Just learned something kinda interesting today—apparently, even if you drain your sprinkler system, there's still enough water left in the pipes to cause some serious damage when it freezes. I always thought just shutting off the water and draining it was enough, but nope. Turns out, you actually need to blow compressed air through the lines to get all the water out. My neighbor was telling me he skipped this step last year and ended up with cracked pipes underground. Cost him a pretty penny to fix it all up in spring.
I mean, I knew freezing water expands and all that, but I didn't realize how little water it takes to bust a pipe. Makes sense though, considering how much pressure ice can create. Anyway, thought I'd share since winter's creeping up fast and I bet I'm not the only one who didn't know this.
Anybody else got some sprinkler horror stories or tips to avoid a frozen disaster?
