So you have a sprinkler zone that wont come on?

If you have an irrigation zone that will not come on, don’t fret, there is a logical explanation for the malfunction…its just a matter of doing some detective work and making an educated guess sometimes as to what the problem may be.

First, verify that there is water coming to the zone’s valve.  Check that the water is on at the meter and at the backflow control valve if you have one (its in a green box).  Once you verify that the sprinkler system is getting water pressure, you should then find the valve that controls the particular zone in question and manually turn it on (its in a round green box usually).

To turn the zone on manually, carefully (don’t break any wires!) turn the top part of the valve to the left, just like a spigot.  Do not continue to turn the knob as it will eventually come out.  You’re actually manually turning on the zone by twisting the solenoid open.

If, by manually turning on the zone your sprinkler heads pop up and start the irrigation, you have successfully verified that there is water pressure to the whole system and can check that off of your list as a potential cause for the problem.

Next, you want to check for control panel malfunctions and how to set a control panel as described here.

Often times, the problem with zones exists in the wiring.  Either the solenoid is leaking or its electronics have gone bad, the diaphragm has gone bad or there is a break in the wire somewhere which would call for wire tracing and mapping.  Locating the valve to begin with can also be problematic, which, again, would call for specialized tools to locate.

Need help or advise?  Give us a shout!