Does anyone out there do this?

[Nick's Neat Landscaping]

Well i know most/if not all do landscaping..... I was thinking does anyone know how much those irrigation people charge to blow out sprinklers this time of year?
Seems like a great idea to start doing that this time of year! because you have to blow out your sprinkler system or the water will freeze in the lines then you'll be screwed. All you need is one of these Big Compressors and some Diesel.
Any pros or cons about doing this??
good idea??

http://www.landryrental.com/images/185compressor.jpg

[RJR7110]

I never thought of that. If you already own the compressor, i would say go for it because there is nothing to lose.

[White Gardens]

If you post this in the irrigation section you'll probably get some good responses.

[Jason Rose]

If you post this in the irrigation section you'll probably get some good responses.

Yeah, they would tell you not-so-nicely how you are a hack, don't know what you are doing, will destroy everything, how complex irrigation systems are and that no one else in the world can work on them but the big irrigation guys.

In reality, yes blowouts are good money, but you DO need to know what you are doing, and you do need more tools than just the compressor. You do need a knowledge of valves and controlers to do it. A compressor like the one pictured can blow out several zones at once easily. You are als liable for that system after you are done. If you miss something and there is a break, guess who takes the blame.

[White Gardens]

Yeah, they would tell you not-so-nicely how you are a hack, don't know what you are doing, will destroy everything, how complex irrigation systems are and that no one else in the world can work on them but the big irrigation guys.

In reality, yes blowouts are good money, but you DO need to know what you are doing, and you do need more tools than just the compressor. You do need a knowledge of valves and controlers to do it. A compressor like the one pictured can blow out several zones at once easily. You are als liable for that system after you are done. If you miss something and there is a break, guess who takes the blame.

Ya I would say there is a lot more risk involved also, it looks easy, but maybe it isn't. I'm curious to how much a compressor runs too. That and if you have a break-down during blow-out time, then what, do you go rent one? Might want to go that route first before purchasing one.

[Jason Rose]

I think a lot of the big guys find rental units that are being sold. I believe the compressors are NOT cheap new, but you can find good deals on used ones. You are only going to be using it a few weeks of the year, and renting is probably the best choice. However, renting dosn't give you a lot of scheduel flexability.

[Runner]

Trust me on this one...leave this to the guys that DO irrigation. There is much more to it than just "blowing out the lines". People want want someone of total knowledge working with their system, not just some lawn guy coming in to do the last step, because he decided that part was "simple work" for easy oney. And they usually want the same entity coming back in and turning everthing back on and doing the setting and inspection.

[Nick's Neat Landscaping]

yeah you guys are right....yeah i don'r want to mess something up so i'll leave it to the certified irrigation people!

[grassman177]

i do winterizations, but only cuz i am a full service irriagation provider too. you need to be trained how to operate, repair and properly winterize multple types of irrigation systems. itis good money an d not hard if you take some classes etc. i do not advise trying to do somethnig you are not familiar with or you could look the fool!

[Jason Rose]

With all that said, I actually do about 6 blowouts for mowing customers each fall. They are sized, per zone, about right that I can use my garage compressor (25 gallon 12 cfm i think?) to blow the lines clear. A couple others are self draining, but are hooked to city water so the meter has to be shut off and the backflow device blown out (what's above ground). I just do that with my air bubble. The ones i do with my compressor, yeah it's a little slow, but not bad. I can do them in 20 to 30 minutes usually, 5 to 7 zones.

Around here, very few systems installed were designed to be blown out. Most installers used auto-drains, and there's no air hook-up. All you need to do is shut off the main valve, if there even is one.

[DLAWNS]

Trust me on this one...leave this to the guys that DO irrigation. There is much more to it than just "blowing out the lines". People want want someone of total knowledge working with their system, not just some lawn guy coming in to do the last step, because he decided that part was "simple work" for easy oney. And they usually want the same entity coming back in and turning everthing back on and doing the setting and inspection.

This is what I was going to say. Most people in my area sign a yearly agreement with one company to start up the system, yearly maintenance on the system, and the blowout.

[EcoGreen Services]

Landscape Ontario has a good program to become a Certified Irrigation Technician http://www.horttrades.com/attach/2003-12-16.15.46.18.CIT_Brochure_Reprint2.pdf

I'm sure someone offers a similar program in your area.

I put 3 of my guys through it and you learn a lot more than blowing out systems. We've seen too many systems that have had freeze damage from being worked on by people not familiar with these systems. Trust me, you'll hear about it when the puddles start appearing on their lawns in the spring. The screaming will be even louder when they get the repair estimate to fix the system and repair the turf damage. Many large estate homes in my area have 10+ zone systems with very long runs and expensive control systems.. It's easy to make a mistake.

Look into becoming a Certified Irrigation Tech, It's also a great marketing tool.

But to answer your question, we charge a annual fee (plus Parts) based on the size and number of zones.