It never fails.........

[Mike from Canada]

Well, I hadn't winterized a system in over a week, temperature has dropped below freezing since saturday and the long term forecast is going to stay like that all week. So on saturday I decided to remove the compressor from the back of my truck, need 4 guys to do this since it weighs 600 hundred pounds. Sure enough, while watching the ball game yesterday afternoon, I get a call from a client asking me if we should blow out the lines yet? Usually when I start a client's system in the spring, they pre-pay me to winterize it then. Since I didn't start up their system, I assumed they didn't start it this year. Didn't bother to call them to see if they needed it winterized, their the type of people that never pick up the phone and never return your call anyways. So, I decided since it's not gonna get any warmer, better go do it now. Had to go pick it up from my brother's where I store it, re-install the battery which is a pain because it's under the gas tank and you gotta remove a few brackets to get to it. So by the time I got to the clients' house the sun was going down, temp had dropped, connected compressor hose to blow out hose bib and nothing! Frozen solid, tried to heat up pipe with a torch, but still no luck, will go by today at 1pm since it's sunny out.

[Stuttering Stan]

You sure are a nice guy to do all that work for 1 system. I would have waited until it warmed up or just pay a visit in the spring to repair the damage.

[Wet_Boots]

....or reason seventeen why a truckmount dinky can be a nice thing to have....

[grassman177]

had that issue once, nothing i could do, it never thawed out so it was doomed. could not blow it out

[Mike from Canada]

Well, went out yesterday after lunch, removed hose bib and connected straight to schedule 40 tee, started warming up poly with torch. Pipe eventually split from pressure/heat, figured may as well connect straight to poly. Cut poly 6 inches lower, chipped away at ice/slush. Opened all valves, started compressor and water was actually coming out of sprinklers, with not great force. Quickly diminished to a trickle, then nothing. I figured ice/slush got pushed into valves or just before them and stopped water flow. Called it a day, will have above freezing temps next week with rain, will try again then.
Client did mention that he's moving this winter to a bigger property and will require irrigation, want to make sure he's happy

[Mike from Canada]

got another call yesterday from a relative of a client of mine, asked if it was too late to winterize the system, told them I'm sitting on one and waiting for it to warm up

[1idejim]

A heat gun may be a better option than a torch Mike. I use a heat gun to warm pipe and glue during winter months.
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[Mike from Canada]

I used what I had with me at the time, had flame on low, simple fix though.

[BrandonV]

I personally feel like I winterized our systems too early we shut everything down mid October because one it was wet and 2 it was very cold but now here we are in November and it's not rained any the whole month and we're in the 60° range. Oh well c'est la vie
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[Mike from Canada]

got 2 more calls today, now 4 to do. Going up to 6 celsius on sunday, 11 celsius on monday