Irrigation systems use solenoids to manage water flow to underground sprinklers. They come in different sizes and materials, and are connected to electronic timers. Troubleshooting and installation require basic skills and tools.
Irrigation systems are underground sprinklers made with many types of irrigation parts and underground pipes. An irrigation valve solenoid is a small mechanical device that manages the flow of water to an underground irrigation system. The solenoid is turned on and off with an electrical charge that causes a small plunger to release water into the sprinkler pipes, which causes the sprinkler heads to pop out of the ground and spray the water onto a lawn.
There are several types of solenoids used in irrigation systems. They are available in a variety of sizes, which fit most underground plumbing fixtures, and are made of metal, copper, or plastic material. Each solenoid has a screw on one end, which connects to the plumbing, and a set of wires on the opposite end that connects to a central actuating unit.
Solenoids are usually connected to electronic timers that manage how long a lawn is watered. If a sprinkler valve solenoid is left open for an extended period of time, it can cause flooding of the lawn. These valves can become clogged with small particles of dirt or sand, which can force the solenoid to stay open. It is important to keep the solenoids in a clean, safe valve box designed to keep small dirt particles away from the mechanical hardware of the system.
A valve solenoid is typically attached to a large irrigation manifold that coordinates the distribution of water from a central water source to specific areas of a lawn. This manifold has a separate irrigation valve solenoid for each area of the lawn. The solenoid valves are activated with electronic timers that manage the water flow for each zone for specific time intervals and durations during the day.
If your sprinkler system isn’t working properly, some basic troubleshooting techniques are usually required. A broken sprinkler valve solenoid is easy to detect because water isn’t flowing to a specific area or sprinkler head. Using the manual bleed function on the solenoid valve, which bypasses the electronic signal, is the easiest way to test a solenoid. If this causes the water to flow, the electronic solenoid usually needs to be replaced.
Installing an irrigation valve solenoid is also a fairly straightforward process. It requires some basic mechanical skills and some light electrical wiring tools. The solenoid connects easily by screwing the threaded end of the fixture into the irrigation manifold, leaving the threads exposed on top of the unit. These wires are then connected to a trigger switch and sealed with waterproof twist-on wire caps.
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