Winterization · South Bend & Michiana

Getting Ready for Your Sprinkler Blowout: A South Bend Homeowner's Checklist

Every fall, the same few things slow down a sprinkler blowout: a locked gate, a buried valve box, or a controller nobody can find. None of them are hard to fix, but each can turn a quick visit into a return trip — and in late October, nobody has time for a return trip. Here is what to do before your technician arrives, and what to leave alone afterward.

1. Book by mid-October

South Bend usually sees its first hard freeze in mid to late October. Water left in the lines expands as it freezes, and that is what cracks PVC pipe, splits valves and ruins backflow preventers. Early October gives you a safe margin. Wait until a freeze shows up in the forecast and you will be calling at the same moment as everyone else in Michiana.

If you have not booked yet, request a quote or call 574-397-7177.

2. Count your zones

Your controller — the timer, usually in the garage or basement — shows how many zones your system has, typically as numbered stations. Knowing the number helps you get an accurate price, because winterization is priced by system size. Not sure? A photo of the controller works just as well.

3. Make the key parts easy to reach

A technician needs three things:

• The irrigation shutoff valve, usually in the basement or crawl space where the sprinkler line leaves the main water line.
• The backflow preventer, the brass assembly above ground near the house, often tucked behind shrubs.
• The controller.

Trim back plants around the backflow preventer and clear anything stacked in front of the shutoff. If the shutoff or controller is inside, make sure someone can let the technician in, or ask ahead of time about access.

4. Unlock gates and plan for pets

Unlock side gates and keep dogs inside during the visit. The compressor is loud, and air and water come out of every head in bursts, which startles most pets.

5. Tell us what you noticed this summer

A zone that stopped working, a spot that stayed soggy, a head spraying the driveway: mention it when you book. Most of these cannot be fixed once the system is empty, but we can note them so they are handled at your spring start-up instead of discovered all over again in May.

6. Mark the heads along driveways and sidewalks

Snowplows and shovels break more sprinkler heads in Michiana than almost anything else. Put a small marker flag or reflective stake next to the heads closest to the driveway, curb and sidewalk. It takes ten minutes and saves several repair calls in spring.

7. Call the utility if you are on South Bend's sprinkler service

This step catches people out. South Bend residents call 311 or 574-235-9236 (option 4) to start or end sprinkler service. The utility only reads the meter — it does not physically turn irrigation water on or off, which is why you still need an irrigation company for the blowout. The call to the city and the blowout are two separate steps, and you need both. If your water comes from a different utility, check with them.

After the blowout: what to leave alone

• Leave the controller off. Keep it on “off” or “rain” for the season. With a smart controller, confirm the app's schedule is paused too, so it does not try to run all winter.
• Do not reopen the irrigation shutoff valve. It stays closed until spring. Opening it refills the lines and you are back where you started.
• Leave the backflow valves as they are. They are left part-open on purpose, so any remaining water has room to expand. An insulated backflow cover adds protection, but it does not replace a blowout.
• Do not turn the system on for a warm spell. Northern Indiana often gets a mild week in November. It is tempting, but the lines would need clearing again.

Why not just drain it?

Draining leaves water sitting in every low spot along the line, and that trapped water is exactly what cracks pipe. Compressed air — at the right volume, and within the safe pressure limits for your pipe — is the only way to clear every zone. We explain the full process on our sprinkler winterization page.