Sprinkler Valve Repair

One zone will not come on. Or one zone will not shut off and is flooding the yard. Either way, the valve for that zone is the first thing we check.

Call 469-902-9800

An open green valve box in a lawn showing three sprinkler zone valves with solenoids and wire connectors, lid set beside it

What a zone valve does

Each zone in your yard has its own valve, usually buried in a green plastic box. When the controller tells a zone to run, it sends a small electric signal to a part on top of the valve called the solenoid. The solenoid lets the valve open and water flows to that zone's heads. When the signal stops, the valve closes.

Zone will not turn on

The solenoid has failed (common after many years)
A wire to that valve is cut or a splice has corroded
The controller is not sending power to that zone
The valve is clogged with debris
Someone turned the flow handle on top of the valve all the way down

We test the signal at the controller and at the valve. That tells us if it is a wiring problem or a valve problem, so you are not paying for parts you do not need.

Close-up of a zone valve solenoid in a muddy valve box, its wires joined to field wires with waterproof connectors

Zone will not shut off

This is the one that floods yards and wastes the most water. Usually dirt or a torn rubber diaphragm keeps the valve from closing, or the solenoid is stuck. It can also be a controller fault that keeps sending power. First, turn the controller off. If water keeps running, close the irrigation shut-off and call 469-902-9800.

Rebuild or replace?

Many valves can be rebuilt with a new diaphragm and solenoid. If the valve body is cracked, which clay movement and freezes can do, or the parts are no longer made, we replace the valve. We also clean out and level the valve box so it is easy to get to next time.

Lost valves

In older Park Cities yards it is common for valve boxes to be buried under grass, beds or even a new patio. We can locate buried valves using the valve wire signal so they can be found and serviced, and we raise the box to grade.

An open valve box in a lawn half full of murky standing water and floating leaves, the valve barely visible below

Questions people ask us

Why is my valve box full of water?

Clay soil holds water, so a little water in the box after rain is normal. If it is full when it has not rained, the valve or a fitting in the box is probably leaking.

Why does a zone come on by itself?

Either the controller has an extra program or start time set, or the valve is leaking through. We check both.

Can one bad valve affect other zones?

Yes. A valve that leaks through can lower the pressure for other zones and keep the low end of the yard soggy.

Worth reading before you call

Sprinkler Zone Won’t Shut Off? What to Do Right Now and Why It HappensA sprinkler zone that keeps running is usually a stuck valve or a controller fault. How to stop the water in two minutes, then…
Standing Water, Mosquitoes and Your Sprinkler SystemWhere sprinkler systems create standing water, from flooded valve boxes to low spots and clogged drains, why it matters for mosquitoes, and how to…
Low Water Pressure on One Sprinkler Zone: Causes and FixesWhy one sprinkler zone sprays weakly: leaks, a throttled valve, too many heads, clogged nozzles or a failing backflow device. How to narrow it…

Sprinkler problem? Call and talk to a person.

Tell us what you are seeing: a wet spot, a dead zone, a geyser, a controller that will not turn on. We will tell you what it likely is and set a visit.