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Irrigation system problem. JD 03-11-2008
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Posted by JD on March 11, 2008, 1:38 pm
(I've also posted this in lawn.garden, but perhaps a plumber may have an
answer to this.)

Last fall I extended my irrigation system by tapping into the main supply
line and creating a manifold with three solonoid valves and one "direct"
line with a manual valve.
I ran an additional line to the rear of my property for an "always on" hose
spigot. I didn't hook it up over the winter. Each of the irrigation valves
work well.

Now that we won't be getting any more deep freezes, I hooked up my "always
on" valve to the line running to the spigots.

To my surprise and puzzlement the pump will not supply water to this line
unless one of the irrigation valves in the manifold are open. I don't
understand this. The valves are "downstream" of the direct line and should
not have any affect on the valve that is tapped directly into the main
supply line.

It seems to me that when the manual valve is open water should flow out of
the valve to the spigot. Tests have shown that water will flow freely to
the spigot when hooked to a garden hose.

I am puzzled why the pump won't come on when the manual valve alone is open
and only when one of the irrigation valves in the same manifold is
operational.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Jackson
Chesapeake, VA



AppliancePartsPros.com, Inc.
Posted by ransley on March 11, 2008, 6:58 pm
> (I've also posted this in lawn.garden, but perhaps a plumber may have an
> answer to this.)
>
> Last fall I extended my irrigation system by tapping into the main supply
> line and creating a manifold with three solonoid valves and one "direct"
> line with a manual valve.
> I ran an additional line to the rear of my property for an "always on" hos=
e
> spigot. =A0I didn't hook it up over the winter. =A0Each of the irrigation =
valves
> work well.
>
> Now that we won't be getting any more deep freezes, I hooked up my "always=

> on" valve to the line running to the spigots.
>
> To my surprise and puzzlement the pump will not supply water to this line
> unless one of the irrigation valves in the manifold are open. =A0 I don't
> understand this. =A0The valves are "downstream" of the direct line and sho=
uld
> not have any affect on the valve that is tapped directly into the =A0main
> supply line.
>
> It seems to me that when the manual valve is open water should flow out of=

> the valve to the spigot. =A0Tests have shown that water will flow freely t=
o
> the spigot when hooked to a garden hose.
>
> I am puzzled why the pump won't come on when the manual valve alone is ope=
n
> and only =A0when one of the irrigation valves in the same manifold is
> operational.
> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Jackson
> Chesapeake, VA

Is the ground still frozen

Posted by JD on March 11, 2008, 10:39 pm
The ground doesn't freeze here in SE Virginia. It only dropped into the
teens once or twice this year.

I received a reply from someone in the Lawn & Garden group that has to do
with the way my irrigation controller is set up. I may have two lines
coming from my pump. One that is "always on" and triggered by pressure and
one that only comes on when my controller tells it to.
Jackson

> (I've also posted this in lawn.garden, but perhaps a plumber may have an
> answer to this.)
>
> Last fall I extended my irrigation system by tapping into the main supply
> line and creating a manifold with three solonoid valves and one "direct"
> line with a manual valve.
> I ran an additional line to the rear of my property for an "always on"
> hose
> spigot. I didn't hook it up over the winter. Each of the irrigation valves
> work well.
>
> Now that we won't be getting any more deep freezes, I hooked up my "always
> on" valve to the line running to the spigots.
>
> To my surprise and puzzlement the pump will not supply water to this line
> unless one of the irrigation valves in the manifold are open. I don't
> understand this. The valves are "downstream" of the direct line and should
> not have any affect on the valve that is tapped directly into the main
> supply line.
>
> It seems to me that when the manual valve is open water should flow out of
> the valve to the spigot. Tests have shown that water will flow freely to
> the spigot when hooked to a garden hose.
>
> I am puzzled why the pump won't come on when the manual valve alone is
> open
> and only when one of the irrigation valves in the same manifold is
> operational.
> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Jackson
> Chesapeake, VA

Is the ground still frozen



Posted by Not@home on March 12, 2008, 2:16 pm
Where is this pump? Are you on a well, or is this pump between your
supply and the irrigation system?

It sounds like you may have a pump between your supply and irrigation
system to increase pressure for the irrigation system. If that is the
case, the pump will block water flow when it is not activated, and if
you have tapped into the irrigation system downstream from the pump, you
will get flow only when the pump is activated. Tapping into the supply
line upstream from the pump blockage should give you whatever pressure
is there to your new line.

JD wrote:
> (I've also posted this in lawn.garden, but perhaps a plumber may have an
> answer to this.)
>
> Last fall I extended my irrigation system by tapping into the main supply
> line and creating a manifold with three solonoid valves and one "direct"
> line with a manual valve.
> I ran an additional line to the rear of my property for an "always on" hose
> spigot. I didn't hook it up over the winter. Each of the irrigation valves
> work well.
>
> Now that we won't be getting any more deep freezes, I hooked up my "always
> on" valve to the line running to the spigots.
>
> To my surprise and puzzlement the pump will not supply water to this line
> unless one of the irrigation valves in the manifold are open. I don't
> understand this. The valves are "downstream" of the direct line and should
> not have any affect on the valve that is tapped directly into the main
> supply line.
>
> It seems to me that when the manual valve is open water should flow out of
> the valve to the spigot. Tests have shown that water will flow freely to
> the spigot when hooked to a garden hose.
>
> I am puzzled why the pump won't come on when the manual valve alone is open
> and only when one of the irrigation valves in the same manifold is
> operational.
> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Jackson
> Chesapeake, VA
>
>

Posted by JD on March 16, 2008, 10:10 am
Discovered that the water supply line coming off of the pump divides into
two systems One is always on and it goes to the garden hose spigots. The
irrigation system supply line has a valve near the pump that only opens when
the controller is on. This is in addition to each zone having a control
valve. After discovering this, I tapped into the "always on" system and am
now in good shape.
JD


> Where is this pump? Are you on a well, or is this pump between your
> supply and the irrigation system?
>
> It sounds like you may have a pump between your supply and irrigation
> system to increase pressure for the irrigation system. If that is the
> case, the pump will block water flow when it is not activated, and if you
> have tapped into the irrigation system downstream from the pump, you will
> get flow only when the pump is activated. Tapping into the supply line
> upstream from the pump blockage should give you whatever pressure is there
> to your new line.
>
> JD wrote:
>> (I've also posted this in lawn.garden, but perhaps a plumber may have an
>> answer to this.)
>>
>> Last fall I extended my irrigation system by tapping into the main supply
>> line and creating a manifold with three solonoid valves and one "direct"
>> line with a manual valve.
>> I ran an additional line to the rear of my property for an "always on"
>> hose spigot. I didn't hook it up over the winter. Each of the
>> irrigation valves work well.
>>
>> Now that we won't be getting any more deep freezes, I hooked up my
>> "always on" valve to the line running to the spigots.
>>
>> To my surprise and puzzlement the pump will not supply water to this line
>> unless one of the irrigation valves in the manifold are open. I don't
>> understand this. The valves are "downstream" of the direct line and
>> should not have any affect on the valve that is tapped directly into the
>> main supply line.
>>
>> It seems to me that when the manual valve is open water should flow out
>> of the valve to the spigot. Tests have shown that water will flow freely
>> to the spigot when hooked to a garden hose.
>>
>> I am puzzled why the pump won't come on when the manual valve alone is
>> open and only when one of the irrigation valves in the same manifold is
>> operational.
>> Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> Jackson
>> Chesapeake, VA



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