I have rebuilt several in our neighborhood several years ago after a hard freeze cracked them. Simple job and parts readily available. One valve housing was cracked and the whole unit was replaced. The rest of them just had damaged internals. Now, I drain the valves when a freeze is forecast.

Got down to 24 degree two nights in row last year and had no freezing problems. The day time temps warm up to at least high 30s on those days. Normally winter low temps may dip into high twenties couple time in January or feb. in 8 plus years I’m been here. As precaution usually disconnect outside hose and put towel over the irrigation pipes sticking up by house.

Also there are two relief valves on valve. You could close the inlet valve and open these valves to relieve any chance If ice swelling, I solve few do that down here? Further north I would that would be must thing to do to prevent housing from splitting?

Back flow device
 

In areas where portable water is used for irrigation, it is common to see what is called a backflow device. It prevents irrigation water from mixing with portable water in the house. It would not be necessary in areas where your irrigation water is separately piped to your house by the developer . ] so I think this post applies to areas north of 466.

No, you can't put it down with the manifolds. It must be higher than any sprinkler head in the yard.

Ok, why is it Villages rip off #1?

You know, you have choices; you can move back to where you came from (and you probably bad mouthed that place all the time also) or you can stay here. Don’t blame everything on The Villages; I sometimes have to repair an an irrigation issue - I do it myself; maybe you need to learn how to repair things instead of complain.

Well that surprise you can do it yourself.

So done with your rant, take pill, comprehension might Be helping hand, but I doubt it. It’s not the villages it’s the contractor’s. IMO it was rip off, and yes I can have opinion.

He was taking about threaded connection so you don’t have cut pipes not the valve.

Yes, $700 is mind boggling figure. Lived in many communities, this is absolutely THE most "dangerous", cut throat, environment we've ever lived in. Not limited to, but have noticed in our neighborhood females are especially targeted. Just had two neighbor have ice makers replaced for very similar GE refrigerators. Had different repair "services", our recently widowed neighbor paid... wait for it.... $230 MORE than the other neighbor for the same repair/replacement. Another was told $16 THOUSAND dollars for the same capacity/SEER AC/gas furnace for same model home, as the another paid $6,480 for. It's like an "open season" and it's very sad that while the usual thinking is, "buyer beware", a community should have some kind of ethically based trades people and businesses. The Villages seems especially over run with "anything goes" for even very simple services which are made to sound dangerous, or very complicated.

This is so typical of WAY too many "kind" peoples' response on here to anything ! It's always "get out", "move" for some variation of this. I wonder what makes people so tone deaf to others ? It's almost like some politicians are, just not in the same world. " Just move" is not an easy thing for so many people. For a few, of course it's a snap, but at the age of Villagers, and having to manage that fixed income to cover costs that rise daily, "just moving" is COSTLY and according to many medical studies, is one of the most stressful events a person can go through. The "dismissive" phrase, "just move", often comes from those who have very little ability to relate to others on any meaningful level... I've met many of them through out life, you probably have to, "just buy a new car, just move to a new house, just take a vacation... like I DO they think. In my thoughts, when I meet one like that, I have a name in my head I don't say out loud. I think of them as "surface people", they live on the surface of life, never consider others are not in the same position as they are. This once was a place one could rely on where neighbors looked out for each other and reported the exact type of thing like the $700 excessive charge of the original post.

Where is the vacuum breaker located????

Why not just get a second estimate if you are not comfortable replacing it yourself ?

If that was his intent, I stand corrected. Thanks

You may or may not have one depending on where you live. If you can see the pictures it shows irrigation shut off close to you house wall somewhere. If you are on pond water for irrigation you don’t have one and you irrigation shut off may in ground usually under the green cover on the rectangular box usually in front yard or side. Where ever water supply comes in.

Warning
 

Just a quick warning to all those who have these valves. Lizards will get inside and get trapped and die. They can jam and damage them. It happened to me. Wrap the valve in light screening to save yourself some future problems.

I recently had one installed and it was $300. Testing was an additional $25. My water is a single source for both potable and irrigation.

Portion of a letter from my water company. "Florida Dept of Environmental Protection (FDEP) administrative code, subsection 62-555-630. Backflow assemblies shall be installed and certified by code. The assembly shall be installed by a licensed contractor certified in the State of Florida to install and test backflow assemblies."

I think repairs have to be done by a licensed contractor as well.