How to Check Your Sprinkler System
- 1). Walk around the irrigation areas of your home and look for leaks beneath the backflow preventer, near sprinkler heads and inside of the valve manifold.
- 2). Locate the irrigation line shut-off valve, and confirm that the valve is open to allow water to flow from the main line to the irrigation line. If the valve is a gate valve, confirm that the knob is turned completely to the left or counterclockwise to open the valve. If the valve is a ball valve, confirm that the valve lever is parallel to the irrigation line. If the lever is adjacent to the line, the irrigation line is shut off and water is unable to flow to the unit.
- 3). Pull open the lid to the valve manifold to test the sprinklers. Grasp the solenoid on the first irrigation valve, and twist it to the left or counterclockwise to open it. The sprinklers that receive water from the first water valve activate. Walk around to each sprinkler, and confirm that the water pressure is strong and that the sprinklers spray within their designated area. Repeat the process for each irrigation valve.
- 4). Obtain the sprinkler adjustment tool that came supplied with the sprinkler, if the sprinkler is spraying into incorrect areas, such as sidewalks or walls. Insert the tool into the arc adjustment hole of the rotary sprinkler, hold the head of the sprinkler in place and twist the tool to the left to curtail the rotation range or the right to expand it, until the sprinkler waters only the desired area. Repeat this step for each sprinkler.
- 5). Return to the valve manifold, and twist the open solenoid to the right to close it. Inspect the valve manifold wires to confirm that they are properly covered with splice connectors to keep them safe from the elements. Replace the lid to the valve manifold.
- 6). Locate the irrigation system control box or timer. Press the “Manual” or “Start” button to activate the system manually. The valves open and the sprinklers rise above the ground to water the lawn. Press the button or move the switch to the desired program, and twist the irrigation dial to the scheduled-times feature. Confirm that watering schedule for each zone of the yard is accurate. Twist the dial to “Run,” and confirm that each zone valve activates as scheduled.