How to Monitor the Valve Position for Sprinkler Systems

Identifying and monitoring which valve controls which sprinkler zone is important for knowing how to set your sprinkler controller. When you know which valve is hooked up to any given zone, you can make more informed decisions about how long to run individual zones. A sprinkler that hits a flower bed, for example, should run slightly longer than one that just hits grass. Fortunately, it's simple to identify your sprinkler zones and valve positions.

Sprinkler control box
Sprinkler manifold
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Instructions

- 1
  Open up the sprinkler manifold box. It's usually near the side of the house.
- 2
  Set the control timer to run each sprinkler zone, even if you're not sure all the zones are hooked up, for two minutes each. Press "start" or "run."
- 3
  Move to the manifold box where the valves are.
- 4
  Place your hand on each valve until you feel vibrations. The valve with the strongest sensation will be the first zone. Mark the top of the valve "No. 1" to quickly identify the valve in the future.
- 5
  Wait two minutes for the system to shift to the next zone.
- 6
  Feel the valves again and mark the one with the strongest vibrations as "No. 2."
- 7
  Continue marking valve positions every two minutes until the entire cycle is complete.

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