# Providing Life Back to my Irrigation System



## murrayjm (Jun 17, 2020)

I haven't used my irrigation system in 15 years and I would like to get it going again. What steps should I began taking to get it working? I have six zones (4 to 5 heads per zone) and I have a general idea of where my valve box is located in the lawn but much like the sprinkler heads, it's all buried under overgrown grass & weeds.

I'm also considering getting a few quotes to have someone else get the system up and running.


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## The Walri (Nov 27, 2018)

@murrayjm - not sure I'm of any help here, but I'm getting ready to do the same with my system. we bought our home 7 years ago and it had a few yr old irrigation system that the previous owners didn't winterize when we bought the home and it burst the fitting below the PVB. Wasn't really into lawncare at the time so I didnt bother fixing it because of the price of the part. 7 years later i want to get it going... here's my plan.

1)buy/install new PVB (ordered)
2) Replace broken main irrigation line from the PVB to control box
2) replace the one garden bed sprinkler head I know I demolished when I got a little wide with the lawn tractor 
3) turn on and see if ANYTHING works and check for leaks
4) Remove furthest head on each zone (if i can identify) and flush lines for any debris
5) start troubleshooting/repairing heads and valves as needed.

I'm going to start a lawn journal to document the trials and tribulations of getting it up and running again - good luck with your sytem!


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## murrayjm (Jun 17, 2020)

The Walri said:


> @murrayjm - not sure I'm of any help here, but I'm getting ready to do the same with my system. we bought our home 7 years ago and it had a few yr old irrigation system that the previous owners didn't winterize when we bought the home and it burst the fitting below the PVB. Wasn't really into lawncare at the time so I didnt bother fixing it because of the price of the part. 7 years later i want to get it going... here's my plan.
> 
> 1)buy/install new PVB (ordered)
> 2) Replace broken main irrigation line from the PVB to control box
> ...


Thanks for the feedback. Did you happen to turn the system on to locate the heads? That's my problem, I don't remember their location in the yard and I know they are covered by dirt and grass. Fortunately, I do remember winterizing the system before turning off. I located my valve box box by just walking the yard and tapping in the general location with a shovel.


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## The Walri (Nov 27, 2018)

I've never been able to turn the system on because of the burst pipe on the PVB backflow preventer...but that's my plan after I install the new PVB. Turn it on and hope that something comes up and starts spraying water. I know where two valve boxes are so if water doesn't come out I'll check for electrical connectivity at the valves to see if they're the issue.

I thought about getting the company that installed it to come out and get it running too, but their fees to just winterize and start up (a working system) are several hundred dollars.


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## video1 (Jul 17, 2020)

I'm in the middle of repairing my sprinkler system right now. When our house was remodeled, the contractors destroyed the system, ripping out much of the wiring, breaking sprinkler heads and lines, as they dug their trenches and drove their vehicles over the lawn. We have one acre so it's a big job.

I started by finding the main and made sure it was turned on. Then I looked for the valves. Yours should be in valve boxes (green utility boxes with removable covers), but if they're not, then you'll really have to hunt around for them.

Start by turning the valves on manually. Do a YouTube search to find out how to do this if you're not familiar. Watch what happens. Broken heads may not work at all, or more commonly, they'll spurt water out irregularly. You'll spot the broken lines where pools of water form in the soil. Also if you're walking around an area and the ground is all of a sudden soft, then you know there's a leak somewhere around that area.

If you have to turn the valve so much that it's almost out of its seat before the water comes on, then that solenoid and/or the valve assembly should be replaced. Sometimes you can just replace the solenoid, but sometimes the entire assembly is bad. I usually buy the whole assembly because there's only about a $3-4 difference to buy the entire thing, and you never know when you'll need the spare parts.

Learn how to cut and repair the pipe. Ours are all Schedule 40 PVC, so it's relatively easy. Just keep find valves, and fixing stuff.

When you've got it all working, then you have to check the wiring. Again, use YouTube to learn how to use a voltmeter to test for wire continuity. In my case, the front yard wiring was repairable, but I had to run new wire to one station. The backyard OTOH is a total disaster. I've got most of the valves repaired already, and I know I'm going to have to trench and run new wiring to ALL the stations. I've got at least 13 stations that I've discovered so far, with each valve controlling 3 heads.

That's pretty much it. It's a ton of work if your yard is like mine. But if a newb like me can do it, so can you.


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## murrayjm (Jun 17, 2020)

@video1 This is great feedback.

Where did you buy your supplies? I found a two spare heads in my garage but since its been more than 15 years, I'm not sure if they are good heads to replace back into my system or shop for another brand/quality. They are Hunter I-20's Stainless Steel. I checked Amazon and they average $28 a head. I located my green box in the ground were the valves are located. I will definitely look on Youtube per your instructions.


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## video1 (Jul 17, 2020)

I got all my supplies at Home Depot or Lowes. I found the best price for the Voyager II heads at Lowes, where they offer an extra 15% off if you buy 4 or more. It came out to about $9.76/head, which is a very good price. Be careful with the Voyager II. Home Depot sells a slightly different version. The ones at Lowes are the professional version that comes with multiple sized nozzles and an adjustment tool.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Voya...kMT61PRRwQMSPINRPLRoCPw8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds



murrayjm said:


> @video1 This is great feedback.
> 
> Where did you buy your supplies? I found a two spare heads in my garage but since its been more than 15 years, I'm not sure if they are good heads to replace back into my system or shop for another brand/quality. They are Hunter I-20's Stainless Steel. I checked Amazon and they average $28 a head. I located my green box in the ground were the valves are located. I will definitely look on Youtube per your instructions.


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## jht3 (Jul 27, 2018)

Hunter i20 stainless are high end heads. If that is what is in your yard, someone spent $$$$.

Your local big box stores may carry irrigation parts. SiteOne is where I get parts if I don't plan ahead. Otherwise I order them online from sprinkler warehouse.

I'm partial to Rainbird 1800 and 5000 heads. I find them easy to adjust and maintain. But whatever you do, stick to a single brand to make it easier to adjust as they all require different tools or operate backwards. I inherited a yard with a mix of Toro, Rainbird, and Hunter heads.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

Online stores will be your cheapest bet for getting supplies especially rotors. Keep in mind there is a shortage of these for hunter i20s.

Ny local siteone sells i20 for $40, online its between 20-24. Same goes for a lot of other stuff. Plan ahead that's all.


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