Search results
Search results 1-20 of 58.
MrFixit, You're the best. I did what you said, and I now see how the solenoids come off. I did check that white thing inside, and it seemed tight. I see how you use the other part of the solenoid to tighten it, etc. It seemed tight, and I felt like I really did not do anything, but low and behold, the zone no longer leaks. As of now, the whole system is perfect. Since I'm only down here twice a year and since water is so expensive down here, checking the system is one of the first things I do wh...
Thank you MrFixit! I'll do that tomorrow. I did not know there was anything to do/check inside the solenoid. I appreciate the good help and the education. I knew I needed to learn more about the solenoids.......yesterday one of them did not seem to be working correctly. I think it was my fault, perhaps not having them screwed on at the right depth or something. Today they were working fine. Yesterday if I had them snug to the valve,no water would go through, too loose, even just enough to let wa...
Well, I spent most of the afternoon working on the system. I repaired two pipe breaks caused by the landscapers, and took apart all four zone valves. I also replaced a couple of rotors. Everything looked fine with the zone valve parts, no obvious breaks, etc, but I cleaned up all the diaphragms, etc. All the solenoids seem to work fine now....I just have one zone that seems to be leaking. (A few of the other ones are leaking a very little, but not enough I don't believe to be a problem. This one...
Well, I started today working on the system. My zone #2 was the worse, so I took the valve apart and cleaned it all, checking the diaphragm, etc. I think the problem with that zone lies with the solenoid. I noticed that with the solenoid turned all the way down on the valve, nothing would flow on that zone. turning it "open" a bit allowed the water to flow. Putting it right where it was allowed water to flow, but when I turned the zone off at the controller, the water kept spraying......so the s...
Dear MrFixit, Thank you very much for your help. I plan on inspecting all of those valves tomorrow. Funny, the old valves were over 10 years old with no problems. I just replaced them 22 months ago because I'm only down here a few times a year, and thought it was a good idea. I'll do a good inspection tomorrow, and if needed, I'll buy new diaphragms. Based on what you told me, I might just call anyway and order new ones.... Thanks! Frank
I just checked sprinkler warehouse under replacement valve parts, and they only list RainBird, Hunter, and Weathermatic.......not Irrittrol. Why would they sell valves and not the parts? Is Irritrol really hunter or rainbird? Thanks, Frank
Well, i'm embarrassed to say I do not have a deep knowledge of the inner workings (yet) of the zone valves......but I did just take apart one of the old valves, (a Richdell) to get a look. This "old" valve looks almost exactly like my new irritol valves I installed in December of 2007, 22 months ago. There are two sides. One side just unscrews, and inside there is just an o-ring and t small plunger type stopper with a long thin rod that goes into the top that unscrews. The other side is screwed ...
Thank you MrFixit! I appreciate the quick and kind help. Luckily, I kept the old valves that I replaced. I'll get an education taking apart one of those so I learn what you are saying before touching the new ones. Do you really think diaphragms could go bad in less than 2 years? I'll do what you say and report back. Again, I thank you and this forum for the many times you all were and are helpful. 2 years ago I did not know what a sprinkler system was. Then I bought this Florida home, and since ...
Sorry......I should have mentioned that the zone valves are irritrol 1" anti siphon valves bought about a year or two ago. I could replace the rotor head(s) if needed, but some of them are new, and it seems strange that only the last one or two in each zone would be leaking. I do not think this is just residual water...it is a constant small flow. How do I check the valve to see if it is leaking, and how do I fix the valves if they are indeed leaking? Thank you. Frank.
Hello all. I replaced my 4 zone valves with new ones from here about a year or so ago. I just returned down here at the Florida home to find that 3 out of the four zones I have seem to be leaking a constant small amount of water at the last rotor head, generally at the lowest point of each zone. It's late now, but tomorrow I'll try shutting off each zone to see if the water stops. I do not think this is just residual water from the line after it shuts down.....I think that somehow the zone(s) ar...
Thanks MrFixit! I did replace the old valve back to the new one, so they are all the new valves that were put in less then a year and a half ago. I cannot seem to replicate this...since it only does it once in awhile. It did stop once I turned off, then turned back on the water supply. I've manually turned on each valve many times but without this happening. I'm hoping this happens again so I can try turning on/off the different valves one at a time to see if that changes anything. What complica...
Thank you. the split for the sprinkler system is underground right past the meter before it comes into the house. thanks, Frank D.
Hello again all. Today, around the time that my last zone turned off during watering, I got this pulsating, banging noise just faster then about one bang per second...not as fast as a jackhammer, but it was loud and constant. all four of my zone valves were shaking. This also affected the water inside the house, as the water to the ice maker (the 3/8" line there is just a plastic tube) was shaking, hitting the back wall making a noise like it was possessed. I went out to my zone valves, turned t...
MrFixit, Believe it or not, that is exactly what I did after I posted. I thought it had to be a leak because of the low pressure. I first wiggled each riser, then dug down a bit to see, figuring that in the past whenever I had a break, it was close to a riser. This time no breaks were found. I then capped off each riser with 3/4" female caps. I then turned the zone back on. All of a sudden, in a place I did not think there were any pipes, I had a bubbling up of water, like Niagara Falls...! I fo...
Ok, now I understand more the reason for the pressure gauge.........DUH. Sorry......I was thinking you wanted me to attach the gauge on each pipe going to each rotor head. I hooked up the gauge to a hose bib and this is what I have; Ok, With no sprinklers on and nothing on in the house, I have a pressure of 72. With nothing on in the house, my readings are per zone; Zone #1..... 63 Zone #2......62 Zone#3.......60 Zone #4......46 Zone #4 is the bad one that has hardly any water coming out of the ...
Thank you Wet Boots. I went to both "big box" stores, and then I did just find one at a small hardware store here...so now I do have one. In our neighborhood, we only have one water meter, and the sprinkler system goes off of the main line before it goes to the house. I'll put it on a hose bib first to tell you the house pressure, then turn on the different zones and get readings. I'll then take the first rotor head off and put it on that. Because the rest of the heads on that zone will still be...
Wetboots, I have no problem buying a pressure gauge. I did find one on the Sprinkler Warehouse website, and I looked around the area stores to see if they had one. I'm only down here for a few weeks, and was hoping I could fix it sooner without waiting for parts. I just was not sure about the proper way to use it to determine what my problem was. The one on the website states it is a female hose thread. I now see that a 3/4" female hose thread will thread into the same male adapter as what the s...
Thanks! I'll do that today. Frank D.
Wow.......that's a lot of info! Thank you. I did unscrew the first head. the water flowed out slowly. when that head is on, the water comes out less there then the other heads. I'm thinking that since that first head is taken off and the zone is on, the water flows out slowly, that it either has to be a break in the line between the zone valve and that first head, or something wrong with that zone valve. I was told be someone to take apart that zone valve and check the diaphragm, etc,etc. If I f...
Thanks guys, I know with your help, I'll solve this thing. I just turned on that zone to run for 90 minutes, so if I have a broken pipe, I'm thinking I'll see or feel a wet spot soon. When I feel the pipe coming out of that zone, it feels like a good amount of water is flowing, but of course, it is hard to tell that from just feeling the vibration of the pipe. The first sprinkler head on that line is about 20-25 foot away from the valve, and when I took it off, the flow was slow, so I think it i...
