Fall is a great time to take care of some common maintenance tasks as you prep for colder temperatures, like cleaning out your mini-split so it’ll run more efficiently. It’s also a great time to blow out your lawn sprinklers, though if you leave it too late (especially in colder climes) you may miss your window. The real deadline is your area’s first freeze, at least in any area where frost can reach the depth of irrigation piping. Wait too long and you may be left with water inside components when the freezing weather blows in, risking cracked or burst pipes and other damaged hardware.

While it varies throughout the country, late October may already be too late. In Minnesota, for instance, some places see the mercury dip below 32 degrees Fahrenheit as early as mid-September. Further south, in places like Indiana and Kentucky, the first frost typically strikes in October or early November, while the first hard freeze (below 28 degrees) typically strikes sometime in the first half of November.

Another good fall lawn tip is to set your mower blade a little lower, which can help avoid snow mold, among other issues. However, if a proper winterization routine for your lawn slipped your mind this year, all is not lost. You should, however, contact a winterization expert rather than attempting a blow out yourself.

If freezing weather has already struck your region, contact an irrigation professional who can clear your system with compressed air. Make sure to mention the freeze and ask for an inspection before they begin.

After an assessment, the tech will turn off the water supply to your irrigation system, then attach an air compressor at a location where it won’t pass through the backflow preventer or pump. They’ll then open a sprinkler zone, typically one far from the compressor at the highest elevation, and push air through it until all the water has been expelled, before moving on to another zone.