do. in spring we use to open the system again after the frosts, during daytime we might open the system individually for a short while if necessary during the winter. we live in moderate climate w/ only light frosts normally. also a mulch cover is necessary over the drip tubes during winter at least. weather reports inform about temperature forecasts.
Love your videos, thanks a lot :)
Ernesto, I love your feedback! Also a sincere and heartfelt thank you your way :) -Adam
When I winterized my system, I connected the compressor to the hose where the systems start at the faucet (after removing timers, pressure regulators, etc.). Is it okay to push the water out from this point in the system? I've done this for the past 3 or 4 years and my system has worked fine each spring. Thanks for a very helpful video and your excellent products!
You bet Bob -- if you're getting the water to come out of the end caps, you're doing a great job. When we filmed the portion of the video using the compressor, we did it exactly like you did -- removed the head assembly parts, and pushed the compressor into the Female Hose x Tubing Adapter and then blew the water out -- it all came out of the furthest end cap that we had uncapped. Even with just using our hand as a coupling it shot out.
Lovely
As always it's great to hear from you, a sincere thank you to you!
Wonderfully presented. Earned a subscription. Can you use compressor on thin walled drip tape?
Thank you for the kind words! What a great way to start the week down here :)
At low enough PSI you likely could, but for thin walled drip tape I'd recommend just letting it gravity drain if at all possible. It's surprisingly resistant to freeze damage -- if your end caps are at a low point, gravity will drain the lines pretty thoroughly. If they're not at low points and the lines are of reasonable length, you can remove the caps and then walk the lines holding it up as you go so water drains out.
If none of that is possible, try to keep the compressor as low PSI as possible, I'd start trying at about 10 PSI and, similar to what I did in the video, use your hand as a "coupling" between the compressor discharge and the drip tape so that pressure that cannot easily get into the line can bleed out :)
Wow, beautiful video and very helpful & clear information! Thank you so much!
Do you think you could use a bike pump instead of an air compressor?
Lyssa, thank you for the kind words!
What a great question, and I'm cautiously optimistic this could work -- to some degree it depends on the pump, as some hand pumps can put out a lot of PSI. I'd do it much like the compressor -- use your hand as a "coupling" between the tubing and the pump discharge so any excess pressure bleeds out between your fingers. This means it might be a two person job (unless it's a foot pump), one to work the pump and one to hold the pump discharge and tubing.
Essentially, I do think this could work :)
@@dripdepot Thanks so much for your speedy & thoughtful reply! I will give it a try and will report back.
@@LyssaSamuel Lyssa, you rock, I'd love to hear how it goes!
I am setting up a multizone system. Do I need only one low drain per zone? Thanks!
I love all these videos! I'm hoping to place my order this week for my new system.
Possibly! If the water from other points of the system flows to that point, there's a very good chance it will be the only one you need. If there are parts that just won't flow to that point, you could setup another one for draining. So long as you get most of the water out you'll be good to go. For this video we tried to damage some tubing by filling it with water, capping it and placing it in the walk-in freezer. We wanted to illustrate the risks of not winterizing and I'm pretty sure that tubing is still in the walk-in taunting us in its undamaged state. :)
Nice information but you went a little heavy on the camera transitions to the point I got a little dizzy.
This was the very first video myself and our videographer did and we fully agree -- newer videos have much fewer transitions, we learned our lesson pretty quick on this one :)
What about all the 1/4" tubing and emitters over winter?
If they're well drained, they can also be left outside over winter -- the "bend but don't break" property of the materials comes in handy during freezing temperatures :)
i love it
Glad we could help, Matt! 😊
Any suggestions on general air compressor specs or a link? Gallons/cfm/psi specs would be helpful….smallest compressor possible for a very basic / small drip system. Thanks!
Will the compressor mainly be used to blow out the irrigation system (and will it be just drip irrigation or also lawn irrigation)?
