Before the freeze: a North Texas sprinkler checklist

01

Start with your system, before the forecast turns

For homeowners around Glen Rose, Granbury, and Cleburne, the useful question is where water can remain when cold weather arrives. An exposed pipe and a buried line face different conditions. The duration of the cold, equipment location, and system design all matter; a calendar date alone cannot tell you what is protected.

Walk the property while access is easy. Locate the irrigation isolation valve, photograph the controller model, and identify any above-ground backflow assembly, pump, filter, or pipe. Keep the equipment manuals together. If you cannot confidently identify a valve or component, make that the first question for your irrigator.

02

What a freeze can leave behind

Water expands as it freezes. Inside a confined component, that expansion can split a pipe or damage a valve, fitting, sprinkler body, or backflow assembly. A line does not have to be running for trapped water to become a problem.

A freeze-related fault may become noticeable only when the system is pressurized again. Water surfacing near a head, an unusually wet valve box, or weaker coverage across a zone deserves investigation. Those symptoms can have other causes, so describe what changed rather than assuming every spring problem came from winter.

03

Give each part of the system a plan

Texas A&M’s School of Irrigation recommends stopping automatic operation, isolating the irrigation water supply, insulating exposed PVC, and draining above-ground equipment for light to mild freezes across much of Texas. Severe or prolonged cold calls for a plan suited to the actual installation.

• Controller: use the manufacturer’s off or seasonal setting. Save a photo of the schedule so it can be reviewed when watering resumes.
• Water supply: identify the dedicated irrigation shutoff before you need it. A controller setting does not physically isolate the supply.
• Exposed equipment: arrange the correct protection and drainage for the installed backflow assembly and above-ground piping. Follow its manufacturer’s instructions.
• Pumps and filters: use the specific equipment manuals. A lake or rural pumping system may need attention beyond the lawn zones.

Reference: Texas A&M winterization guidance

04

A blowout is a system decision

An online winterization checklist may assume your system has a compressed-air connection. Texas A&M notes that most Texas landscape irrigation systems are not designed for a blowout. Ask what your installation needs before adopting a procedure intended for another region.

Drainage also depends on the layout. Rain Bird explains that manual drains belong at low points and that different components need their own winterization steps. Opening one drain does not establish that every valve, branch, or device is empty.

Where a blowout is appropriate, Hunter recommends a qualified contractor. Excess pressure and compressed air can damage equipment or cause injury; air should not be forced through a backflow device or pump. Have the contractor confirm the connection, component limits, and equipment instructions.

Reference: Hunter’s winterization technical guide

05

If the cold arrived first, start with observations

A missed preparation day is a reason to assess the system. Record what was left exposed, whether watering ran during the cold, and where you see water escaping. Keep automatic watering off while the condition of suspect equipment is unresolved.

If a leak is active, close the dedicated irrigation supply only if you can identify and operate it safely. Avoid forcing frozen valves or trying to diagnose damage by repeatedly running the system. Share photographs and the timing of the problem when requesting help.

06

Make the restart a check, too

When conditions allow watering again, follow the system’s startup instructions. Check each zone while someone can observe it, then look for water that continues after the cycle ends. Record uneven spray, a newly wet area, or a pressure change so the next conversation starts with useful details.

At All Green Irrigation & Drainage, our advice is to make the preparation specific: know the equipment, document the concern, and ask for an explanation of the recommended work. If something looks wrong after a freeze, we can discuss irrigation troubleshooting, repairs, or leak detection for your property.

What to note before requesting sprinkler repair