Mobile Misting AZ · Phoenix metro

Can a Misting System Freeze in Winter?

How freezing damages a misting system

Water expands as it freezes, and a high-pressure misting system holds water in the pump, the line, and the nozzles. If that water freezes, the expansion can crack the pump head, split the high-pressure line, or damage brass fittings and nozzles. You usually do not notice until spring, when the system leaks or will not hold pressure on the first run.

The good news is that freeze damage is almost entirely preventable. It comes down to not leaving standing water in the system through a cold snap.

Does Phoenix get cold enough to worry about?

Most Phoenix-metro winters are mild during the day, but overnight lows can dip below freezing on the coldest nights, especially in outlying areas like parts of Mesa, Gilbert, and Chandler. It does not take a long freeze to crack a line, just a few hours below 32 degrees while the system is full of water.

Because those cold nights are occasional rather than constant, many homeowners simply winterize once in late fall and are set for the season.

How to protect your system before a freeze

Winterizing a misting system is quick. The key is getting the water out and keeping the pump from sitting full in the cold. If you run the system year round, at minimum drain it before any night forecast to drop near or below freezing.

• Shut off the water supply to the system
• Open the line and run the pump briefly to push standing water out, then relieve the pressure
• Drain or blow out the high-pressure line and nozzles
• Store or cover the pump, and follow its guidance on winter oil and storage
• On a hard-freeze night, confirm no water is trapped in the line

Winterizing help across the Phoenix metro

If you would rather not deal with it, Mobile Misting AZ services and winterizes systems across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Glendale. We drain the lines, service the pump, and check fittings so the system is ready to run again when the heat returns.

Taking care of it in fall also lets us catch small issues, like a worn nozzle or a weeping fitting, before they turn into a spring repair. A properly winterized high-pressure system lasts far longer than one left full through the cold.