If you live in Colorado Springs and you want your sprinkler system to survive winter, you need to shut it down fully and blow the water out with compressed air before hard freezes hit. That is really what people mean when they talk about Colorado Springs sprinkler winterization: turn off the water, drain the lines, use air to clear everything, and protect the backflow and valves so nothing cracks when temperatures drop.

I know that sounds simple on paper. In real life, there are small details, a bit of timing, and, honestly, some guessing about the weather. The process has a clear structure, but your yard, your budget, and your comfort level with tools will shape how you actually do it.

And since this post is for people who care about art and photography, I want to connect this to how your yard looks and how you document it. A sprinkler system that makes it through winter without damage keeps your spring garden ready for photos, not stuck behind repairs and muddy trenches.

Why sprinkler winterization matters so much in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is dry, sunny, and cold at the same time. That mix is rough on plastic and metal. Nights can go below freezing fast, even when the day feels mild. Water left in a sprinkler line expands when it freezes. Pipes crack. Fittings split. Heads pop or tilt.

If you skip winterization even once, you are gambling with the most expensive parts of your irrigation system, not just a few plastic heads.

Repair bills can climb fast. A cracked backflow preventer alone can cost more than a decent camera lens rental for a weekend. A broken main line can mean digging through your lawn, cutting roots, and living with a scar in your yard that shows up in every wide shot you take.

There is also the time factor. Spring is short here. The light is nice, the flowers are brief, and many people want their yards photo ready for family pictures, art projects, or even just for their own reference. If your sprinklers are down, you lose precious weeks of early watering when plants wake up.

So winterization is not just a boring chore. It is more like setting the stage so you can use your yard as a backdrop later, without surprise damage pulling your focus away from the fun parts.

How winter hits sprinkler systems here

It helps to understand what is happening inside the system when freezing weather arrives.

How water behaves in sprinkler pipes

Water expands when it freezes. The amount is small, but your pipes and fittings were not built with extra room for that expansion. If water is trapped, pressure goes up, and something gives.

Common problems when you do not winterize:

• Cracks in PVC pipes underground
• Broken fittings at elbows and tees where pressure collects
• Damaged backflow preventers, which often sit above ground and freeze first
• Stuck or shattered sprinkler heads filled with ice

Not every system fails in one dramatic event. Small hairline cracks might not even show until you turn water on in spring and see a soggy patch or a weak zone that sprays strangely.

Why Colorado Springs is tough on irrigation

Colorado Springs has a few traits that do not help:

• Fast weather swings from warm to freezing at night
• Dry air that fools people into thinking ice is not forming yet
• Occasional early cold snaps as early as September or October

Many homeowners wait for the “first snow” as a signal to shut down their system. That is too late sometimes. Freezing nights can hit weeks before a big storm shows up in your window.

A better rule is to schedule winterization once overnight lows start hitting the low 30s on a regular basis, not the first big snow.

Why this matters for people who care about visuals

Since you are probably at least somewhat interested in art or photography, the way your yard looks, especially in the shoulder seasons, might actually matter more to you than to your neighbor.

When your sprinkler system survives winter in good shape, you keep control of your outdoor “set” for:

• Spring flower portraits and macro shots
• Family sessions in the yard when trees leaf out
• Outdoor product or flat-lay shots with clean grass and paths
• Night photography with bokeh from garden lights in a maintained space

I once delayed a personal photo series for weeks because a broken zone left a muddy trench in the middle of the frame. It sounds minor, but every shot needed careful framing to hide that strip of dug-up soil. A simple fall blowout would have been easier and cheaper than all the composition gymnastics later.

There is also the creative rhythm. Winter is a good time to plan garden layouts, think about color groups, or sketch how you want your yard to photograph in the next year. It is harder to plan calmly if you are fighting surprise leaks when you turn the system back on.

