# How can I tell if my automatic sprinkler system is broken? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 25, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619 "2009-05-25T23:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![infomancanada2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@infomancanada2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infomancanada2)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/1 "2009-05-25T23:06:13Z")
My new home has a watering sprinkler system on the law. There is a valve box outside and each valve says Toro Easy Flo. The valves are all in the off position. The control panel in the garage works. The water valve running water outside is open (as evidenced by the fact my garden hose works). However, when I run the system on a timer or in manual mode, no water exits from the heads. There is a buzzing sound in the valve box outside when the system is active. I have tested each zone. No dice. The sprinkler guy just tested the system last week and I feel dumb no knowing how to fix this. Any ideas what could be wrong? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/2 "2009-05-26T00:28:39Z")
What happens if you turn the little bleeder knob on the sprinkler valve? (What should happen is - water should trickle out of the knob, and the valve should actuate, starting the sprinkler.) If this doesn’t happen, you aren’t getting water to the valve. Maybe turn the valves to the ON position? ---
**Author:** ![Moonshiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/3 "2009-05-26T12:59:00Z")
You’ve got a closed valve on the main somewhere. Try beowulff’s manual test and if you don’t get any water check your basement and the outside of your house where the sprinkler system main exits for closed valves. You should see something like [this](http://www.drillspot.com/pimages/2549/254912_300.jpg). There are two valves on that device, both of which must be open (handles parallel to pipe) for your system to work. Edit: I forgot to mention that just because your hose bibb works doesn’t mean your sprinkler system main is charged. They’re almost always separate. ---
**Author:** ![infomancanada2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@infomancanada2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infomancanada2)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/4 "2009-06-05T15:12:46Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > What happens if you turn the little bleeder knob on the sprinkler valve? > (What should happen is - water should trickle out of the knob, and the valve should actuate, starting the sprinkler.) > > If this doesn’t happen, you aren’t getting water to the valve. Maybe turn the valves to the ON position? I don’t see a bleeder knob on any of the five valves in the ground. There is simply a handle on each that you can turn to the ON of OFF position. But turning one valve ON does not make any of the zones come on. When the sprinkler guy opened the system and tested it, water came out. I’m not sure exactly what he did. But I’m almost certain that the only water source valve he opened (in fact, I’m the one who opened it for him) was in my furnace room, on the wall opposite the backyard faucet. This seems to be source for the system. I will post a photo later of the valves if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/5 "2009-06-05T15:34:21Z")
Maybe a call to the service man is in order asking for how the system is turned on. He may still remember your house and not need to come out. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/6 "2009-06-05T16:43:27Z")
I’ve seen some valves that don’t have a manual bleeder - you rotate the solenoid to turn the valve on manually. A photo or model number of your valves would help. ---
**Author:** ![Moonshiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Moonshiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonshiner)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-tell-if-my-automatic-sprinkler-system-is-broken/497619/7 "2009-06-05T19:14:02Z")
Toro Easy Flo’s have a little lever under the solenoid that you rotate to manually operate them. If the OP is turning them and no zones come on \*\*there is a valve on the main somewhere that is closed. \*\*