Lawn Sprinkler Valve Repair

Sprinkler valves control the flow of water into your sprinkler lines. An electrical signal from the timer activates a solenoid on top of the valve, releasing a plunger that controls the water flow. Valves are made out of plastic and can break or leak when frozen or otherwise damaged. Since sprinkler valves are self-contained units, there is no way to repair them effectively. Instead, they must be replaced. Fortunately, removing a broken valve and installing a new one is relatively simple to do and requires only a few tools.

Screwdriver
New sprinkler valve

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the manifold control box. This usually has a green lid and is located outside of your home near the exposed plumbing.
- 2
  Pull up on one corner of the lid to access the manifold.
- 3
  Identify the damaged valve by running each zone on your sprinkler system. The zone with the broken valve will not work properly, or water will spray from the damaged valve.
- 4
  Turn the ball valve on the pressure vacuum breaker 90 degrees clockwise to shut off the flow of water. The breaker is located directly above the manifold.
- 5
  Unscrew the four screws that hold the valve in place on the manifold then pull out the entire valve assembly.
- 6
  Unplug the wires at the top of the old solenoid.
- 7
  Plug the wires back into the top of the new solenoid on the replacement valve.
- 8
  Place the new valve onto the manifold and tighten the screws by hand. Do not use a drill or you may crack the plastic on the valve.
- 9
  Turn the ball valve on the vacuum breaker 90 degrees counterclockwise to turn on the flow of water.
- 10
  Run each zone on the sprinkler system for at least one minute to check the performance of the new and existing valves.

Putting Salt on Grass

How to Kill Clover With Ammonium Sulphate

Lawn Maintenance