Tips for dealing with inground sprinkler lines?

V

VitoHGrind

New member
Last year, we moved into our new house that has an inground sprinkler system. It's my first time with this sort of system and by the time I was setting up my show for Christmas I wasn't thinking about the sprinkler lines as I drove MANY rebar pieces into the ground to secure various things. Turns out I punched two holes in different lines around the yard. Now coming up on July 4th, I'm curious how others deal with their inground sprinkler hoses. Do you have it all mapped out? If so, tips on doing this? Do you just avoid certain areas?
 
Did you not get copies of house manuals (heating, A/C, etc.) with the purchase of the house? Check to see if there's a layout map for the heads along with an operating guide for the sprinkler system. There's probably a service sticker or something on the main sprinkler control box and you could contact the service company (likely the same as the installers)... they likely have a layout map -- or they should -- in their file for your installation.
 
Dirk, I think you are giving todays landscaping/sprinkler installers WAY too much credit. I would be amazed if any of them had an accurate map of sprinkler line placement.... :biggrin2:

Maybe some sort of utility line diviner could locate them for a homeowner.
 
No, there wasn't anything passed along that indicated where exactly the lines or heads were. I did call the guys out to patch the holes I created, but they came while I was at work so I didn't get to ask if they knew how the lines were ran. I can call again though.
Quick google-fu yields either digging up parts of the yard or poking the ground with a rod and hoping not to create another puncture, neither of which sounds great. Was hoping others had experience.
 
1. The only thing you can 'chirp' are the powered valves. If you don't know where they are - a sprinkler company will have an electric repeater/chirp device that they can hook to the line out from the control box to the valves that will allow them to trace the wire from the control box to the valve. Generally those lines followed the water pipes if they were installed at the same time [not always the case].
2. You can pull all the heads, cap them, then replace one head at a time and trace the sound of water flow from valve box to head. This is a long process, but will work.
3. Is the majority flex pipe or rigid pvc? Rigid will allow for some general guesses on routing (shortest/around obstacles) based of layout of yard, but if the landscaping has changed over the years - you again might not have the simplest layout.

Path can relatively be determined by which heads pop first too. Turn on a valve/zone and watch which heads move first. Generally the first on the line will pop up first and then down the line. Knowing which heads are upstream from others might also help you anticipate/assume piping directions/locations. Since you can assume that the lines will be shortest distances between heads in the order they pop.

Ultimately - if you're driving rebar - start a map this year and keep updating it into the future. Map out the existing heads and color code them to zones. Then draw some assumption lines and then give yourself 1' NO GO ZONE between the assumed runs.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW_xDXDtDmc

Now...before you say...what? It works for me. It works GREAT. But it doesn't work for everyone. My neighbors call me up and say....come find my sprinkler lines please?

To test it, just drop a shovel on the ground and walk over it. If the rods find it...golden. If not...ask someone else to try it.
 
Perhaps you can use an electrician's fish line. If it is possible to insert the fish line into the pipe once the sprinkler head is removed it can be pushed along the pipe. These lines are very flexible and are made of metal. Then you can use a metal detector to trace the line. You may be able to rent the stuff.
 
The water department where I live has "listening" equipment that they use to hear the water running in lines.
I have used it a few times to find underground water lines buried as deep as 7 feet underground. It does take a bit of getting used to and is not the easiest thing to do but it does work if you take the time to work with it. It is easiest to use when it is quiet in the area and you would probably want to place buckets over the heads so you don't get soaked.
You might check with the local water department and see if they have anything like this?
 
When pounding rebar into the ground, don't put a lot of force on the hammer blows. Usually you can feel a little resistance before you puncture through it. Once you do start having to fix lines, start making your own map.
 
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