Although geography ultimately dictates when to winterize an irrigation pump station, for most of the country winterization season has arrived.

Correctly winterizing a pump station is crucial — if a step is missed, the station can sustain freeze damage, costing valuable time and money. Replacement parts can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of the damage.

The following winterization checklist will walk you through the process of winterizing a pump station step by step, helping you to protect your investment and giving you assurance that come springtime, your irrigation system will be ready to go.

STEP 1

Turn the Hand-Off-Automatic switch to the OFF position.

STEP 2

Close the discharge valve and blow out the system downstream from the pump.

STEP 3

Remove all drain plugs from piping and pump. Do not reinstall plugs; keep them in a safe place to install when starting the system again. Drain all water from filters and tanks.

STEP 4

Drain the suction or turn off water from incoming pressure.

STEP 5

Disconnect ALL monitoring devices, such as transducers, temperature sensors or pressure sensors. At a minimum, all water should be removed and, if possible, store monitoring devices where they will not be at risk of freezing.

STEP 6

Make sure all bolts on check and butterfly valves are loosened to let water drain. Do not tighten until starting system again.

Did you know most manufacturers can include heaters and insulation with their pump stations? This can help with winterization and cold snaps that can be damaging to pump stations during operation.

If you have questions about the winterization process, call the experts at the Ewing Pump Hotline at 1-844-PUMP-PRO or email them at info@ewingpumppro.com.