Sprinkler Valve Repair Problems

Hi Craig.
I've got a sprinkler valve repair problem.

The system is on reclaimed water and the water only gets turned on twice a week for a couple hours at a time. The system gets dirt in the valves causing them to have a constant dribble at the heads and stay on at times. Sometimes the valves will close fully and other times 2-3 valves will be leaking or even stay on at times. Owner stated she has had numerous companies clean and even replace the valves previously.

I had looked at the system and flushed the valves which fixed all zones but 1 that still has a slow leak. When the system is running everything checks out. How can dirt keep getting into the valves time and time again without a sign of a broken line anywhere? She said she had her sod replaced a couple years back if that helps with anything. I just don't want to replace valves and have the same problem down the road. Thanks for reading and any info will be greatly appreciated.
Brian

Hi Brian,
The 1st question is "how do we know that it is dirt?" I'm familiar with Alafaya Utilities that supply the water to that subdivision. Sometimes their re-claim tanks run dry (because a lot of people over water). When that happens all that re-claim water "gunk" gets in the supply line which ends up in the sprinkler valve. Nasty!
If this is the case (you did say that you flushed the valves)there are a couple of options.

1. Install a hose bib on the main line at the lowest point and really flush the main line.Even if you employ the other solutions, do this anyway.

2. Install a re-claim water filter upstream of the first valve. This is a common approach. However, they are not attractive (because they stick up out of the ground) and must be hidden with shrubbery.

3. This is the most expensive approach. Install all new "dirty water" valves on the system. Rainbird, Hunter and other sprinkler manufactures make special valves especially for dirty water.Proce the valves before you bid the job because they are much more expensive than your run-of-the-mill cheapo valves.

I hope all is going well with your sprinkler repair business.

DIY Lawn Irrigation Ain't Always Easy!

Hi Craig,

Hope all is well with you. After a little bit of a slow start, things are picking up in a hurry and business is good! The manuals and information from your sprinkler system repair site have been very helpful - thank you. But nobody said anything about getting wet! :)~

I've got a couple of easy questions and just wanted to ask for your advice.

1. Using funny pipe and attaching a barb connection. Is there an easier/smarter way to get the barb end inserted? My hands are raw from twisting and pushing - put gloves on after getting blistered, got the barb in, but it still was an awfully tight twist. Tried vise grips, pliers, etc....It looks so much easier when you do it in your videos! What am I missing?

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• Fixing leak in sprinkler valve (photo above)

2. It seems silly, but I'm not sure how to go about fixing this without opening up a can of worms. I was going to cut out and replace the section of pipe where the leak is - there's only about 1/2" of pipe to work with there. If I do that, then I think I've got to replace the elbow which is glued to the T and so on and so on. I'm using this as my rookie question - can you please tell me the proper way to go about fixing this leak? It's at a rate of about 1 drip per second. Is there any kind of good wrap or sealant that would work?
3. This customer has a broken line under the asphalt. It's about a 40' span. I thought of seeing if I could pull out the old pvc pipe, but think it would be brittle and break apart. Not real anxious to cut into the asphalt and having to worry about getting it repaired, etc. Thinking it would be easier to run a new line, but it seems to far to use the pipe and garden hose. How would you go about running a line under a 40' span? I looked at a tool called a Borzit and wondered if that might work.
Thanks, Tom

Hi Tom, I'm glad you are getting the info you need from . Let's get to the questions!

1. Spiral barb fittings can wear a hole in your hand, especially if the "funny pipe' has been in the ground for awhile. A shot of WD-40 might help. If it is cold outside you can use a propane torch to warm it up, just like poly pipe. This may be a "duh", but take care not to melt it or set it on fire!

2. Sprinkler repair ain't always pretty. When you see installs like this (and I see 'em every day) you understand the consequences of "low ballers". In the pricing guide in the members section of the sprinkler repair site, I have the "standard flat fee rate" for a 1" valve replacement. This is not standard. You'll need to dig a BIG hole! I'm guessing 2.5 to 3 hours plus parts for this repair. My hourly rate is $85.00.
As to "wraps", I've never used them but I've heard some sprinkler techs swear by them. Your local irrigation supplier can get them for you.

3. The PVC pipe should be in a sleeve (conduit). Have you dug down to the pipe yet? It would be highly unusual to find a pipe under asphalt that was not in a sleeve. But, for the sake of argument, lets say it's not.
In that case, a borzit would work. The question is , how often would you use it? Can you rent one? Ask your local supplier if they know another contractor that has a boring unit. That would be my approach.

Sprinkler Valve Repair Doesn't Help.

Hello Craig,

We have a sprinkler system in our yard that has Hunter components. This season when we started to use the system again we found that the sprinkler heads in our front yard were not working correctly. There are several of the sprinkler heads that are not popping up when the system is on and when we pull the head up it will not stay up but instead retracts back into the ground. All the other zones are working fine. We have switched our Hunter ASV 101 1" valve that appears to have a broken inside part with another valve from the system that was working fine and that did not help the heads to pop up and stay up. My husband has left messages with our builder and the landscaper who placed the system 4 years ago but they are not returned our calls. Do you have any suggestions on where my husband should start to troubleshoot this problem to repair it?

Your assistance is appreciated.

Jeanine & Dave

Eugene Oregon

Jeanine, given the information that you have replaced the sprinkler valve, it sounds to me like a broken head or a PVC pipe break.

On systems older than four years, the problem can sometimes be many worn and leaky sprinkler head seals cumatively losing enough pressure to affect the entire zone. Your heads are too new for this.

To find a leak that is not visually apparent, start turning each sprinkler head off (if the are spray heads by turning the nozzle screw clockwise) or cap the heads using riser extensions (to make it easier) if they are rotors. Eventually the leak will show itself.

Another common place to look for a leak is behind the shrubs. Often the PVC risers get snapped off during pruning.