Irrigation Trencher

solenoid valves for irrigation are the guardians of your sprinkler heads.

They are connected to the source of water for your irrigation and control the flow of water at each watering zone `section. If you have a five zone system you have five valves.

Quality valves are designed to operate in adverse conditions. They lay in the ground quietly do their work year after year, covered with dust and water. As with any device that consists of moving parts, they eventually wear out and fail.

sprinkler valves generally fail in one of three ways:

* They will stick open and run 24 hours a day until the water source is cut off.

* They will always leak a small amount of water, known as "crying".

* Or they do not light at all.

The problem is that after 15-20 years of being out of site and mind, when they fail --- How do you find them?

The best and easiest way to find a tap is a special tool called a valve locator. However, such devices are expensive to purchase and generally not for hire. So before you go to the expense of hiring an irrigation contractor to find your valve dysfunction, here are some places to look:

First, check with your water source. Many houses have their irrigation system connected to their household water (cons connected to a pump). Most city water systems have a backflow above ground. It is a metal device with handles on it to turn off the irrigation water without turning off the water at home. It should be located near the place where your water meter in your home town is.

After the conclusion of the backflow, take a 12 "screwdriver and gently probe an area six feet in the return stream. Caring for the probe slowly to avoid drilling pipes. If you hit something solid, the probe around this place six inches in diameter. If you hit anything less than that, keep looking.

The next place to look where the sprinkler timer is located. Check this box the same way that you surveyed the area return flows.

Another indicator to determine where the valve is to turn on the defective area and determine which nozzles under pressure first. Initial pressure heads are closest to the valve. Obviously, this does not work with valves that will not come on.

Very often, the valves will not all be placed in a central location. They will be scattered in the yard. A very common situation on the corners of the house.

Because your system has been installed without a doubt go back-plate, the valves will be about two feet of walls.

Although buried sprinkler valves can be difficult to find without a valve locator, with a little patience and a little luck, they can be found.