Helpful Information
Successfully locating a sprinkler system’s underground lines can present a significant challenge, particularly if you’d like to avoid digging everything up. Whether installing new landscaping and hardscaping, such as pools or patios, or repairing sprinkler system leaks, knowing how to find sprinkler lines could prove helpful. Not only will it save you time and money but it could also help you prevent unintended damage.
Here, American Irrigation Repair shares how the team finds sprinkler lines without causing unnecessary disruption to lawns and the irrigation system.
Why Locating Sprinkler Lines is Important
There are essential reasons behind seeking a precise location of the property’s underground sprinkler lines. For one thing, digging or installations on your property that interfere with your system’s lines can compress or puncture those lines, leading to expensive repairs and the risk of water damage.
It’s also helpful to immediately locate lines to remedy:
- Leaks.
- Water pressure problems.
- Maintenance or repair issues.
As experts like American Irrigation Repair will tell you, locating lines with precision is the first step to handling this sort of work efficiently. After all, causing unnecessary property damage is something everyone wants to avoid!
Methods for Locating Sprinkler Lines
So, what are the methods professionals use to locate underground sprinkler system lines?
Check for a System Map
While it might seem obvious, the easiest method for quickly locating sprinkler lines is to refer to a system map. Installation companies often prepare a detailed map that shows the exact location of sprinkler heads and service lines. When properly drafted, these maps provide accurate measurements from building foundations, curbs, and fixed property markers.
Have you lost your system map? Are you unsure if you received one when you installed the system or when you bought the property? Try contacting the company that installed the system for a duplicate map.
Look for Sprinkler Heads
Do you know how to find sprinkler lines? Well, lines always connect to sprinkler heads. In the absence of a map, the sprinkler heads’ locations provide you with great clues as to the location of any underground lines.
A technician might approach this process by marking the position of each sprinkler head to trace the approximate path between them. Installers usually run straight lines between each head, forming a grid (unless there are some obstructions or other reasons to deviate from straight lines). A grid formation is the most efficient distribution system, and you can easily mark these lines between sprinkler heads with flags or spray paint.
Find Valve Boxes
Valve boxes are another essential component of your property’s sprinkler system. The boxes house the valves that control water flow to each zone of your irrigation system. Installers usually place valve boxes close to buildings or sprinkler heads in a round lid mounted flush with the ground.
When repair technicians locate a valve box, they can trace lines from valves to nearby sprinkler heads. (Some valve box designs place them below the surface, so you would carefully dig around it to expose the box without damaging the lines that connect to it).
Use a Line Tracer
As its name suggests, a line tracer is an electronic device that helps locate underground lines without extensive digging. Knowing how to find sprinkler lines with a tracer is quite simple:
- You send an electronic signal through the wires that run alongside sprinkler lines.
- A receiver picks up the signal.
- The tracer interprets the signal, indicating the precise path of the sprinkler lines.
This technology is helpful with older irrigation systems that lack a reliable system map.
Probe for Sprinkler Lines
Have you thought about using a probe to locate underground sprinkler lines? The probing tool enters the soil to feel for resistance from pipes buried under the surface.
It’s low-tech, and you must exercise caution to avoid damaging buried lines.
Ground Marking Techniques
One final technique is ground marking, a straightforward sprinkler line location method that involves digging around sprinkler heads or valve boxes to locate a section of the pipe. After the dig exposes a line, mark its path with flags or spray paint.
This process is time-consuming. It requires a good bit of digging in precise locations, but it does offer certainty in your search for water lines.
Contact American Irrigation Repair for Complete Sprinkler System Maintenance Today
That’s how to find sprinkler lines. As you can see, some professional assistance would come in handy to leverage the technology and tools needed for precise sprinkler line mapping.
Serving property owners around Georgetown, Round Rock, and Austin, Texas, since 1997, American Irrigation Repair offers award-winning service and risk-free system analysis. Call (512) 943-6080 today to schedule service or learn more!
