Purely Irrigation have the equipment, experience and knowledge to quickly find and replace your faulty retic solenoid valves
Solenoid Valve Locating and Replacement
Each reticulation zone in your garden reticulation system is controlled in most cases by an electrically operated valve, commonly known as a solenoid valve. These solenoid valves are typically made up of the valve body itself which encompasses a diaphragm valve running in line with your retic PVC or poly pipes in the ground. The solenoid valve is then opened and closed by the 'solenoid' or 'coil' which normally runs from a 24 volt AC signal, sent from your reticulation controller.
Typically these solenoid valves are sturdy by design, and will last for many years, however some are not so tough and may fail from time to time, whilst others are affected by environmental conditions such as erosion of the coil, or tree and plant root invasion damage. In these situations repairs are sometimes possible; however in some cases a repair cost can actually be more expensive than replacing the whole solenoid valve assembly.
On most reticulations systems there is a master control valve which acts as the safety net for your watering system. The master control valve, or MCV, is there simply to act as an isolation point to the rest of the retic system, and is primarily in place to minimise the chances of a retic leak to ground should one of your retic zone valves fail, especially wasteful if this happens whilst your home is unattended and the problem is allowed to run on for days! This solenoid valve is typically close to your water meter and may have a flow control like the valve pictured right. This is the tap head located in the centre of the valve and is designed to control the flow rate as required.
After the MCV each retic station will have it's own solenoid valve, designed to operate each separate station. It is good practice to locate the retic valves close together, and to house them in valve boxes, or covers, to protect them from the elements. However we are regularly called out to replace solenoid valves, and we find them completely submerged in soil, sand, under pavers, under plants, and even embedded in tree trunks.
It's these tricky retic jobs that really require the specialist wire and valve locating equipment we operate, as well as the experience and understanding of residential irrigation systems we have gained through years of experience locating, and repairing faulty solenoid valves. Purely Irrigation will quickly locate your faulty solenoid valves, and restore your reticulation system to working order.