Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
...
Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

Two pieces of baling wire 16" long, bent at 4" to give you an L. Hold
loosely in both hands at elbow level, fists touching your sides. Hold loose
enough so they swing. Tip very slightly down so they droop in front of you.
When you walk over a line, they swing towards each other. Holding them
loose and almost flat is the trick. If you can't master that, use two
tabasco bottles to put them in.

I have been poo pooed on this, but anyone who has used it know it works.

Steve

SteveB wrote:
I have been poo pooed on this, but anyone who has used it know it
works.

Do you need to have water in the sprinkler lines, or will it work when
they are dry?

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

Got a timer? How many zones? How large yard? Pretty simple to trace,
starting at main and going by line of sight to next head. Did I miss
something?

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
...
Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

Each zone should be a separate piping system. From zone to sprinkler to
sprinkler and so on. If you want to add a sprinkler just find the pipe by
the closes sprinkler to were want to add. It doesn't have to come off the
end of the line, T in anywhere.

I know that each of the 4 zones is separate, but if there is a manifold
for each zone, it is not where the valves a from each valve, one pipe
disappears into the ground, and from that point I do not know whether
each runs to a manifold to which each sprinkler is connected directly,
or whether a single pipe runs to each sprinkler in turn.

The sprinklers in each zone are not all the same (maybe a bad thing),
and in the case where I have dug down, I have found an "end"; i.e., the
pipe does not continue from that sprinkler to another, but I would like
to "map" the system and -- *most important* -- locate whatever manifolds
exist so that I can connect a new line at that point rather than extend
an existing "daisy chain."

The whole thing is complicated by the fact that some sprinklers are fed
by a 1/2" pipe and some by a 3/4" pipe. Moreover, there are automatic
drain valves *somewhere* in the system, so simply noting the sequence in
which sprinklers "fire" does not seem to me to be a reliable way of
figuring out the connections.

Perce


On 07/14/05 06:02 pm Norminn tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for
each zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Got a timer? How many zones? How large yard? Pretty simple to trace,
starting at main and going by line of sight to next head. Did I miss
something?

I know that each of the 4 zones is separate, but if there is a manifold
for each zone, it is not where the valves a from each valve, one pipe
disappears into the ground, and from that point I do not know whether
each runs to a manifold to which each sprinkler is connected directly,
or whether a single pipe runs to each sprinkler in turn -- which,
according to all that I have read, is *not* the way to do it.

The sprinklers in each zone are not all the same (maybe a bad thing),
and in the case where I have dug down, I have found an "end"; i.e., the
pipe does not continue from that sprinkler to another, but I would like
to "map" the system and -- *most important* -- locate whatever manifolds
exist so that I can connect a new line at that point rather than extend
an existing "daisy chain."

The whole thing is complicated by the fact that some sprinklers are fed
by a 1/2" pipe and some by a 3/4" pipe. Moreover, there are automatic
drain valves *somewhere* in the system, so simply noting the sequence in
which sprinklers "fire" does not seem to me to be a reliable way of
figuring out the connections.

Perce


On 07/14/05 06:30 pm Sacramento Dave tossed the following ingredients
into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
...

Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce


Each zone should be a separate piping system. From zone to sprinkler to
sprinkler and so on. If you want to add a sprinkler just find the pipe by
the closes sprinkler to were want to add. It doesn't have to come off the
end of the line, T in anywhere.

"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
...
SteveB wrote:
I have been poo pooed on this, but anyone who has used it know it
works.

Do you need to have water in the sprinkler lines, or will it work when
they are dry?



It is impossible to get the water out unless you blow it out. I think it
can stay in there for years, what with rain adding to it.

I tell ya, I have used it for decades. It's free, isn't it?

Steve

SteveB wrote:
It is impossible to get the water out unless you blow it out. I
think it can stay in there for years, what with rain adding to it.

My sprinkler system drains to the lowest part, and the lines are usually
empty.

"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
m...
SteveB wrote:
It is impossible to get the water out unless you blow it out. I
think it can stay in there for years, what with rain adding to it.

My sprinkler system drains to the lowest part, and the lines are usually
empty.



And I would imagine that some ( a little to a lot ) remains inside there.

And, I think I could find the pipe by dowsing.

Steve

I think there is no standard that applies, and without knowing who
installed your system, it could be routed any way. Mine has a main line
from the valve down the middle of the zone, with smaller lines running
off that to where the heads are located. The drain is at the end of the
main line.