Basic steps of a Colorado Springs sprinkler winterization

The whole concept is simple. Remove water. Protect sensitive parts. Confirm nothing is still live. That is it. The details matter though, and it is where people get stuck or cut corners.

1. Turn off the water supply to your sprinkler system

Most systems in Colorado Springs have a separate shutoff valve near the main water line, often in the basement, crawl space, or a valve box outside near where the backflow sits.

You want this valve fully off. Typical types are:

• Ball valve with a lever handle that turns a quarter turn
• Gate valve with a round handle that spins multiple turns

Turn it until it stops. Do not force it beyond that. Then go outside, run one sprinkler zone manually, and confirm it does not come on. If water still flows, you missed a valve or turned the wrong one.

2. Shut down the controller

Your sprinkler timer or smart controller should not try to run cycles in winter. Options include:

• Set it to “off” or “rain mode”
• Use a winter setting if it has one
• Unplug it, if that does not clear your programming

I usually like to keep the schedule in memory, so I avoid hard resets unless there is a good reason. Spring startup is faster when the bones of the schedule are still in place.

3. Open manual drain valves if your system has them

Some systems include manual drains at low points or near valves. If you see small petcock valves or caps at the bottom of pipes, these often let trapped water escape by gravity.

Steps:

• Place a small container or rag under the valves if they are inside
• Open them slowly
• Let the water drain fully
• Leave them slightly open over winter if recommended for your specific setup

Manual drains alone usually are not enough in Colorado Springs. You still want a blowout with compressed air, especially if your lines run in shallow trenches or across slopes.

Understanding the blowout process

The blowout is the heart of winterization here. This is where many homeowners decide whether to do it themselves or hire someone.

What a blowout actually does

Compressed air is pushed into the irrigation lines to force remaining water out of each zone through the sprinkler heads. When the water is gone, the heads spit air only, and you stop.

The goal is not to blast the system at maximum pressure. The goal is to gently but fully clear the lines without damaging parts.

You do not use the same pressure that a shop might use for cleaning tools. Residential systems are usually rated far lower than compressor capacity. That mismatch is what makes some DIY blowouts risky if people do not regulate the air.

Basic steps of a typical blowout

The details can change based on system layout, but the flow is often like this:

1. Connect an air compressor to the system at a point near the backflow or main manifold, usually with a quick-connect fitting or a threaded adapter.
2. Set the regulator on the compressor to a safe pressure, often around 50 to 60 psi for residential systems. Never just run it at full tank pressure.
3. Open one zone at a time from the controller or manually at the valve box.
4. Run air through until water stops coming from the heads and you mostly see air mist.
5. Shut that zone, move to the next, and repeat.
6. Do not let the compressor run nonstop for a very long time. Give it breaks so it does not overheat.

If you feel nervous reading that, that is normal. This is the point where many homeowners stop and call a company that already has the right tools dialed in.

DIY vs hiring a pro in Colorado Springs

Whether you handle winterization yourself or not is not a moral issue. It is just a balance between time, cost, and risk.

When DIY winterization can make sense

You might consider doing it on your own if you:

• Already own or can borrow a decent compressor with enough volume (CFM) to run several heads
• Are comfortable around plumbing valves and controllers
• Have a simple system with only a few zones
• Accept that something could go wrong and that you are responsible if parts fail

For some people, there is a quiet satisfaction in understanding exactly how their system works. It can also be a small annual ritual, like putting away outdoor furniture and cleaning camera lenses for winter storage.

When hiring a pro is usually smarter

A winterization service visit in Colorado Springs is not free, but compared to the cost of serious repairs, the math often favors hiring.

You probably want a pro if you:

• Have a complex system with many zones or drip lines
• Do not own a compressor and do not want to rent one each year
• Have had freeze damage before and do not want to repeat that
• Prefer a quick, predictable visit rather than spending a full afternoon learning as you go

Some companies also catch other issues during winterization, like valves leaking or heads sitting too low. Fixing small things in the shoulder seasons can keep your yard nicer when you are actually out there taking photos in spring and summer.

