If you forget to call an irrigation contractor before temperatures drop, consider protecting your exposed pipes with blankets or home insulation. Be careful though: this is not a long term solution, though it can get you through a new nights of harsh freezing.

It's also worth mentioning that shallow, but not exposed pipes may not be frozen during the first freeze or two of a season. It can take several nights of freezing temperatures for the freeze to reach below the top layer of soil.

For many sprinkler timers, yes. You can leave it plugged in (or leave the battery in) and leave it exactly where it is—just be sure to turn the timer to the "off" position.

Smart sprinkler timers, such as the Rachio controller, do not need any manual intervention.

Blowing out your sprinkler system is one of those things that many homeowners feel like they can skip or just do it themselves.

After all, a little water left in the sprinkler system won't hurt it, right?

While many people in Colorado try to blow out their own systems, store-bought air compressors don't always have the necessary strength for the job. It's also important to know what kind of sprinkler system you have before attempting a winter blow out. Less common poly pipe systems can only tolerate 50 PSI before cracking, while PVC sprinkler systems should generally be blown out at 80 PSI. Compare this with the 30-50 PSI that is typically found inside a system during normal operation.

Our technicians typically use trailer and truck-mounted compression systems that can deliver pressures well in excess of 80 PSI when necessary.

Complete blowout, valve protection, and controller shutdown to prevent winter damage.