How to Drain Water from an Irrigation System – Helpful Water Drainage Advice for Your Irrigation System

Dec 18, 2024 | Drainage

Irrigation systems offer many benefits when it comes to maintaining your landscape. Benefits like conserving water, reducing water bills, increasing property value, healthier plants, reduced weeds, and less effort for you when it comes to watering your plants yourself. Proper draining water from your irrigation system is also properly essential. It can offer many benefits for homeowners. Read on to learn about the importance of water drainage and how to do it to maintain the health of your yard.

Preparing Your Irrigation System for Water Drainage

Why it is Important

When it comes to maintaining a healthy garden, irrigation drainage is crucial. If you need to inspect your irrigation system for potential repairs, it will make it easier. It helps prevent corrosion and deterioration of pipes and increases the longevity of your irrigation system. It can eliminate stagnant water, which can attract pests like mosquitoes. Water drainage for your irrigation system is also especially important when the weather gets cooler. Draining your irrigation for the winter will avoid issues like freezing water from cracking pipes and valves. So, now that you know the importance of draining water for your irrigation, how do you do it?

Essential Steps to Shut off Your Irrigation and Sprinkler System

First, you will want to shut off your irrigation system and sprinkler, which is fairly easy. You will have to locate the main shut-off valve, which will usually be located near the water meter or backflow preventer. Then, you can turn the valve to turn it off. Lastly, you should check the controller. Turning the main valve off stops water flow, but switching your controller off will prevent any scheduled watering from happening.

Water Drainage for Different Irrigation Parts

Emptying Irrigation Pipes and Drip Systems

Now that you have effectively shut off your irrigation and sprinkler systems, it is time to drain them. You can locate your manual drain valves where there are low points in the piping. You can open those valves to drain water out. Once they are open, you can turn on each zone of your irrigation system using your controller. This will help the water to flow out. Once the water has been expelled, you can close all the drain valves again. Please make sure they are secure and free of water when you do.

Draining Wet or Clogged Sprinkler Systems

If you come across the issue of wet or clogged sprinkler systems, don’t worry! The problem can be rectified. You can shut off all the vales connected to the sprinkler system. It is also advisable to tag the closed valves so you don’t lose track of any. Then, you can open the main valve at the system’s riser. Open the auxiliary drain valves to release water. You can also check low points in piping for trapped water. You might need to remove the piping and replace the removed sections after draining. Lastly, remove the water from any valve pits. However, if this method doesn’t resolve the problem, you might need to consult a professional to diagnose and fix the issue. If you try to fix it without fully understanding how the system works, you may damage it.

A sprinkler with a rotary nozzle irrigating a garden.

Additional Water Drainage Information

How to Drain Runoff Water From Your Irrigation System

Another issue that can occur is runoff water from your irrigation system. This is an issue that should be resolved since it wastes both resources and money. One strategy to help manage runoff water is to break your water cycle into multiple shorter cycles instead of oversaturating the area. This gives the soil time to absorb the water. You can install check valve sprinkler bodies to prevent water from flooding out when the system turns off. You can also modify your sprinkler nozzles to switch to rotary nozzles. Remember to direct the sprinklers away from walk paths, ensure they target the areas you want (your lawn or plants), and choose the best times for your sprinkler to be active.

Drain Outdoor Water to Prepare for Winter

Draining your irrigation system for winter helps prevent freeze damage to your irrigation valves and pipes. Which in turn prevents you from spending money to repair broken parts. To drain your irrigation for the winter, you should shut off the water supply to the system, You can locate the drain valves to empty them. This will effectively winterize your system before the weather drops to low temperatures. It is advisable to do it in early October to Thanksgiving. However, consult an irrigation specialist to avoid damaging your irrigation system if you need clarification on the process.

A person draining their irrigation system and removing the valve

Conclusion

Hopefully, this information has been helpful when it comes to understanding the importance of draining your irrigation system and how to do it. When it comes to irrigation, it is vital to ensure you know how to drain your irrigation, or have a professional who can diagnose and repair your irrigation system. A working irrigation and sprinkler system benefits your garden and any problems should be resolved immediately.