Protecting your backflow preventer

The backflow preventer is one of the most fragile parts of your irrigation system. It usually sits above ground, exposed to air. That makes it the first thing to freeze.

Why the backflow is so vulnerable

A backflow unit has chambers, check valves, and thin metal parts. When any water remains trapped inside and freezes, the expansion can crack the body or blow out internal pieces. It is not dramatic from the outside sometimes, but you can end up with a silent failure or a visible leak in spring.

How to protect it for winter

Protection is usually a mix of draining and insulation:

• Shut the isolation valves feeding the backflow
• Open test ports and small drain screws to let trapped water escape
• Include the backflow in the air blowout so water in those sections is cleared
• Wrap the unit in an insulated cover or use foam plus a weatherproof shell

I used to think the covers were just cosmetic. They are not. They give you a margin of safety during a surprise early cold snap, especially when daytime highs still feel warm enough that you are tricked into thinking the unit is safe.

Winterization timing for Colorado Springs

There is no exact date that works every year. Weather shifts, and forecasts are, at best, educated guesses.

General timing guidelines

Still, a few patterns do repeat:

• Start watching night lows in late September
• Plan winterization sometime from late September through October
• Try not to push past early November unless you know what you are doing and have backup options if a hard freeze shows up suddenly

You can stretch the season a little if you accept some risk. For example, if you are still using the yard as a set for outdoor portraits, you might water a bit longer. Just be honest about what a broken backflow or main line will do to your spring plans.

Weather warning signs

Pay attention when you see these in forecasts:

• Multiple nights predicted below 32°F, even if days rebound
• Cold fronts that drop temps 30 degrees or more in a day
• Extended cloudy periods where daytime warmth will not melt ice quickly

By the time you are scraping thick ice from your windshield in the morning, you really want the sprinklers already dry and asleep for the season.

How to prepare your yard visually for winter

Since this is a site for people who notice visuals, it might help to fold winterization into a broader look at how you want the yard to appear in the off season.

Clean up while you shut down

While you deal with valves and heads, you can also:

• Trim overgrown plants that block sprinkler spray patterns
• Remove dead annuals that will just rot over winter
• Rake heavy leaf piles away from heads and drip lines
• Check that no sprinkler head is tilted or buried before snow hides the problem

Then, if you are a camera person, take a slow walk with your camera or phone and document:

• Where irrigation lines run, by taking wide shots of the yard
• Any areas that stayed too wet or too dry
• Existing compositions you like, where plants and hardscape work together

I know that sounds a bit obsessive, but I have used old yard photos many times to plan plant placements, new beds, or where to place a future path for better leading lines in images.

Think of your yard as a changing set

You can treat each season as a version of the same space. Winter is the bare stage, spring is the first rehearsal, summer is the show, and fall is the quiet wrap. Irrigation is like your backstage crew. If they fail, the show cannot run smoothly.

When you winterize well, you are not just protecting tubes and valves. You are preserving continuity so next year looks like a planned sequel, not a reboot with random patches and mismatched growth.

Common winterization mistakes to avoid

Many problems come from shortcuts. Some are small. Some are expensive. A few are hard to spot until months later.

Relying only on automatic drains

Some systems have automatic drain valves at low points that open when pressure drops. They help, but they are not a full solution in Colorado Springs. Soil shifts, low points change, and water can still sit in portions of the lines.

If you treat automatic drains as a safety net instead of the main winterization method, they make more sense.

Using too much air pressure

High air pressure can:

• Damage sprinkler heads
• Stress fittings and joints
• Void warranties on some parts

Big compressors built for construction can output far more pressure than your irrigation system should see. Regulators help, but you need to set them correctly and respect the limits printed on your components, not guess.

