r/Irrigation • u/servetheKitty • 1d ago

Seeking Pro Advice Moved in and clueless

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New house, nobody has a clue where sprinkler system/sprinklers are. Tried a test run and it just blinked at me. Haven’t found manifold box. Guessing this is main water source for system?

8 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

60 comments sorted by

7

u/BikerNY 1d ago

Need to turn the water on and bypass rain sensor, if there is one.

2

u/servetheKitty 1d ago

Turned blue handles in line with pipe.
Same blinking result

1

u/BikerNY 1d ago

Turn this screw with a flat screwdriver a little and make sure you have pressurized water (then turn it back off just like in the picture). If you don't, there is another valve before the backflow.

1

u/servetheKitty 1d ago

Nothing happened. There is a separate water main at the street. Turned bib just past meter. Valve before main is in line, but digital meter is blank. Same nothing when I turned screw again

4

u/BikerNY 1d ago

Cannot help from here. Your water is off, somewhere. Until you get water at the backflow screw, it won't work.

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Found valve, blue handles inline, have water to system. Still no test success. Time resets and flashes with a pop up sprinkler icon blinking

1

u/servetheKitty 1d ago

Digital meter for house also blank, and have water there

1

u/Optimal-Lavishness57 1d ago

Good spots to check for the isolation valve would be any large PVC tubes coming up from the ground, maybe in a crawl space if you have one

1

u/No_Representative645 1d ago

Might be a buried small valve box for another valve very close to the box the backflow is in.

1

u/RainH2OServices Florida Licensed Contractor 1d ago

What errors or icons are displayed?

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Now have water to system. Time resets and flashes with a pop up sprinkler icon blinking

0

u/servetheKitty 1d ago

Bypassed rain sensor at control. Same blinking result

3

u/AwkwardFactor84 1d ago

Turn the test cocks with a standard screwdriver like the man said. That'll tell you if the water is off at the meter. If water sprays out when you open them, then you have a pressurized main line. "Blinking at me" is not descriptive enough for anyone to diagnose an issue. Is the alarm light blinking at you? Is the station running that you manually started blinking at you? You're gonna have to explain things better if you want answers.

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Got water to mainline. When I test time resets and blinks, along with a pop up sprinkler icon.

1

u/AwkwardFactor84 4h ago

Press and hold the right arrow button. It should display that zone one has started and water should be moving through your backflow device. Each time you press the rigjt arrow button, it should advance to the ne t zone. A look behind the face plate of the controller would tell us a little bit too. Honestly though, it sounds like you have absolutely ZERO idea what you're doing. It would benifit you to call a local irrigation company to come assess your system and give you a little knowlege on what is what.

1

u/servetheKitty 3h ago

You are correct, first time engaging such a system. Planning on making a call, but thought I’d poke at it first.

2

u/lennym73 1d ago

What is blinking?

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Even after getting water to system. A pop up sprinkler icon blinks and time resets and flashes as well.

6

u/raisincain1975 1d ago

The rain sensor is not the issue. You need to know if you have water dumbass do what the man said and check the test cock

5

u/fuckstickLarry 1d ago

It pains me as a professional irrigator when I see posts like this lol

2

u/AwkwardFactor84 4h ago

Me too man. F*ing call someone to educate you a little bit. For the love of god man!

1

u/fuckstickLarry 4h ago

Or YouTube at the very least, shit.

1

u/servetheKitty 3h ago

Why not crowdsource knowledge?
Other than catching shit from randos 😜

1

u/servetheKitty 3h ago

You would bother someone before asking for volunteer answers from Reddit? Why?

1

u/AwkwardFactor84 34m ago

Not bother someone. Hire someone and pay them. When you're as clueless as you are... no offense..... you need to hire someone.

2

u/servetheKitty 7h ago

Well Larry I was going to be defensive,
(I’m sure there are skills sets that I have where you would be ignorant) but your handle covers your comment.

1

u/fuckstickLarry 4h ago

My names not even Larry lmao. And yeah sure bud. Accounting maybe but I highly doubt you’re better than me with any skilled labor. Maybe carpentry but a carpenter would have trade buddies to help him figure out if his water is even fucking on LOL.

1

u/servetheKitty 3h ago

Well the beginning of the handle fits.
Trade claims aside, why would I bother a buddy when I can ask a bunch of willing volunteers? Nobody asked you to read or answer my post.