If it's just for drip irrigation you won't need anything too powerful as it's best to stay around 30 PSI (or use your hand to join the compressor to the tubing so excess pressure bleeds there rather than getting into the drip system). I've seen the smaller 20 gallon compressors work great for blowing out drip systems (and 20 gallons is enough capacity for others tasks as well and they tend not to be too expensive).
Not sure how prices will be up your way, but Home Depot here in Oregon has some solid 20 gallon compressors for $299 right now.
And with all that said, if it's a smaller drip system you can likely just gravity drain it if you have a low point you can uncap or open up, everything except the head assembly parts are remarkably resistant to freeze damage (we actually tried to cause some freeze damage to the fittings and tubing by filling it completely full of water and then freezing it, but no damage occurred, not what we expected). :)
If I plan on leaving the tubing outdoor overwinter after draining, which is better at a) withstanding zone 5 winters and which is b) less likely to get clogged: 1/4" Polyethylene Dripline with Emitter Spacing or adjustable emitters on stakes?
If it's well drained, I'd lean towards the 1/4" drip line, the materials are just a little bit more flexible. The adjustable emitters on stake can also be left out over winter, but we have seen the adjustment caps get displaced by freezing water trapped in the threads where the adjustment cap is connected to the rest of the assembly. Typically easily fixable, but that's not something that can occur with the 1/4" drip line so it gets the edge, even if by a small margin :)
Thank you so much!
I don't see the male hose thread plug on your website. Is it sold there?
Yes, we carry it! All featured products are linked in the description. Here is the link for the MHT Plug: www.dripdepot.com/three-quarter-inch-mht-cap
Should I clean out somehow any of my drip lines and store those indoors? Not the main lines. I’m referring to the skinny ones with all the holes.
If they're pretty well drained of water, they can be left out over winter -- if it's not too inconvenient to bring them inside to the garage or something, it's definitely acceptable to do. Having them inside helps prevent other issues -- dirt and debris and insects can get into lines over long winters, but as far as freezing goes, just making sure they're drained will keep them from freeze damage :)
I have so many containers with smaller lines going up into the pots. Should I just keep them outside though winter, but unplug to drain and replug ?
You've got it exactly right Jennifer -- give them a good drain and they'll be safe from freeze damage :)
Will the drip system be doomed to fail if I don’t have an air compressor?
Nope! If you have some end caps at low points, a gravity drain will usually be more than sufficient, even in places with particularly harsh winters. Poly tubing has a "bend but don't break" material property that allows it to be left out over winter, even above ground, so long as it has been reasonably drained. I'd say for poly tubing drip systems, using a compressor is usually the exception rather than the rule. :)
Head assembly parts (timer, backflow preventer, filter and pressure regulator) should be stored indoors, but the tubing itself can be safely left out when gravity drained.
people in gardening groups have highlighted that even expensive timers seem to stop working after one season due to water and elements. Especially water reaching the battery compartment somehow. My outdoor spigot is not shielded from the elements at all. Is there anything I can do to protect the (pretty expensive) automatic hose end timer outdoors to make it last (during gardening season) ?
@@mnchnn This is a great question, as it is correct that exposure to the elements will shorten their life span -- particularly direct sun exposure. It's not so much the UV, but the heat generated from sun exposure, particularly on any timer with an LCD screen (the liquid crystals can overheat).
If you have any way to create a temporary shade or enclosure for it, that would be best to keep the heat at reasonable levels.
Water getting into the battery compartment isn't one I hear about too much -- the hose timers can typically handle rain with no problem, but definitely avoid submersion -- they're water resistant, but not water proof. This would also be from not removing them from winter -- if there's some water left inside and the timer is left outside, the freezing water could expand and cause internal damage that then allows water to enter the battery compartment.
With all that said, I find heat damage to be the most common by far, and shade (even if it's something temporary just for the season) will go a long way towards getting its full life expectancy.