Not cycling through zones long enough

Some people stop when they see the first burst of water leave the heads. There is usually still water sitting in the line. Give each zone enough time to clear, and watch heads carefully. If you see spurts of water come back after you thought it was clear, run that zone again briefly.

Forgetting drip zones

Drip irrigation lines are thinner, more fragile, and often hidden under mulch or rock. They still have water in them. They need air, or at least careful manual draining, too.

In photo terms, drip often feeds the plants that add focal points or texture in the frame. Losing those plants to freeze damage because lines cracked or emitters popped can flatten your visual plans for the next season.

Costs and tradeoffs: simple breakdown

Sometimes it helps to look at the rough numbers side by side. These are not quotes, just typical ranges people in Colorado Springs might see.

Option	Upfront cost	Risk level	Time investment
DIY with owned compressor	Low each year, but compressor purchase is a past cost	Medium, depends on your care	Moderate: 1 to 3 hours
DIY with rented compressor	Moderate: rental fee each year	Medium to high	Higher: pickup, setup, learning curve
Hire a pro service	Moderate: service call fee per season	Lower, if the company is competent	Low: you schedule and supervise briefly

If you shoot or create art for money, it can be helpful to compare the cost of winterization to what one small job brings in. Often, one paid shoot easily covers a professional blowout and lets you focus on your work, not valves and fittings.

Spring: checking whether your winterization worked

When you bring the system back online, you get feedback on how well winterization went. It is a bit like getting your film back from the lab after a careful shoot. You find out what really happened.

Steps when you reactivate the system

When temperatures stay safely above freezing at night, you can:

• Close any manual drains you opened in the fall
• Remove insulation covers from the backflow, but keep them nearby in case of late cold snaps
• Open the main sprinkler supply valve slowly to avoid water hammer
• Run each zone manually and watch for:
  • Leaks or bubbling soil
  • Weak spray or clogged nozzles
  • Heads that do not pop up

If you see a major leak, shut off the water and investigate or call for repairs. A small fix in March or April is much easier than a larger issue buried under summer growth.

Using the moment for visual planning

Spring startup is a perfect time to walk the yard with a camera again.

• Photograph areas that stay dry even with sprinklers on, for coverage planning
• Note where water hits walls or paths, which can create stains or slippery spots
• Look for interplay between water, light, and early blooms that might become photo ideas later

I sometimes take a slow sequence of the same angle every few weeks as plants grow. It turns into a visual time-lapse of the season, and the sprinkler system in the background, quietly doing its part, is what makes that growth stable and even.

Questions and answers about Colorado Springs sprinkler winterization

Q: Do I really need a blowout every single year?

A: In Colorado Springs, if you have an underground sprinkler system, the safe answer is yes. You might be lucky one mild winter, but freezes are routine here. Skipping a year saves a bit of time and money now, but any damage that happens can cost much more than one or two blowouts.

Q: Can I just drain the system without compressed air?

A: You can drain some water with manual or automatic drains, and it might reduce the risk, but it is rarely enough. Pipes have low points you cannot easily see. Air helps push water out of these hidden spots. Without air, you accept a higher chance of freeze damage.

Q: Is winterization different if I use my yard for creative projects?

A: The process is basically the same. The difference is more about planning. If the yard is part of your artistic work, the cost of a failure is not only money but lost time and lost backdrops. That might tilt you toward hiring a service you trust, so you can protect the visual side of your space.

Q: What if I winterize late and it already froze?

A: You can still winterize after a freeze, and you should, because more cold nights are coming. You might have damage already, but there is no benefit in leaving water in the lines for the rest of the season. In spring, check carefully for leaks and broken parts.

Q: How does this connect to my photography or art practice in a real way?

A: Think about all the times you have used your yard as a background layer in your work. Green grass, healthy plants, and clean hardscapes do not happen by accident in a dry climate. A reliable sprinkler system, protected over winter, keeps that environment ready for when you want to shoot or create, instead of forcing you to rebuild from damage each year.