Suspected sprinkler leak- I'm going in! Any pointers?

Southlake

Joined: Oct 11, 1999

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9:04a, 10/10/25

AG

Seems like every time I embark on a project, I notify you guys for advice (and funny comments)

Had roofers here last Monday and yesterday I noticed a 4 x 4 wet spot along a sprinkler line. Kinda oozy, not flowing. I know the roofers were hauling heavy stuff over that area.

Being Captain Obviousl, I surmise that somehow they might have cracked or broken a line. I'd like to dry out more than run that line to be able to detect the leak better but I also don't want to wait too long as it's leaking. Can't really feel if it's actively leaking or just left over from running the systems a couple days ago.

Anyway, I'm going in about a half hour if anybody has any inputs.

akaggie05

Joined: Oct 5, 2006

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9:22a, 10/10/25

AG

Go ahead and run the system and watch that area. If you see a gushing head or water bubbling up from the ground you'll know where the issue is, and that it's downstream of a valve. Best case they just broke a head which is easily replaced.

If it's constantly wet there then they may have broken a supply line, which then requires shutting off water to the system before the repair. If this is suspected, go ahead and dig down and see if you can pinpoint the leak first.

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tgivaughn

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5:16p, 10/11/25

AG

Voting you already guessed the damage and by now fixed the leak? (shallow PVC broke? ... if not head itself?)
20-20 hindsight advice would have been: go buy more parts than might be required to getRdone pronto then either store excess parts for next time or return then @ next shopping trip for credit

Gotta draw since me got no grammar

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Southlake

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In reply to tgivaughn • 2:08p, 10/14/25

AG

tgivaughn said:
Voting you already guessed the damage and by now fixed the leak? (shallow PVC broke? ... if not head itself?)
20-20 hindsight advice would have been: go buy more parts than might be required to getRdone pronto then either store excess parts for next time or return then @ next shopping trip for credit

Actually you're right on!

I dug it all up in more time than it should have taken cause it was waterlogged clay soil.

was leaking out of the side of the valve housing and the solenoid on top was caked. I was going to cut the valve off then splice in new pipe and wire a new valve My buddy, Gary 79, suggested to just replace the guts of the valve.

i had gone to Home depot and had the valve and parts so I unscrewed the solenoid, cleaned it then unscrewed the top half of the valve and replaced it with the new valve top.

presto, leak stopped with the new gasket. Old solenoid worked fine.

saved the extra parts in my sprinkler parts box.

so main takeaway is DONT cut the new valve out, simply replace the innards or solenoid

.

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