A cheap sprinkler repair in the Sacramento city water waste and damage to your lawn. It can also interfere with your system’s ability to properly signal the timer when it’s time for each zone to turn on or off. Most homeowners try to troubleshoot a malfunctioning sprinkler valve by inspecting the sprinkler heads, valves and connections but if the problem persists, replacing the valve solenoid is typically the next step.

Most in-line zone valves are buried in the ground and only the tops of the valve and controller wires are exposed. This makes repairing or replacing them tricky.

Valve Rx: A Comprehensive Guide on How to Repair Sprinkler Valves and Keep Your Garden Thriving

Before you can start working on a sprinkler valve repair you’ll need to shut off your system’s water supply at the controller or the main irrigation shutoff valve. Then you’ll need to disconnect the low-voltage controller wires from the solenoid of the malfunctioning zone valve. This can usually be done by removing wire nut connectors or simply cutting the wires a few inches from their respective terminals on the valve’s solenoid.

You’ll also need to remove the cap from the top of the valve (also known as a bonnet) that protects the spring and rubber diaphragm inside. Most valves have a screw-on cap that can be removed by turning it counterclockwise.

Once the valve is removed it’s time to clean the diaphragm and replace the spring. You’ll also need to re-install the valve sockets that secure the valve to the pipes. This can be accomplished using either male threaded grip-fit adapters (shown here) or female slip-fit adapters that can be solvent-glued to the corresponding pipe. Once the adapters are installed the new valve can be screwed into place and you’re ready to reconnect your wires. Before you turn the water back on we recommend that you test your new valve by attempting to activate its zone on the controller.

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