|
Posted by BobR on May 6, 2008, 11:44 pm
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > Moved into an older home a couple years ago with an existing sprinkler
> > system. =A0It has never worked correctly and I am trying to get the
> > system back into shape. =A0Just replaced the backflow valves and got the=
> > system to partially work but can not leave the water and the timer
> > on. =A0It appears that one of the valves is stuck open or partially open=
> > which allows one of the stations to run even when the station is off.
> > I know that I need to replace the station valve but I can't find the
> > damn thing.
>
> > The system has five stations and I have only been able to locate the
> > controls for three of the stations. =A0All five have been buried and
> > there is no plot of where to locate them. =A0The three that I have
> > located were in different areas and not near the areas being
> > serviced. =A0I can only guess as to where the remaining two are. =A0I am=
> > on a large cul-d-sac lot with the sprinkler covering the entire lot.
>
> > Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can find the remaining two
> > valves without destroying the entire yard in the process? =A0I found the=
> > third valve when digging up and replacing one of the flower beds. =A0Oh
> > yes, the damn power cord for the system is also buried under the
> > patio.
>
> > PS: =A0Had the same problems with the sewer clean out and the main water=
> > line coming into the house. =A0Paid a very high price for the plumber to=
> > find those under emergency conditions.
>
> Follow the wire. =A0There must be a wire that runs from the timer/controll=
er
> to each control valve.
>
Yep, there is. I found it buried and dug it up for about 70 feet
before it went under the porch at the front of the house. The first
valve that I have located is at the opposite side of the house in
back. Could not locate it after that. From what I have been able to
find thus far, the darn wire more than circles the house.
> If you cannot just pull the wire to see where it leads then you can get a
> device that injects a tone into the wire and another box which is used to
> trace it. =A0Sort of like a stud finder for wires. =A0I have used one call=
ed the
> "Fox and Hound" but I don't know its range through dirt, it works great in=
> walls though.
>
> http://www.triplett.com/pif/pif_3392.pdf
>
I will give that a try, thanks.
> If following the wire is not your thing then you will have to deduce the
> location based on the sprinkler heads it operates and the layout of your
> land. =A0If you can guess the first head closest to the valve, you can dig=
and
> follow the pipe.
>
I would gladly follow the wire...if I could. The best that I can
determine, somebody was drunk as a skunk when they laid out this
system. The systems overlap and the control valves are as far from
their systems as possible. It is the craziest thing I have seen.
> I know what you mean about the cleanout. =A0When I bought my house the str=
eet
> cleanout was buried and nobody knew it was even there until I payed to dig=
> up the whole yard to put in a new pipe. =A0At least now I have nearly
> indestructable and jointless ABS pipe from the house to the street. =A0Las=
t
> clog (roots) was cleaned by the city for free (well, after I payed $60 to
> clean out my section and confirm the problem wasn't on my property)- Hide =
quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
I can feel for you on that. Try four separate breaks in the sewer
line with three of them UNDER the foundation. One of the breaks just
happened to be under the middle of the master bathroom. The master
bathroom that I had just spent over $20k remodeling and installing a
brand new tile floor.
No Good Deed ever goes unpunished!
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap