Finding sprinkler system lines?

[TheRic]

If you have several problems you might want to pay someone to come out and look things over and fix them. While they are out, pump them for info (your mileage may vary). You end up with a system that has been tested, and up to spec. Should be good for a while, and you get info to go by. Yea it might cost some $$$ but atleast you will sleep better, what is that worth?

Slick: I can see you finding each and every one!!

[SteveR]

That sounds like a bad solenoid, and there could be a number of things wrong with it. Sounds like it doesn't have the oomph to shut off against the water pressure, but if you take away the water pressure (close the main), it reseats and stays closed, right? That could be a bad spring, or more likely a gummy plunger piston. If I were you, I'd probably just swap it out, rather than try to diagnose the problem on a ~$10 part.

Thanks! Yes, when I shut off the main to the sprinlker system, it will shut off that zone, as soon as that is done, if I open the main again it stays off. So I assume this is a good thing. Agree on the swap out, hopefully it will be easy. In another house I had, the original installer did not leave enough room to unscrew/remove the solenoid between ea. and I had to take out the whole thing and redo the manifold assembly (think manifold is correct terminology)

And thanks to Just4 in regard to the possible non-colored issues..and how to find solenoid, probably what I will have to do.

Has been a great thread for learning for me. When I think I have a handle on this stuff....something new pops up and I am headscratching again.

Have put together a tall rool around toolbox of just sprinkler tools, fittings, access., and STILL need to hit HD to get more things more often than not. Also have 2 small 2 way radios in there, have wife at timer deal turning on/off different zones, while I am out fixing/inspecting..beats running back and forth when you discover "old faithful" in your yard! arghhhhh Have developed a love/hat relationship with this all.....love it when it works....but after a rough winter and then going around and shutting on and shutting off and fixing...gets to be a pain. Beats the hose tho!

Here's a little tip I learned a few years back from a neighbor when needing to work/replace heads or risers. Make yourself room to work...I use a narrow blade shovel and dig about 6" around head and dig all way down to where it connect to main line. At this point there is prolly water/mud around and you can not see anything. BEFORE you do final hookup with new parts...place a smaller coffee can with both ends cut off..position it centered over riser. Turn on zone to clear debris/mud that has prolly been dropped in hole...let this run a little bit, and then the water in the coffee can will be crystal clear and water around coffee can will still be mucky, do your final hookups now that you can see and remove coffee can and refill area.

Thanks all!
Steve

[just4funsies]

OK, now for a few things about electric valves. This may be WAY more than you want to know, so proceed at your own risk.

Most sprinkler valves have 24-VAC solenoids to activate them. What this solenoid does is to internally drain off the trapped pressure in the chamber above the rubber diaphragm inside the valve. Electric valves for irrigation are normally closed, which means that normal operation involves upstream pressure forcing the diaphram closed, due to the fact that there is larger area above the diaphragm (the input side) than below (the output side). The ports providing this "control" flow past the solenoid are, by design, very small. Dirty water may clog the ports, and cause the valve to stick fully or partially open or closed (if ports to or from the solenoid are clogged), or open (if ports feeding the bonnet area [that's the area ABOVE the diaphragm]) are plugged.

Valves with little or no water pressure against them may "weep", even without power, because it takes pressure to hold the valve fully closed. Cracks in the valve body, loose assembly screws, loose bleed screws (these are used on some valves to allow manual opening), sticky solenoid plungers, worn or punctured diaphragms or broken diaphragm seats can all cause a valve to cycle open and shut or just stay open, mainly because they will all keep the necessary shutoff pressure from building up above the diaphragm.

The clearances around the solenoid plunger are very tight, in order to keep the required electrical current to a tolerable minimum, and this means dirty water will be a bigger problem. Some manufacturers make valves with self cleaning screens, external control porting or other measures to make the valve more contamination-resistant, but these valves are more expensive, and generally not used in residential systems. Another big problem is algae, which can build up in a valve or in piping during the off-season, and really mess everything up. Big blobs of lime jello do not pass well through small spaces. Many newer valves have an "internal bleed" system for manual operation (usually operated by turning the solenoid or solenoid mounting a quarter turn), and many times, a valve that won't close properly is simply not returned to the full auto position after a manual operation.

There's lots more (betcha didn't think so), but this is more than the typical DIY-er wants to mess with. Call a pro, and sit back and watch.

[JimD]

I like your explanations, Just4. I especially like the tracer comments. Either I or LOML will be visiting a good sprinkler supply place near us to talk about renting or borrowing one of these next week.

With respect to wire colors, mine start off color coded but switch to plain white and black once you get in the yard. They are taped to the bottom side of the pipe but only every foot or so. When I dig up a pipe, I sometimes find the wire on the bottom and sometimes find it along side.

My only new tip is that you can test the resistance of the valve at the controller. I started testing each valve separately when trouble shooting but then thought about how dumb that was and just started testing at the controller. With my valves buried all over the yard, the controller is a lot easier to find. I thought mine tested closer to 50 ohms but my memory may be bad, maybe it was closer to 30. The bad one was about 5, however, so it was not hard to tell which circuit was blowing the fuses. I can add another tip, I guess. When the fuses started blowing, I started putting in bigger fuses. This worked for awhile but then I got to buy a transformer. I doubt I would have needed the transformer if I had just replaced the valve when the fuses started blowing.

Jim