I don't know any good way to trace the lines, which is why it is
important to get a map drawn when the system is installed. Dowsing is a
hoax. I suppose one could get a stethoscope and try to trace by sound,
if you don't mind getting wet.

Adding another head may not be a good idea. If done right, zones are
established based on the amount of water available (considering pressure
and volume) so if you add another head to a zone, its likely that the
existing heads won't function fully; just as if you were to replace the
existing heads with larger heads, you would likely find that none of
them would be fully functional.

If you have an unserved area, your best bet would be to add another zone.

Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

Here's an interesting method I tried just recently - and it worked! I
called this a "nerd project" and owe the idea to my nerdy dad. haha

I was actually trying to locate the valves in my system, since the previous
owner sodded over them. (doh) I realize you're wanting to trace the PVC,
but this method will at least trace out the PVC going to each valve (that
is, if they're not grouped in the same location) because standard procedure
is to bury the wires in the same trench that was dug for the pipes.

1) Disconnect all wires at controller.
2) Take an old extension cord and cut one of the wires (only one!)
3) Splice in the zone you want to trace (if they're chained, one will cover
the whole system) by attaching the extension cord wire, outlet side, to the
color-coded valve wire.
4) Connect the ground wire for that valve circuit to the other extension
cable wire (the one that leads on to the end of the cord).
5) Connect some sort of small, "noisy" appliance to the cord. I used a
dremel tool, but other things should work too. just make sure it's a
low-amperage device. You don't want to pull lots of amperage through this
tiny circuit.
6) Plug in that sucker (but not to a ground-fault circuit as it will
immediately trip).
7) Turn on the appliance to introduce noise into the custom circuit.
8) Hold a portable AM radio near the valve wiring and tune the dial until
the noise is most audible.
9) Run the radio along the ground from the known point where the wires are
buried, tracing their location. (I used some spray paint on the grass.)

Crazy huh? Hey, it works! Just try not to electrocute yourself. Also,
make sure you disconnect all the wires from the controller or you'll burn it
up in the process.

The valve servos normally run on only 24v, but the 110V won't hurt them as
long as you don't try to pull lots of current through them.


"Percival P. Cassidy" wrote in message
...
Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Perce

On 07/15/05 10:11 am William Brown tossed the following ingredients into
the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

I think there is no standard that applies, and without knowing who
installed your system, it could be routed any way. Mine has a main line
from the valve down the middle of the zone, with smaller lines running
off that to where the heads are located. The drain is at the end of the
main line.

That is how it should be done, according to what I have read.

I don't know any good way to trace the lines, which is why it is
important to get a map drawn when the system is installed. Dowsing is a
hoax. I suppose one could get a stethoscope and try to trace by sound,
if you don't mind getting wet.

This is a pre-owned house, and I'm not sure that it was even the
immediately preceding owners who had the sprinkler system installed.

Adding another head may not be a good idea. If done right, zones are
established based on the amount of water available (considering pressure
and volume) so if you add another head to a zone, its likely that the
existing heads won't function fully; just as if you were to replace the
existing heads with larger heads, you would likely find that none of
them would be fully functional.

When we looked at this house prior to purchasing it, the municipality
was in the process of redoing the water main, and our water pressure now
runs at 70-80psi, probably way higher than when the system was
installed. Some of our neighbors have suffered major plumbing problems
as a result of the increased water pressure.

So I don't think that adding one more sprinkler to a zone will hurt too
much. But I now think that relocating a couple of the existing
sprinklers and putting in larger nozzles may well do the trick.

If you have an unserved area, your best bet would be to add another zone.

Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for
each zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.

Unfortunately, the only wires we have go as far as the four valves that
are all in a group at the front of the house -- one valve each for back
yard, front yard, and each side yard.

Perce


On 07/15/05 12:28 pm MrC1 tossed the following ingredients into the
ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

Here's an interesting method I tried just recently - and it worked! I
called this a "nerd project" and owe the idea to my nerdy dad. haha

I was actually trying to locate the valves in my system, since the previous
owner sodded over them. (doh) I realize you're wanting to trace the PVC,
but this method will at least trace out the PVC going to each valve (that
is, if they're not grouped in the same location) because standard procedure
is to bury the wires in the same trench that was dug for the pipes.

snip

Is there any simple/cheap but effective device for tracing underground
water lines?

I want to check whether our sprinklers are fed from a manifold for each
zone or simply "daisy chained," and I may add another sprinkler.