Winter blowout

Tom Hanks, owner, 24/7 Express Handyman Service · Updated September 2026

24/7 Express Handyman Service blows out sprinkler lines in Salt Lake, Park City and Heber. 80 psi is the most air pressure rigid PVC sprinkler pipe should see in a blowout, and 50 psi for flexible poly pipe. (Home Sprinkler Systems: Preparing Your Sprinkler System for Winter | Colorado State University Extension)

What winter blowout costs

Salt Lake City & Millcreek	from $205
Park City & Summit County	from $225
Heber Valley & Wasatch County	from $225

Winter blowout in Salt Lake City & Millcreek starts at $205: the 2-hour minimum at $95/hour ($190) plus the $15 fuel surcharge, with no dispatch fee. Time past 2 hours is billed in 30-minute steps. Larger parts are billed at cost plus 25%.

Full price sheet and estimator

Call now

(801) 999-0827 Text photos

Answered 24/7 by Tom or his dispatcher.

24/7 Express Handyman Service confirms the address, the zone rate and the dispatch fee, and takes a card, before rolling.

Quick answers

Can a backflow preventer be blown out with compressed air?

No, pressure vacuum breaker and reduced pressure backflow devices must never be blown out with compressed air, because the heat can melt their rubber seals. The compressor connects at a blowout fitting downstream of the device instead.

Are drain valves enough to winterize a sprinkler system?

Not reliably. Some systems have drain valves, but university extension guidance warns not to trust manual or automatic drain valves alone and recommends blowing the lines out with pressurized air so water does not freeze in low spots.

Why is each sprinkler zone blown out twice?

Two short cycles clear water more completely than one long cycle. Once a zone is dry it should not be blown out again, because compressed air moving through dry pipe causes friction and heat that can damage the system.

Young maple coated in icicles after a lawn sprinkler ran during a freezing night — Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0

What 24/7 Express Handyman Service does on site

Irrigation water shut off at the system shutoff and the controller set to off
Each zone blown out through the downstream blowout fitting with a pressure-regulated compressor, in two short cycles
Drip filters cleaned and drained, and broken heads or damaged lines noted for spring

How it works

Confirm the shutoff location, the pipe type and that a blowout fitting exists downstream of the backflow preventer
Set the compressor regulator below the pipe limit, then run each zone from the controller while the air pushes water out
Drain drip filters, leave the controller off and write down anything that needs spring repair
Referred out: backflow preventer testing or repair, and adding a missing blowout fitting at the drinking-water connection, go to a certified backflow tester or licensed plumber; controller wiring goes to a licensed electrician

When to stop and call

If a hard freeze is forecast and the sprinkler lines still hold water, do not wait for a slow week. 24/7 Express Handyman Service can blow out the zones before the pipes, valves and heads crack.

What happens next

The written scope and price come first; the shutoff, pipe type and blowout fitting are checked before the compressor is connected.
Photograph the damage before anything is moved and keep every receipt; 24/7 Express Handyman Service provides an itemised invoice your insurer may ask for. The dispatch fee and job cost are paid by you on the day.

Every job 24/7 Express Handyman Service takes on is under $3,000 including labor, materials and any change orders (Utah Code §58-55-305); a change that would push a job over that line is referred to a licensed contractor, not written up as a second job. plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas appliance / combustion system work is referred to a licensed trade.

Sources

Home Sprinkler Systems: Preparing Your Sprinkler System for Winter | Colorado State University Extension — retrieved 2026-09-23
Irrigation System Maintenance | USU Extension — retrieved 2026-09-23

All sources