How To Blow Out Water Lines With Air Compressor? Descriptive Solution

When the time comes for you to turn off your automatic sprinkler system, there are few crucial tasks you will need to accomplish first. 

If you skip any of these steps before you shut down your system for an extended period, it could cause damage to the piping that connects to your watering mechanisms. 

Not only that, but if water stays inside the pipes year-round, they could freeze over the winter months. So here are we presenting to you the descriptive guide on how to blow out water lines with an air compressor

How To Blow Out Water Lines With Air Compressor?

Using compressed air to clear out your irrigation system can be an effective way of clearing out standing water at the end of each season. Once your water system turns back on in the spring, you’ll want to excise all remnants of standing water that have accumulated along the length or joints of your sprinkling system over the winter. 

Compressed air is vital in removing every last trace of moisture polluted by leaves and debris before opening up your sprinkler lines which are specially designed for running water – not stockpiling.

The following is a step by step guide that will teach you how to winterize your irrigation system at the brink of autumn before you put your sprinklers away for several months. 

Before starting, gather enough equipment such as a hose for your air compressor, an adapter for the sprinkler bib and protective goggles before getting started with lubricating the moving parts and ensuring all necessary nuts and bolts are tightened.

Switch Off Water Supply

To blow air into your plumbing system, first you will need to turn off the water supply. Make sure you drain the system naturally by allowing it to flow through normally without any commotion. Once all of the water is gone, then use an air compressor to forcibly inject high-pressure air into the plumbing. 

However, you want to make sure that compressed air does not get pushed back up into your drainage lines because this could cause damage to fixtures and appliances in your house. An air compressor is used for blowing compressed air through a pipe or tube in order to test and cleanse waterways and drainage lines and remove sediment buildup and other debris.

Draining The Water

Once you’ve turned to the shutoff valve at the sprinkler’s source, proceed over to open up the hose bib situated on the mainline of your sprinkler. This will expel pressure from the pipes as well as any remaining moisture trapped within. If this is not done, water sitting in either a frozen or a completely dried out state might accumulate in the system once you retire it for winter storage.

To eliminate the possibility of standing water and to ensure that your sprinkler system is working properly, allow the pipes in your irrigation system enough time to drain. The amount of time necessary for draining will depend on what type of irrigation system you have as well as its size and scope. The drainage process could include numerous pipes, so you’ll want to leave ample time to complete it before proceeding with the next step: the blowout process.

Air Compressor Test

Now that you have suctioned out as much water as you could using the vacuum tube, now is the time to turn on your air compressor. Set it up properly so that you are ready for the tasks at hand. 

You may find that blowing out pipes for an extensive irrigation system by zone is more manageable than attempting to do every inch of piping at once. Research instructions about how to set and charge an air compressor because if done improperly, this process could cause injury or damage your equipment.

Hose Preparation

Once you’ve taken your air compressor and set the psi, shut it off and simply close off this valve. Using a simple coupling nut is useful when connecting these types of two pipes together. It may also make sense depending on specific situations when using different types of seals too in hope they will be useful in purchase to prevent any leaks.

Confirm that your air compressor is clean on the inside. The best way to do so is by checking for blocked lines or any other obstructions before proceeding with the blow out. Remember a blocked line could rupture a gasket and ruin your product – which you obviously want to avoid especially if it’s a refrigerated cake product! 

Once you have confirmed that your lines are clear of any obstructions, drain the drip tray and clean the filter to prevent dust or mist from transferring through the compressed air system.​

Connect The Hose

To attach the yellow air hose to the yellow bib on the mainline of the sprinkler system, first you’ll need a quality air compressor for completing this step. It contains a pressure gauge as well as other features, such as a shut-off button, air filter and auto-start safety switch as well as an air regulator. In some cases you might need to attach an adapter to the bib to do this job properly since it isn’t designed with an air hose or compressor in mind after all! 

Connect the hose to the fitting of the compressor carefully. The pipe fitting must be snug enough so that no air leaks occur, which would cause the air pressure to drop significantly and compromise performance. You will need to ensure that there are no leaks around where you attach the hoses for this purpose, as it becomes more difficult to fully clean out dirty valves through blow out with air escaping instead of blowing back up through the irrigation lines.

 Activating The Compressor

When you set up a sprinkler for the first time, you need to check that the air compressor is correctly attached to the ground or water source with a hose as well as positioned in a manner so as to ensure that the farthest sprinkler gets compressed first. 

It’s important to have a certain level of distance between your compressor and the nearest pre-compressed sprinklers so as not to injure yourself or blow out your equipment. The best way is with a timer on your air compressor so that it fires from farthest-to-nearest.

Observe The Process

Keep a close eye on the blowout while also paying attention to the pressure readings on your compressor. You should make sure that the pressure stays below the maximum comfortable level for you and the machine, as any air pressure above this limit could damage it.

Disengage The Tools

With the blow out completed across the entirety of your irrigation system, it is now time to disconnect the hose from the bib and unplug your air compressor. During this step, make sure you unplug your compressor when any standing water inside the hose is released completely. Now you’re free to return your unit to its normal storage space. Unroll the hose and return it to where you store your other lawn equipment’s attachments conveniently stored near the garage or tool shed for example!

Conclusion

At this point in time you are almost finished with the job. Be sure to check the instruction manual that came with your equipment. If there are any steps about how to use hose attachments, make sure to do them as stated in the manual before calling it a day. I hope you’re feeling accomplished for helping take care of one of your very own sprinkler systems!