"Tony Tung" wrote in message
.. .
Hi,

I recently had landscaping done. The area around the valves and the water
main is now perpetually wet. I'm trying to get the landscaper to fix it,
as I observe the following:

1) the top of one of the valves is wet. the two adjacent valves are not.
2) the pipe leading from the valve to the ground is wet.

The only symptom that I see that does not point at the valve being the
culprit is that the valve in question is not in the center of the moist
area.

The landscaper insists that the valve is fine, and he suspects that the
water main is the problem (and that I should have a plumber take a look at
it). Any advice?

Thanks,
Tony

It is normal for some sprinkler valves to leak while running but generally
not when they are off. Did you observe the area when the sprinklers were
turned on the normal way (by the timer). Water often runs along a pipe
before dripping off, the location of the leak and wet spot may not concur.

Also many sprinkler valves have backflow prevention (anti-siphon) device
built in which means when the water turns off, if there is back pressure in
the pipe it will be vented at a point near the valve. If that valve feeds a
branch that runs slightly uphill before getting to the heads, a significant
amount of water may be flushed when it finishes.

Dig into the wet spot and make sure there is not a cracked pipe at the
bottom of it (or maybe you already know where the pipe is). You may want to
replace this soil with pea gravel to promote better drainage if you
determine the wet spot is acceptable.

Try putting a bucket or tray under the whole thing to find out if the water
is coming up or down.