by Marty Minchin

Created on: September 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 10, 2012

Well-functioning sprinkler valves are key to maintaining water flow and distribution in a sprinkler system. In lawn sprinkler systems, valves are part of an underground network of pipes, wires and sprinklers that connect to a water source and provide controlled irrigation. When they malfunction, sometimes it can be difficult to even find irrigation valves to begin repair work.

Lawn sprinkler systems do not run continuously, and valves stop and start the water flow and maintain flow to the sprinklers when they are on. Most residences don't have a large enough water supply to run an entire sprinkler system at once, so valves send the water to one "zone" at a time. When all zones have been serviced, an entire lawn will have been watered. Irrigation valves also allow you to control the amount of water different areas of your lawn receive; for example, a sunny area would require more water than a shady area.

Irrigation valves are controlled by the water pressure in their upper and lower chambers, which are separated by a "diaphragm." When the sprinkler is off, the water fills both chambers and creates an equilibrium. The sprinkler comes on when a spring releases the water in the upper chamber, creating more pressure in the lower chamber and pushing the diaphragm up. The water then flows out of the lower chamber and through the sprinkler head, watering the lawn.

DO-IT-YOURSELF SEARCHING

When irrigation valves malfunction, oftentime the only way to figure the problem out is to examine the valve. However, contractors rarely provide homeowners with maps or layouts of irrigation systems after they are installed, which sometimes can make sprinkler system valve locating only a little easier than finding a needle in a haystack. New owners may landscape over sprinkler valves, unwittingly planting sod or bushes on a lawn sprinkler system valve location. Sprinkler systems also often are not laid out in a systematic manner, so even if a homeowner comes across one irrigation valve location, it may provide no clues to finding the other lost valves.

Homeowners have tried several do-it-yourself methods to find lost valves with limited success, as many require guessing and a little luck. Common places to find lost valves are the corners of houses, along property lines and along the edges of flower beds, although sprinker valves can be located anywhere in a yard.

• Using a metal detector

Some homeowners claim to be able to find irrigation valves with a metal detector, but

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