A sprinkler blowout is best done in October in the northern climate of the United States. When to turn off your sprinkler is a delicate balance of good timing and luck. Do it too early and your lawn may lose precious water it needs to prepare for the winter. Wait too late and sprinkler repairs may become necessary if a hard freeze occurs
Moving into a new home, or having a new sprinkler installation can create uncertainty about how to handle the routine sprinkler maintenance at the end of the sprinkler season. You may want to call a sprinkler repair company of good reputation, at least the first time. Most will do a free evaluation. We recommend contacting ServiceMagic to get up to four quotes for a sprinkler blowout.
Sprinkler blowouts usually cost around $10 per zone with discounts available for larger systems. We’ve charged around $55 when providing the service in the past. An air compressor is used, typically at about 80 psi (pounds per square inch) or lower. Higher and you could blow off the heads. A good irrigation tech will know the recommended psi whether your brand of sprinkler system is Rainbird, Toro, Hunter or another brand.
So what is the cost of not properly blowing out your sprinkler? We once talked to a woman who had an extra $800 on her monthly water bill because there was a leak in the system. Sprinkler system repairs can include replacing blown out pumps, defective backflow preventers and cracks. It’s easy to rack up hundreds of dollars in repair bills. At worst, a hard freeze can cause a sprinkler system re-installation. A sprinkler system for a 5000 sq. foot lawn can cost $3500 or more to replace. Makes a $50 blowout seem cheap and easy to do doesn’t it?
