How to Winterize Your Sprinkler System in Helena, MT

Helena's first hard freeze can show up as early as late September. By the time October gets going, overnight lows are routinely below 32 degrees. If your irrigation system still has water sitting in the lines when that happens, you're looking at cracked pipes, a burst valve, or a damaged backflow preventer come spring. Winterizing your sprinkler system, often called a "sprinkler blowout," is the best way to keep that from happening.

Here's what that actually involves, and why the timing matters more in Helena than it does in most places.