If you are having issues with your lawn sprinkler system, usually it’s a problem with a valve. The good news is that there are things that you can do when you have an issue with your valve. Below are steps to take when your valve doesn’t turn off or turn on.
Valve Not Turning On
When a valve on your sprinkler isn’t turning on, this could be an issue with the water supply or a problem with the electric. One place you should start is by ruling out an issue with your water supply. This is done by checking your other valves to make sure they’re getting water as well as turning on.
If your other valves aren’t turning on, look for your sprinklers’ water shutoff valve. It’s possible that your water source is turned off, which means you just have to turn that water source back on.
If there is only one valve that isn’t turning on, you should check and see if it’s going to manually turn on. If the valve will work if you start it manually, chances are that the problem is with the wires or solenoid.
Start out by first checking your wires. Be sure there’s good contact in the place that the wires are connecting. Also, make sure there aren’t any breaks or cuts in your wires. If your wires look okay, it might be your solenoid. When you have damaged wires, it’s a good idea to completely replace your solenoid. However, if your wires are simply loose, they can just be reattached.
Replacing your solenoid is a simple way to repair your valve. Look for your valve model and brand to be able to replace it at your local hardware store. Shut your sprinkler system’s water supply off before you start the repair. Remove that old solenoid from your sprinkler valve, then set it to one side. Insert your new solenoid to your valve in the exact same way. Attach the new solenoid wires in the way that the old ones had been connected. In order to make sure you’re your wires are protected, make sure that you are using wire connectors that are waterproof for attaching your wires.
Valve Isn’t Turning Off
If your sprinkler valve is not turning off, this could be because it has a bad rubber gasket or because there is debris inside. If the gasket is damaged or torn it’s not going to stop water so your sprinklers can’t turn off. Rebuilding it is a valve repair that is fairly common, so there are many repair kits for a lot of valves that have gaskets in them. You want to have one of these kits ready before you choose to open the valve so that you are ready in case your gasket is bad.
- To do this repair, start by shutting your water off to your sprinklers. Clean that area around your valves so that nothing gets into the valve when it’s open.
- Remove that solenoid from the body of the valve and then put it aside.
- Take off the screws that hold the bonnet. Remove your bonnet, gasket, and spring carefully, noting the way that they were positioned because they are going to go back on the way they came off.
- Check your gasket for any damage or tears. Even if there is a minor tear or damage, it can prevent the gasket from stopping your water flow.
- Check your valve’s inside for sand or small rocks which could obstruct the gasket’s seal.
- Check the diaphragm for any tears or damage. Even minor damage can prevent the diaphragm from stopping the flow of water.
- If your gasket is in good shape, reinstall it. Otherwise, you want to replace it. Make sure the gasket is positioned in the way that it was before you removed it. Make sure that you’re also aligning its openings with the body’s screw holes. Put the bonnet and spring back where they were. Then place your solenoid back.
- Turn your water supply on again, first slowly so that the valve is not damaged by the pressure. Also, check your valve to make sure it’s not leaking and that it’s turning off and on properly.
These are the steps that you can take if you’re having valve issues in your sprinkler system. They will help you with saving money on your water and sprinkler.
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