What to do post freeze in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

Feb 12

What to Do After a Freeze: Florida Sprinkler Care

In Florida, we don't expect to talk about freezing temperatures often, but when they hit, your irrigation system is the first thing at risk. Even a short freeze in Tampa Bay can cause water to expand, cracking PVC pipes or damaging your expensive backflow preventer.

Before you turn your water back on, follow these three essential steps to ensure you don't have a flood on your hands.

Close Your Test Ports If you opened your test ports (the small valves on the side of your backflow) to drain the system before the freeze, you need to close them first. Use a flathead screwdriver to turn the slots so they are perpendicular to the port.
Set the Backflow Seal Backflow preventers require a specific sequence to seal correctly. Open your first shut-off valve slowly to let the device pressurize. You might hear a "pop" or a hiss of air—this is the internal check valve seating itself. Once the device is pressurized and not leaking, you can fully open both valves.
Watch for "Water Hammer" As the water fills the main lines, you might hear the pipes shaking or see the valves "popping." We call this water hammer. It happens as air is pushed out and pressure equalizes in the manifold. This is normal! Once the pressure stabilizes, the valves will shut completely, and you’ll be ready to run a test cycle.

Need a Professional Inspection?

If you see water spraying from your backflow or notice unusually wet spots in your yard after a freeze, you may have a cracked pipe.

Water Oak Irrigation proudly serves our full local community, including: