Quick answer: A bad irrigation valve may fail to open, fail to close, leak, buzz, operate intermittently, or cause weak flow to an otherwise normal zone. Proper diagnosis separates the valve itself from controller, wiring, solenoid and water-pressure problems.
Common symptoms
- Zone will not turn on
- Zone stays on after watering should stop
- Water seeps through heads while the system is off
- Valve or solenoid buzzes but the zone does not operate correctly
- Zone has unusually low flow or pressure
A bad solenoid is not always a bad valve
The solenoid is the electrical actuator on the valve. A failed solenoid can often be serviced without replacing the entire valve. Conversely, a working solenoid cannot fix damaged internal valve components.
How technicians diagnose the problem
Diagnosis can include controller-output testing, resistance or continuity checks, wire tracing, manual valve operation and inspection of valve internals. This prevents replacing parts simply because a zone does not work.
For local service, see irrigation valve repair and buried valve locating.
