Why is a 20+ compressor needed to winterize water lines?
madtripper
17 years ago
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nevada_walrus
17 years agocastoff
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Heated winter water line
Comments (13)Only ask the question from an experience I had with a water hose inadvertently left under pressure and freezing - resulting in a ruptured brass fitting to hose connection (a high quality hose). If the hose was drained in anticipation of a deep freeze however, the risk of damage would of course, be minimized. Looks like an easy alternative Tom. When building my planned greenhouse next year though, I'm planning on installing an underground plastic water line below frost level. It will involve cutting open an area in the garage slab, adjacent to the exterior foundation wall - big enough for a post hole digger. Digging a pit below the footing - assumed to be 40" deep, will take some time, but not that difficult. Cement patching will also be easy to do. A trench dug on the exterior of the wall, leading to the greenhouse, will then enable a continuous and freeze-proof plumbing connection to a riser and valve inside the greenhouse structure. A bit of work - but manual labor builds character ;-)...See MoreAir Compressor Req't for Irrigation System Winterization
Comments (6)The problem with using a small air compressor, is when the water clears the first head, most of the small amount of air you are able to push starts to exit the zone. Then you don't have enough CFM to keep pushing the water out the far heads. The compressors that the pros use is pushing 100+ CFM. At 40-80 psi normally. Large volume, lower pressure. Will a $100 compressor get water out of the pipes? Sure, just not as much. As long as most the water leaves the heads, and the mains and laterals are not completely full, you will probably be fine. If you are shopping, get something with a larger tank if you can, if you have only got the budget and room for a small one, well that is fine too. Just fill the system in bursts. Hook up a valve on your hose before the sprinkler. Release all the stored air, once you are down to 10 lbs of pressure,shut the valve. Let the system pump back up and then release the air again. Another option, is to connect an additional air tank in line with the above setup. It will give you more cubic feet of compressed air available. Something like this. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=40057 You could then use a smaller compressor, store up a bunch of air to release all at once....See MoreDo I need to water hydrangea over the winter
Comments (2)In places where the ground does not freeze, you may have to water them if winter is dry. For example, I would check the soil and turn on the sprinkler and water the plants if they have been 2 weeks or more without rain/water and the soil is dry. Since they are dormant, they need less water. But less water does not mean no water. I lost one Annabelle shrub in winter and almost lost some camellias when my drip irrigation was not working on a small section of the yard. The camellias are evergreen and I noticed the issue when their leaves started browning. The camellias 'came back' but Annabelle did not. So yes, water if you do not get any rain in a 2-week period or so and the soil feels dry to the touch. If you turn off the sprinkler, make sure you remember to turn it on at some point too. I once forgot to turn it back 'on' and noticed the camellias complaining. I now use electronic reminders to "remember". This winter, I turned the sprinkler off and have been getting measurable amts of rain so, Mother Nature has watered for me and I have not had to turn 'on' the drip or sprinkler. Yet. :o) No water or less than 1/4" in 2 weeks would start to concern me. They probably would not die in just 2 weeks of no rain/water when dormant but, that is getting close to the max amt of time I leave them un-watered, I get concerned because, without those electronic reminders, I probably would forget to ck the soil moisture & turn 'on' the sprinkler by week 3. If it gets freezing cold (32 or below), turn off the sprinkler do not water until it gets warmer. If it will get much colder like the low 20s or even less, consider draining any water left in the drip irrigation tubes if you have drip and also consider adding mulch (a) to protect the drip tubes and (b) maintain 3-4" of mulch up to the drip line of the hydrangeas. Shrubs suffer less stress when the soil has some moisture and temperatures go much below the freezing mark so, the night before a big temperature drop below 32 degrees F, I evaluate if I should water or not (if the soil is already moist, do nothing; if the soil is dry then water the shrubs)....See MoreFirst freeze -- new shrub watering needs over winter
Comments (13)dormant plants in cold ... with no real day heat ..... have little or no need for any water ..and the soil just isnt going to dry like it might in the heat of summer ... most likely.. all you could do.. is love them to death by providing that which they dont need ... keep your hand trowel handy .. and go out once a month and FIND OUT if the soil is dry down an inch or 3 ... if the soil is frozen ... walk away ... if the soil is covered by snow.. dont bother ... if for some reason known only to ma nature... all you have is blistering wind all winter with no mulch ... and no snow.. then perhaps the soil might dry a bit down a few inches ... [never forget.. the roots of your plant are down 6 to 10 inches ... dont get confused by what the surface looks like].... i dont think i read about whether you mulched ... anyway ... if somehow or another.. you actually discover you need some soil moisture out there... the easiest way to add water .. would be to throw some ice cubes around... they make light application of a little bit of water predictable .... this is all from my ground freeze z5 MI ... im sure it changes the warmer the zone ... but i just think messing with hoses or lots of water ... will be more problematic than not enough water ... bottom line.. they arent children.. dont kill them with too much love ... dig around a bit.. before you do anything .. dont love them to death ... keep in mind.. its water at the root level.. not the surface ... that might be the key ... to acting accordingly ... ken...See Moresubywu
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madtripperOriginal Author