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The above-average temperatures might have made it where this time of the year was in the back of our minds. However, colder temperatures have arrived in some parts of Kansas. Commonly, next year’s irrigation startup problems are due to winter damage that could have been prevented. Time spent now will prevent damage and lead to a better start for next year’s irrigation season. Inspecting the system now allows you to make improvements and repairs in the less costly off-season and get irrigation problems out of the way for spring planting season when everyone is busy.
Park pivots and linear moves in a safe location
- Wire theft is less likely when the machine is in a visible but inaccessible area of the field.
- Wind damage is less likely when the pivot points into or away from the prevailing wind compared to perpendicular to the wind direction.
- Rodent damage is lessened when machines are at least 100 feet away from tree lines.
- Protect or surround the entire machine with electric fence if grazing will occur in the field.
Drain pivots and linear moves
- Check for plugged automatic freeze drains. This can lead to major repairs if not caught in a fall inspection.
- Most currently designed pivots have automatic freeze drains that drain the main overhead pipe.
- Clean and drain rock traps.
- Ensure all Pivot supply lines, end gun supply and hydro control hoses are drained even if they are installed to allow drainage. Sagging hoses can hold water and lead to damage.
- Remember to cap all large openings into the system to prevent bird nesting.
- If the linear move has a large hose, placing buckets on the ends to ensure animals don’t nest in the pipe during the off season is key.
Pump down or drain underground pipelines
- Most underground pipelines are buried deep enough to prevent freeze damage but often require pumping or draining enough water from them to empty the upper portion of Z-pipe risers and pump manifolds. This is typically done by purging the system with air or modifying a fertilizer transfer pump to pump system at its lowest outlet or inlet points.
- Remember to cap all pipe inlets and outlets to prevent rodents from entering.
Drain the pumping station
- Drain pumps and manifold to the lowest point.
- Replace brass drain plugs if damaged.
- Well-designed pump installations will be easy to drain without stripping drain plug threads or the need for air purging.
- Inspect gauges, supply and control wire for need of repair.
- Service engine with attention to engine oil, bearing and seal lubrication.
- Check cooling system for adequate anti-freeze level and concentration.
- Drain fuel tank to reduce water accumulation in fuel tank and potential theft.
Inspect and lock down electrical power supplies
- Locking down electrical power supplies helps prevent vandals from turning wells and pivots on midwinter and minimize potential electrical system damage.
- Inspect each electrical box in the system from the power supply to the last pivot or disconnect on the system line for damage and holes that may be accessed by rodents.
- Inspect the grounding connection and grounding rod and test resistance.
Create a winter work list for each system
- List the improvements and repairs needed for each system while its fresh in your memory.
- As you are inspecting and winterizing your system, add any other areas needing attention to the list of repairs needed such as the U-joint between the gearbox and gear motor, tires, sprinkler packages (nozzles, pads, regulator), etc.
- Assign the repair to someone, whether it is your people or the local irrigation dealer repair crew.
Inspect tires and wheel track
- Check for correct air pressure in each pivot tire.
- Consider filling or tilling any rutted pivot wheel tracks, which will allow your center pivot irrigation system to run properly and reduce stress on tillage and harvest.
- If your wheel tracks are too deep, consider the variety of options available for this problem.
Explore options for reducing monthly energy bills
- Consider contacting your power supply company to investigate turning off the power system to save energy costs.
Tina Sullivan, Northeast Area Agronomist
tsullivan@ksu.edu
Jonathan Aguilar, Water Resources Engineer
jaguilar@ksu.edu
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irrigation equipment winterization