SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Even with the main valve off there's still pressure in the line. Maybe the valve in question is downhill from the main. I've had valves drain for 40 minutes after taking off the bonnet.
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Maybe your main valve doesn't turn off all the way. Or isn't turned off all the way.
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Maybe the reason the valve doesn't come on with the timer is that it's close to the property line and it's really your neighbors valve. Long shot there...
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Maybe you can open a faucet so the water can drain there.

. . . to add another question to the 'pot'.... I turn the water supply off at the main so I can inspect the valves and solenoid and when I unscrew a solenoid I get water not dripping, but streaming in, just like the main was on....now how in the world can I have water if the water is turned off?

The odds of 3 of 5 solenoids being bad is slim but not impossible.
I don't know what model valves you have but it could be old diaphragms.
Some valves are easily rebuilt some you're better off just replacing them.
Maybe you could post a picture of them? At least let us know what model valve.

Hey, the screw trick worked! but I still have three zones out of five that won't work on the controller, they only work manually. If I swap a good solenoid for a bad one wont that prove it needs replacing? They are fairly cheap.

If the wire's broken off too short to splice you need to buy a new solenoid.
I've never told anybody this but many years ago I had a broke off wire on a solenoid that costs 40 bucks. Instead of driving to the store to see if they had one in stock I put a small screw into the solenoid where the broke off wire is and attached a wire to the screw. Unprofessional? Beats me. I wanted to see if it would work. Did it work? Yes...
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I don't have a clue about your backflow device from here. I'd have to see it in person.

I did find two possible issues to blame....

1.a selnoid w/ only one wire attached the other is broken off, I think it needs two (I found a lone wire in the box, and when I touch it against the broken wire, the selnoid vibrates) how do I re-attach the wire to the selnoid. I can't open it?

2. My backflow device shakes, knocks, and 'hammers' when I adjust each selnoid? How do i get rid off this?

Confirm that the outlet is working. Plug something else into it.

Make sure the controller is sending a signal.

There's probably a broken wire somewhere. It could be at the controller or at the valves. Those are the most common places where the common wire might come loose. Did you do any digging?

I can turn each zone on by twisting each selnoid and I get some thumping and shaking of the pipes but it slowly turns on the water with a little leakage, but I cant get the inside timer/controller to operate the zones? I've tried to start over with tightening each selnoid and turning on the main again, but nothing?