Sprinkler driving me crazy - valve won't open

[Travelover]

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

That is a pretty cool gizmo. I'm pretty sure that the pipe is cut and capped or crushed. Being one inch PVC, I just can't see it being plugged with debris so thoroughly.

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah, most likely. Especially since your back feed test showed all but the first head working, it's blocked somewhere between the 1st and 2nd head.

 

[Travelover]

Yeah, most likely. Especially since your back feed test showed all but the first head working, it's blocked somewhere between the 1st and 2nd head.

Yep and that is most likely under the paver covered garage apron. That would be a mess to try to dig up.

 

[MossRoad]

Yep and that is most likely under the paver covered garage apron. That would be a mess to try to dig up.

Sounds like a good excuse to purchase a backhoe, ripper tooth, cement mixer, dump trailer, etc...

 

[Teachu2]

It turns out that my stuck valve was stuck, but that was only step one. The line is capped somewhere between the valve and the first sprinkler - under a foot of hard decomposed-granite-based soil. My HF rotohammer is going to get a workout. Another valve in the same box seeped, so I replaced it's parts. That cured that issue.

 

[Travelover]

It turns out that my stuck valve was stuck, but that was only step one. The line is capped somewhere between the valve and the first sprinkler - under a foot of hard decomposed-granite-based soil. My HF rotohammer is going to get a workout. Another valve in the same box seeped, so I replaced it's parts. That cured that issue.

I feel your pain. :laughing:

 

[ultrarunner]

My best guess was a capped line... been there before.

Good sleuthing on your part.

 

[MossRoad]

It turns out that my stuck valve was stuck, but that was only step one. The line is capped somewhere between the valve and the first sprinkler - under a foot of hard decomposed-granite-based soil. My HF rotohammer is going to get a workout. Another valve in the same box seeped, so I replaced it's parts. That cured that issue.

If it's capped between the valve and the first sprinkler, why didn't the first sprinkler get water when you back-fed it?

Broken/capped in two places?

 

[Teachu2]

That was the OP, not me.

 

[MossRoad]

That was the OP, not me.

I'll be sitting in the corner with my blanket.... :laughing: