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

Greetings,
I have a valve at the top of a riser that drives 5 impact sprinklers. I have been renting this place for 5 years and last year noticed that when the system called the solenoid on this particular line, it would operate fully only 1 in 2-3 times. SO I replaced the valve. It really hasn't helped and if anything, this years is fully starting 1 in 5-6 times. I get the same result manually operating the valve. WHat I mean is that it's like my daughter is taking a shower and there isn't enough flow for the sprinklers to do more than pop partly up and drible. If I restart a few times, at some point it will run ok. Could this be debris in a line? Is it possible that I replaced a perfectly good valve with another? Or perhaps I just got a lemon. The valve sits at top of several right angles but the first couple of years it worked fine. I'm baffled. So here I am. WHat do ya'll think?

Here's why I'm not so sure it's a break, although it certainly could be: today on the third try at operating the valve, I got a nice steady operation of all the sprinklers at a comparable flow. You do have be thinking of a possible separation perhaps right below the valve where it makes a right angle to go to the first sprinkler...... I'm going to try your suggestion. AT one point I was thinking of a bad spot of insulation and current was leaking enough to not allow the solenoid to operate completely, even when I manually operate the valve. Reading here I learned that the solenoid simply initiates the valve operation. It was suggested that there could be a good sized piece of debris in the line before the first sprinkler too but I think it would have made its way down the line by now. The more I think about a break, the more likely it sounds. Thanks!