Is blowout important?

[kevinheap]

I have not been blowing out my system but I did have a valve go bad for some reason a couple years ago. How important are blowouts in Colorado? Obviously you are shutdown for the winter after the blowout but there are alot of dry spells in the winter I would like to be able to water.

Hope you guys don't mind a post from an amateur. I am a window cleaner by trade and also work at the local grocery store.

Also: Is five hours to find and replace a bad valve way out of line. I hate to complain because I work with the public too and I don't want to be a pain. Here is the case:

I had tried to fix the valves by swapping top myself but could not find the problem, I had one station always on. They saw a valve with a little leak so they tried to fix that and it was not the problem so they dug it out and replace one or two valves, one had a crack in the base. Is 5 hrs at $65 per hour way out of line for two guys for this job. The guy was a little new at the work and they did not have a screw gun to speed things up or any spare screws or diaphrams. I will probably not complain but this does seem a little high doesnt it. They did have to dig down a good foot to get to the valves.

[FIMCO-MEISTER]

Can't speak for blowout but if they knew what they were doing 65 for two guys seems really good. It would cost twice that with me and one guy. Of course I like to think my years of experience make it worth every penny.

[londonrain]

I can dig and replace a valve in less than 1 hr.....if valves are side by side, both can be done in 1 hr.... I charge $100 per 1" valve installed...

[Flow Control]

Originally Posted by londonrain

I charge $100 per 1" valve installed...

We are about 75% mas barring anything out of the norm. But then again we only replace maybe 25-30 valves a year where London may replace a couple a week.

[jeffinsgf]

Doesn't that $300 plus repair bill answer the question you originally posed? How do you think the valve got cracked? I am pretty sure that the frost line pretty much anywhere in CO is 18 - 24" or deeper. A valve buried 12" deep doesn't stand a chance of surviving one of your winters without seeing freezing temperatures, and if it has water in it, its history.

[DanaMac]

5 hours to change out a valve? Yeah you got screwed. Sorry but that guy does not know what he's doing.

Yes blow outs are important in Colorado. If not, I wouldn't have a 2-4 week waiting list from April 1st to July 1st to fix freeze damage. Yes, get it blown out. You'll find a range of $25 to about $75. Don't go with the low guys, they are typically weekend warriors that won't be around in the spring to fix what they screwed up.

[Ground Master]

Gotta agree 5 hours to change a valve is way too much time.

Were the 2 guys at your house for 2.5 hours each for a total of 5 manhours?

-or-

Were the 2 guys at your house for 5 hours each for a total of 10 manhours?

Either way its not a 2 man job.


You may also have auto drains installed on your system- explaining why you may have not had line and/or head breaks in the past. These drains will go bad eventually. Your better off blowing out the system and using a hose to water in the winter. Personally, I have never watered my lawn in the winter

[kevinheap]

Thanks for all the help folks. I really appreciate your input and will have the blowout done just to be safe.

[Kiril]

Originally Posted by Ground Master

Either way its not a 2 man job.

If it were CalTrans, it would be a 5 man job.

[kevinheap]

It was a total of 10 man hours but I expect to get billed for 5 hrs at 65 per hour to total 325 dollars for labor alone, valves should be two @ 25 and 1 solenoid at the going rate for solenoids.

Shouldnt a decent irrigation co at least be using screw guns on the irritrol valves with 8 screws and have some extra screws around. True they started with one leaking valve with a dished out screw they needed vise grips for but it seems they were unprepared and the one guy did say he was new to this.