JPRambo
Platinum Member
A lot of sprinkler heads have a filter inside them. Maybe the first few or last few are clogged.
Sprinkler driving me crazy - valve won't open
- Thread starter Travelover
- Start date
- Views: 4192
OP
Travelover
Elite Member
This was my thought, too, but they all work when fed off a garden hose I temporarily plumbed into the zone. So, the water feed from the valve is plugged.
Teachu2
Platinum Member
The valve itself is stuck internally. If it's easy to do so, replace the valve. If not, leave the valve body in place, shut off the supply, disassemble the valve and replace the internals. The ones I usually have to work on are RainBird brand, and they have a replaceable seal and mating surface insert that should be done together. You will have to go to a landscaper's supply house for parts, as HD and Lowes don't carry them.
Hard water, infrequent use, heat, and time contribute to these issues. If you have to replace the entire valve, spend a few bucks extra and install unions on both sides of the valve - it will make the install much easier both now and next time.
Hard water, infrequent use, heat, and time contribute to these issues. If you have to replace the entire valve, spend a few bucks extra and install unions on both sides of the valve - it will make the install much easier both now and next time.
Teachu2
Platinum Member
See Rain Bird valve rebuild - YouTube for a video.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 58,313
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
That sounds reasonable to me. He knows all the heads are good, so either water isn't getting past the valve, or the line is blocked between the valve and the first head. Most likely culprit is still pointing at the valve itself. If no water flows through the valve, even when it's opened manually, it probably isn't opened. It's broken internally. Open it up and remove all the guts and see if there's flow. If it can't be gutted, cut it out of the line and check for flow both ways. PVC pipe is very easy to cut, splice and repair. Shouldn't take an hour.
Teachu2
Platinum Member
It's funny that this came up when it did - my wife is redoing her garden area, and one of the valves is frozen shut, another seeps a bit. I ran by the shop after work and bought two new valves that are identical to the existing ones. I'll be swapping everything except the bodies Saturday morning. $15 each.
OP
Travelover
Elite Member
That is what I thought originally, too. But I plumbed a garden hose to one of the sprinkler head feed lines in the dead zone and water would not flow out of the opened up valve, with the diaphragm removed. Water did flow out of all the other sprinkler heads in that zone but one. So, I'm pretty sure the pipe is plugged just after the take off for the sprinkler head that wouldn't work when back-fed.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 58,313
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Ah. Good job of narrowing it down. Swap out the head on the one that doesn't work with a known good one, if you haven't already, to eliminate that head. While it's off, run the water and see if water is getting to that point.
Also, before digging anything up, I'd cut the line just past the valve, and put a gallo gun into the line, remove all the head sprinkler heads, and give the gallo gun a couple-three shots down the line. Then glue on a hose fitting at the cut and run the water to see if that clears it out.
If you don't know what a gallo gun is, here's a link. It's a co2 powered drain line blaster. We use them a lot at my employer to clear drain lines, condensate drains, etc.... works great! Worth a shot.
Amazon.com: DiversiTech GG-1 Charles Gallo Drain Gun for A/C Condensate Lines: Industrial & Scientific
wagne223
Platinum Member
Sounds to me like someone broke or cut the pipe that feeds the zone and capped it instead of repairing it.
Unfortunately, you have to dig! Either to find and fix the problem or run new pipe.
I would start near the valve box, dig up and identify zone 12 feed pipe. Cut the pipe then turn on the valve to verify that the valve works.
Once you know you have a functioning valve, you can continue digging until you find the cap.
Then you can make the necessary repairs.
Unfortunately, you have to dig! Either to find and fix the problem or run new pipe.
I would start near the valve box, dig up and identify zone 12 feed pipe. Cut the pipe then turn on the valve to verify that the valve works.
Once you know you have a functioning valve, you can continue digging until you find the cap.
Then you can make the necessary repairs.
OP
Travelover
Elite Member
If all this was happening in a wide open lawn, this is exactly what I'd do. The feed pipe from the valve appears to go under two low decks then under an area landscaped with bushes and perennials, under a dry creek then under a driveway apron with pavers. Some of the sprinkler head leads in that zone also head off under the asphalt driveway. If I knew exactly where to dig I might go for it, but for now I think I'll just manually feed that zone off a hose.
