Sprinkler System Repair
I have the worst luck when it comes to sprinkler systems. I have had every problem you can imagine occur. I have a Rainbird sprinkler system that is quite old in all fairness. It close to twelve years old. When it works, it functions great. However, when it’s that time to break down again, it can be problematic. I spent several thousand on getting it installed, so I am trying to avoid buying a new one. I have had any problem you can imagine from leaky pipes, clogged sprinkler heads, soggy spots, sick sprinkler heads, broken sprinkler controller, and few sprinkler heads replaced. Most of those problems I mention occur naturally with time and age of my system. Lately, it seems to be more of a regular occurrence. The sprinkler controller was replaced. The sprinkler heads were cleared of obstruction or replaced. The leaking sprinkler piping was fixed. Currently, the new problem is when I run my sprinkler system, all zones work except one zone. It seems to bypass the entire zone, whether I am in manual mode or running the system all the way through.
I called and asked a sprinkler company if they think I needed a sprinkler system repair or if he could troubleshoot with me over the phone. He mentioned sometimes the inactive zone is due to a lack of voltage to the terminals that send electricity to the zone. So it may not be getting enough juice. He said if this was the problem I may be looking at getting a new controller altogether. I told him I had the controller recently replaced and perhaps that wasn’t the problem. He had me look to ensure the controller wires weren’t loose or disconnected. Of course, that wasn’t the problem, so he continued to troubleshoot with me some more. He told me to check the solenoid on the valve. He said sometimes that can be faulty and may need to be replaced if it wasn’t the controller. I didn’t know what a solenoid was and actually still don’t. He described it to me so I could locate it. That wasn’t the problem.
Lastly, he had me assess the valve to see if it was the problem. He asked me to take it apart and clean the diaphragm. I did as he had asked pulling the little guy apart and cleaning. I reassembled it. Then he asked me to turn off and on the sprinkler system. He said to run the sprinkler system completely through. I ran from zone to zone. It actually fixed my problem! I am so grateful! This sprinkler company is so amazing to spend so much time with me on the phone to find the problem. I didn’t want to take any more time off from work. This guy walked me through step by step on how he would have assessed a non-working sprinkler zone. Now I know what to do next time. Clean the sprinkler valve!