Rain Bird Valve Will Not Turn off

Schedule

• If some of the sprinklers turn off and others don't, one of the Rain Bird valves might be set to go off under two different schedules. The controller or timer that's connected to the valves features several different programs that allow you to make several watering schedules for the same valves. Flip the program switch on the irrigation controller to the desired program, and select the station or valve in question. Observe the scheduled watering time for that valve under all of the programs. If the schedules overlap, adjust the scheduled watering time for that valve.

Duration

• When one or more Rain Bird valves fails to turn off, the watering duration on the irrigation controller might not be set correctly, causing the sprinklers to continue watering longer than desired. Select the problem program and then the problem station. Twist the dial or press the button to access the water duration times for that station, and view the duration within the timer display. If the watering duration time is higher than desired, use the directional keys to lower the water duration time.

Open Valve

• If the timer controls have no effect on the active Rain Bird valve, check the manual controls of the valve. Valves can be manually turned on even if they are hooked up to a controller, which comes in handy when draining the system for winter or other occasions. The solenoid of the valve, which is on top of the valve and turns like a knob, controls the water flow through the valve. If the solenoid is twisted open, water flows freely through the valve and to the sprinklers, regardless of the signals from the timer. Grasp the top of the solenoid, and twist it clockwise to close it. The sprinklers should turn off.

Dirty Solenoid

• When the Rain Bird valve still fails to shut off after the solenoid is screwed into place, there might be debris or dirt blocking the solenoid components, which aid in shutting off the water flow from the irrigation line. Unscrew the solenoid completely, and remove it, the filter and the plunger from the valve. Use water and your hands to clean the solenoid components, and then place them back into the valve.