You are not logged in.

Valve leaking when sprinklers turn on

Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

  • 1
  • 2

Music Junkie

New Member

Posts: 5

1

Sunday, April 3rd 2011, 4:08pm

Valve leaking when sprinklers turn on

I poked through the 27 pages in this section before posting this, so I apologize in advance if I missed it somewhere. One of my two valves was leaking out of the holes in the cap on the side without the solenoid when it was opened up to run the sprinklers. The valves were very old, so I figured it was time to replace both anyway. Easy enough job. Now with both of the new valves hooked up, I am having the same problem. In the attached picture, the cap without the solenoid leaks out of the slots on the side whenever it is turned on (either manually with the screw or automatically via the controller). Any ideas on what might be causing this?

[/img]

Music Junkie

New Member

Posts: 5

2

Sunday, April 3rd 2011, 4:12pm

For some reason, the pic does not show up. When I go to edit, it is there. Can't see it when I look at the post though. Not my day..... ;(

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

3

Sunday, April 3rd 2011, 10:38pm

:( A pic would help, can you upload it on some picture hosting site such as photobucket and post the link for us?

worachj

Advanced Member

Posts: 63

Location: Eagan, Mn

4

Monday, April 4th 2011, 9:13am

The OP's picture

Music Junkie

New Member

Posts: 5

5

Monday, April 4th 2011, 9:25am

Thanks worachj! Do you know why my pic did not show up? Was the pic host banned or something? At any rate, I really appreciate your help. I promise that the pic was vertical when I took it..... I am usually half-way competent at this stuff. For some reason I am struggling with this site. I never received my confirmation e-mail to fully activate my account either, so there must be some issue on my end.

The cap on the side opposite the solenoid has little slots in the sides. When the sprinkler comes on (either when I turn the little black screw manually or when the time activates it automatically) water comes gushing out of those slots. The sprinklers still work, but it floods out the area where the valves are. If the sprinklers did not come on, I would think I have a root clogging the way and backing it up or something like that. The sprinklers work fine though. I am at a loss. I thought the new valves would solve the problem.

MJ

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

6

Monday, April 4th 2011, 11:25am

If the brand-new antisyphon valve is leaking at the vacuum-breaker cover, I have to wonder if there isn't a badly broken pipe on that zone, so that the pressure can't get high enough to seal.

-

An older valve of that type would leak water at the vacuum-breaker cover because the poppet washer will have cracked or broken.

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

7

Monday, April 4th 2011, 11:31am

Sounds like there is a break in the line somewhere, are a broken sprinkler head/ fitting.

If you bought the valve to replace it, I'm sure you read up on that kind of valve?

That's atmospheric vacuum breaker valve, it's made to dump a little bit of water to prevent backflow. Sounds like there isn't enough water pressure/flow to fully pop up the poppet and create a seal, thus leading me to think somewhere else in the line there is a break.
Actually you say both are doing it? Check your shut off handle at your irrigation shut off. Make sure it's fully on and check to make sure if there are more then one valve

Those look low, and probably aren't to code , so they can't do there job and part of the reason why it is leaking... In my state code is for those valves must be 12" ABOVE the HIGHEST sprinkler head in that zone.

Mitchgo

Supreme Member

Posts: 502

Location: Seattle

8

Monday, April 4th 2011, 11:32am

awww you beat me lol

Music Junkie

New Member

Posts: 5

9

Monday, April 4th 2011, 11:56am

@Mitchgo & Wet_Boots:

Thanks for the leads. I will check for any broken heads or lines. Nothing is obvious at this point, but I will have to do some digging (literally)..... 8)

They are low, I guess. I only lowered them about 2" with the replacement (by the time I chopped off the old valves and installed the new ones). If I can't find any leaks, maybe I will try to raise them up with some couplings and additional 3/4 sch40. 12" above highest sprinkler in this zone is not that much higher that it sits right now, so should be no biggie.

I appreciate the leads!

Thanks!

MJ

worachj

Advanced Member

Posts: 63

Location: Eagan, Mn

10

Monday, April 4th 2011, 12:07pm

Quoted from "Music Junkie"

Do you know why my pic did not show up? Was the pic host banned or something?


You really didn’t do anything wrong.
This website’s macro for inserting images expects the URL of the image (“http://i55.tinypic.com/2laab79.jpg”).

You provided the IMG code for your image(“[img]http://i55.tinypic.com/2laab79.jpg" class="resizeImage" alt="" />[/img]“).

The site's macro imbedded the two HTML codes together (“<img src="[img]http://i55.tinypic.com/2laab79.jpg" class="resizeImage" alt="" />[/img]“).

I just looked at the source code to find the URL of your image and reposted it.
  • 1
  • 2

Similar threads

Rate this thread