CALDWELL, Idaho — As temperatures continue to drop, landscapers are busy preparing sprinkler systems for winter in Canyon County. Homeowners in Caldwell need to blow out their lines to prevent costly damage from freezing. Many choose to hire professionals to avoid issues in the spring, as repairs can be expensive and disruptive. Acting early is key to keeping systems safe from the cold.
- As irrigation season comes to an end it's time to prepare sprinklers for winter.
- Without preparations, your pipes may break with freezing temperatures.
- Hiring professionals may prevent a spring surprise.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
The seasons are changing and it's time to prepare for the inevitable.
"Even though it's been unseasonably warm this fall the freeze is going to come," said Osban Landscaping and Construction owner, Matt Osban.
Matt Osban and his father have worked in landscaping and construction for 7 years and in early October they stay busy blowing out sprinkler lines across Canyon County.
He says he's seen homeowners wait too long and pay the price.
"You can have broken pipes and broken sprinkler heads but if your backflow assembly freezes that can be an expensive repair," Osban added.
Repairs could cost thousands of dollars.
And with a long list of clients, he says it's better to act earlier than later.
"We like to start early because we have so many customers and if we don't get to it early chances are the cold temperatures will come before we can get to our list," said Osban.
Some homeowners choose to tackle the project themselves but the City of Caldwell tells me they've seen many cases where homeowners start the spring with an unexpected wake-up call.
"You're gonna need your own air compressor and you gonna need to make sure that the valves between the city or the HOA are shut all the way before you get started in the spring. If you wake up to geysers at your sprinkler head, or your yard is flooded from broken lines you know you had some water in your line," said Deputy Director of Public Works Ashley Newbry.
That's why many opt to hire the professionals.
"The same thing goes for us if there is still water in there by the time it's freezing outside it will burst the pipe and it can cause a lot of damage," said Newbry.