IRRIGATION SYSTEM WINTERIZATION

The irrigation system was winterized this week. Although very important to the survival of the system over the winter months, the process is pretty simply. The pumps are turned off and drained, all drain valves on the golf course are opened and allowed to drain for a few days, then an air compressor is plumbed into the system to force out the rest of the water. The goal is not to empty the system of every drop of water, it just isn't practical (or even possible). The hope is to get 50% or more of the water out so that when the remaining water does freeze there is plenty of room for expansion without causing any damage to the piping or heads. Below are several pics of the operation.

For those of you like me that have an affinity for stats and figures....here are a few interesting facts about your irrigation system.

• Installation began in October of 2007 and was completed in April 2008.
• The control system is made up of 29 "field" controllers on the golf course and a "central" computer in the office.  
• There are 1600 irrigation heads (1000 full circle and 600 part circle).
• There are 330 miles of wire. There are several types of wire including solid copper, braided copper, and tin coated copper all with a specific purpose including supplying high voltage power to the field controllers, as signal wire (low voltage) to each of the heads allowing for individual head control, as communication wire between the central and field controllers, and some are there to simply ground the system as a safeguard against lightning strike.
• There are 23 miles of pipe under your golf course. The pipe is high density polyethylene (HDPE) - HPDE is very high strength and far superior in most ways to the more common PVC piping. The pipe ranges in size from 12" down to 2".
• The pumping system consists of three 60hp vertical turbine pumps that can deliver 1750 gallons per minute at 120 PSI.