Johnson Irrigation: Montreal, Certified, Irrigation

No. Water will drain through the lowest head until the pipe empties. If the seepage does not stop, the problem is with the valve that controls that sprinkler zone. The problem could be as simple as a small piece of debris inside the valve. Warning: Shut off the water supply before disassembling the valve.
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Q: Water seeps from one sprinkler. Is the system not turning off?

No. Water may drain through the lowest sprinkler until the pipe empties. Sprinklers can be equipped with check valves that can hold this water in the pipes. If the seepage never stops, the problem is with the valve that controls that sprinkler zone. The problem could be as simple as a small piece of debris inside the valve preventing it from closing properly. Warning: Shut off the water supply before disassembling the valve.
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Q: One zone continues to water after the cycle is complete. Is the controller broken?

Probably not, but to make sure, pull the power cord from the wall, removing power from the controller. If the water continues to run, the problem is with the zone valve. If the water stops, the controller is at fault. Double-check the programming.
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Q: Why does my timer keep blowing fuses or tripping the circuit breaker?

One or more of the electric control valves has a shorted solenoid, or there is a short in the wiring. If you have a multi meter or volt meter you can check your wiring and solenoids for shorts and continuity. Otherwise, try switching another solenoid from a functioning valve to see if the problem valve will turn on. If so, replace the solenoid. If not, you may have to replace the wiring.
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Q: What is happening to the timer when the display shows that a zone or station is watering but the valve is not operating?

Check the transformer for output (24VAC). Push the red power reset button or verify that the fuse is good. Turn on a station manually and check the output at that station (24 VAC). If there is proper voltage, there may be a problem with the wiring or the solenoid on that valve. If the valve has a flow control, be sure it is open all the way. If there is low voltage, the timer needs to be replaced. If you have a rain sensor, that may be stopping the system as well.
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Q: Can I override the rain sensor?

It depends on your controller and wiring. Newer controllers have a dedicated port where the rain sensor may be connected. If the sensor is wired into this port you should be able to override it. If the port is not used or is not present then the sensor has been hard wired to the system. If this is the case, the only way to override the sensor is to manually bypass it outside at the sensor.
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Q: Why does the timer operate manually but does not operate when in "Auto" mode?

There is an error in programming. Reset the timer and then reprogram.
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Q: Why does my timer turn on more than one valve or station at a time?

This is generally a wiring problem between the timer and the valves. To be sure, check the output at the timer and verify that there is voltage only at the station that the display indicates is watering. If so, then electrical current from one valve is transferring to the wires on the other valve causing them both to open. Replace the wiring to the valves.
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Q: Why are one or more of my sprinkler heads weeping or running continuously?

This is generally because of a ruptured or torn diaphragm in one or more of the control valves. Be sure that the valve is not installed backwards. Make sure the solenoid plunger is not stuck or missing. Remove the solenoid and check for debris or a missing plunger. If everything looks functional, remove the cover assembly and check the diaphragm and lower valve body diaphragm seat for chips, fractures, or debris. If the diaphragm is torn, ruptured, or has a tiny pin hole, replace it. If there is a chip or fracture in the lower valve body, replace the valve. For additional help, refer to the troubleshooting section of the specific valve model number.
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Q: How many sprinkler heads can I run off one valve?

The number of sprinkler heads you can run at one time depends on:

The amount of water each head uses, measured in Gallons Per Minute (GPM).

The amount of water you have available at the valve, also measured in GPM.

The water pressure at your house, measured in Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI).

The size and length of the piping you will be using.
The size of your water meter.

Q: My sprinkler system works, but why are some parts of my yard real green, and some are almost dead?

Sometimes a sprinkler system has not been laid out properly to give adequate coverage to the yard. The spray pattern from each sprayhead should overlap with the spray patterns of the heads next to it. Johnson Irrigation recommends overlapping the spray patterns 100% of the radius (50% of the diameter). You accomplish this overlap by spacing the heads at the distance they will spray (i.e. - if your heads spray 10 feet, space them 10 feet apart). This constitutes "Head to Head" coverage, which evens out the water distribution across your yard.

This may sound like a lot of heads, but it can actually save you quite a bit in water bills over the years. You won’t need to run your system as long in order to get sufficient coverage. The combination of the right heads with the proper spacing should result in balanced water distribution, and ultimately a beautiful looking lawn you can enjoy.
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Q: Can I run my underground sprinkler system from an outside tap?

Yes, but it will usually cost more. A sprinkler system normally uses quite a bit of water, measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Most sprinkler zones will use from 8 to 12 GPM as they operate. An outside tap cannot supply nearly that amount of water, due to the size limitations within the tap itself, and often due of the size of the pipe running to the tap. You would need to measure the available GPM at the tap to see how many heads could run at one time (each head operates at a specific GPM).
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Q: I have a computerized sprinkler timer. We often have power outages in my area, and when I come home, I have to re-program it all over again. Shouldn’t it hold the program in memory?

A computerized sprinkler timer should have a battery back-up to maintain the program during a power outage. Check behind the front panel of the timer (there is usually an access panel) where you should find connections for a 9 volt battery. Read any instructions you may find, since some timers require rechargeable batteries, while others require alkaline. Connecting a good battery should solve your problem, assuming your power outages are not so long and so often that your battery can not keep up (a new battery should normally last about a year).
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Q: Sometimes my sprinklers don’t shut off. When I go turn off the main valve, and then turn it back on they remain off. Can you help?

The next time the zone sticks on, unplug your timer.

If the watering stops, you have a problem with your timer and should have it checked or replaced.

If it does not stop running, you have a stuck control valve. If you’re not sure which valve it is, feel the valves when that zone is stuck on, and you should be able to tell which valve water is running through. Some valves will have a flow control on them (i.e.- a shutoff on the valve, which might look like a knob, tee handle, or sometimes like a screw head on the top of the valve). If yours does, try shutting it off. If the zone shuts off, you’ve found the right one. Two things will normally cause a stuck valve. One could be debris, like a rock or stick, which has become lodged under the diaphragm (i.e. - a large rubber disk inside the valve), or the other is that the diaphragm itself is bad, becoming hard or cracked due to age or water conditions. Either problem will require shutting off the water supply to the valve, disassembling the valve, and correcting the problem.
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Q: When I turn my automatic valve on manually, why does water come out of the bleed screw? Is it leaking?

No, what you have described is normal. The reason for turning the bleed screw is to release some pressure, and therefore some water, from the top of the valve’s diaphragm, which causes the diaphragm to open and water to pass through the valve. Once you close the bleed screw, it should stop seeping water, and the valve should close.
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