Mobile Misting AZ · Phoenix metro

How to Winterize a Misting System in AZ

Why winterize in a mild climate

Phoenix winters are mild, but overnight lows do dip near or below freezing a handful of times each year, especially in outlying and higher-elevation areas. Water left sitting in a high-pressure line or nozzle can freeze, expand, and crack a fitting, so clearing it out is cheap insurance.

Winterizing is also a natural time to clean. Sitting water over months of non-use can leave mineral deposits or encourage buildup in the nozzles, so an end-of-season flush sets you up for a clean start next summer.

Draining the lines

Start by turning off the water supply at the hose bib. With the supply off, run the pump for a few seconds to push remaining water out through the nozzles, then stop it and let the system relieve pressure. The goal is a line with no standing water sitting in it through cold nights.

Open any drain or end fitting to let the last of the water out. On a covered patio that never approaches freezing you can be less aggressive, but draining is quick and worth doing regardless.

• Shut off the hose-bib water supply
• Briefly run the pump to purge the lines, then stop it
• Relieve pressure and open the end or drain fitting

Protecting the pump

The high-pressure pump is the most valuable part of the system, so give it the most attention. Make sure no water is trapped inside, and if your pump is oil-lubricated, the off-season is a sensible time to check or change the oil so it is ready to run next year.

If the pump is in an exposed spot and your area gets real freezes, move it to a garage or shed for the winter, or at least cover and insulate it. Mobile Misting AZ offers local pump service in the Phoenix metro if you would rather have it checked over by someone.

Clearing nozzles and the filter

Remove the inline filter cartridge if your system has one, rinse or replace it, and leave the housing clear rather than holding old water all winter. Stainless anti-drip nozzles hold up well, but a soak in white vinegar dissolves any mineral scale from Arizona's hard water so they spray a fine, even fog again in spring.

Reinstall clean nozzles or leave them soaking and stored, and cap open fittings so bugs and debris cannot get into the line over the off-season.

Getting ready for next summer

Come spring, reconnect the water, reinstall the filter and nozzles, and pressurize the system while checking each fitting for leaks and each nozzle for a clean fog. A system that was drained and cleaned properly usually comes right back to life.

If anything is clogged, leaking, or low on pressure after the winter, Mobile Misting AZ services and repairs patio systems across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Glendale. A little care at shutdown keeps that fine 1000 PSI fog performing when the heat returns.