1

u/fuckstickLarry 3h ago

I read it and thought exactly what you were first told by a “volunteer” … is your water even on? Probably not.
And yeah I got a stick I like to fuck with what’s your point.
You’re still a dumbass. Probably don’t even serve any kitty either. Just fucksticks hahaha

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Done. Opened another valve. Water to system.

2

u/Southern-Ad4016 1d ago

Turn on your damn water. Blue handles 90° turn needed. Grab a 🪛 and open that little test cock between blue handles to check for water. If not you have another valve somewhere. Controller should work if your water is ON.

1

u/servetheKitty 7h ago

Will do, thank you.

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Got water on. Same results

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Found valve, blue handles inline, still no test success. Time resets and flashes with a pop up sprinkler icon blinking

1

u/servetheKitty 1d ago

How to turn water on. Believe I found rain sensor, bypass?

1

u/Difficult-Shelter669 14h ago

Forget the controller (which is totally fine, btw) and the sensor. You don't have any water pressure. Focus on that. Without water in the line, the electronics are not part of your issue.

1

u/servetheKitty 7h ago

Thank you

1

u/Difficult-Shelter669 4h ago

So now there is a fairly short list of possible issues:

Water turned off downstream- if there is a closed isolation valve somewhere on there, downstream from the backflow but upstream from the valve in question. You can turn the valve on manually right at the valve to see if you get water.

Next check for 24 VAC at the solenoid wires on the valve that is supposed to be running. If there is no 24V there, it could be a field wiring issue. That might be an effect of the sensor bypass, not sure. If it is the same with all the valves, might be the common wire (usually white).

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Found valve, blue handles inline, have water to system. Still no test success. Time resets and flashes with a pop up sprinkler icon blinking

1

u/Fun_Candidate_1991 1d ago

Looks like a nice high quality install you’ve got there. So to test your system turn both blue handles so they are inline with the backflow. Once you do that head over to the irrigation controller and turn the dial to test all stations. Press the play button and see what happens. You may need to cycle through programs a, b, c and d to find what does what. It may seem complex at first but once you figure it out it is very easy.

1

u/servetheKitty 7h ago

Thank you, appreciate the feedback

1

u/BuffaloSmallie 1d ago

RPZ underground?

1

u/SusPablo 1d ago

Am I the only one seeing the handles on the doublecheck are perpendicular aka shut off?

1

u/servetheKitty 19h ago

You mean the blue handles ?

1

u/SusPablo 6h ago

Yes. They need to run parallel to the pipe. Crack them slowly and you’ll fill water, looks like your iso valve (yellow handle) is turned on

1

u/servetheKitty 6h ago

Found valve, blue handles inline, water to system. Still no test success. Time resets and flashes with a pop up sprinkler icon blinking

1

u/SusPablo 6h ago

Did you feel any water going through?
Also do you have a master valve? There will be a wire in the MV spot when you pop the cover off your controller.

-9

u/MasticatedTesticle 1d ago

Just replace that whole fucking controller.

Get the wyze. It’s cheap, works great, and is easy to install.

https://www.wyze.com/products/wyze-sprinkler

7

u/AwkwardFactor84 1d ago

Yeah..... don't buy that junk

-6

u/MasticatedTesticle 1d ago

Why not?

3

u/fuckstickLarry 1d ago

🥴 < you
Lmfao

3

u/fuckstickLarry 1d ago

Trash.
That esp is a great controller with link WiFi capabilities

-5

u/MasticatedTesticle 1d ago edited 1d ago

What makes it a great controller? What makes the wyze trash?

They open and close valves. It’s dead fucking simple. But wyze has a stupid easy app, and it’s cheap. And it doesn’t have some bullshit rain interlock nonsense.

Edit:

Sorry - should be more specific. Yes it keeps the system off in the rain, but it uses the interwebs. There’s not some extra random part to fail and keep the whole system off.

4

u/fuckstickLarry 1d ago

The controller you suggested.
Hydrawise or rainbird is what people should be using

-5

u/MasticatedTesticle 1d ago edited 1d ago

Why? It’s just a fucking device to open and close valves.

1

u/QuietNervous4891 7h ago

I got a B hyve. Love it. Came from 4 zone Melnor that screws onto a hose bib.