What unusual have you come across doing irrig. service calls.

[Az Gardener]

I'm not talking about the clients or employees but the illogical stuff. I ask because I am writing a piece for my newsletter.

In the last 6 months I have come across two homes that had the screws come loose on the valve bonnet causing valve box's to flood. These had nothing in common, different brand valves, different size valves and main lines, different parts of the city, and different placement in regards to the distance from the V/B. In short no logical reason these 4 valves had the screws come loose, No reoccurring pattern.

What other weird things have you come across???

[Wet_Boots]

"Dear Penthouse, something unusual happened during a recent service call....."

[zman9119]

Not really unsusual but when turning on a lot of systems this year (all new clients to us), I have found at least one if not two or three zones that have been manually activaited by either someone removing the solenoid or bleed screw.

Not sure if the past contractors wanted some easy money in the spring by saying the valves are stuck open or not. Just a pain in the @$$.

[Kiril]

I audited a system last week that was actually designed properly.

[unit28]

I keep having people call me to fix what they meesed with,
I go there and fix the problem, then they offer me a beer..
I hate beer
can't people just offer me drugs!

[Wet_Boots]

I used to try to arrange my schedule so that I would be at certain jobs in the late afternoon, where it was likely some good wine would be poured.

[unit28]

no good wine will be served before it's time..

[Wet_Boots]

When I show up, it's time.....

[ARGOS]

I have several customers and wineries where I get wine all the time. Murphys (http://www.visitmurphys.com/winetasting.html).

Best tip.

[unit28]

When I show up, it's time.....

oops..no party over here...party over there.

[unit28]

QUOTE=Wet_Boots;3016762]When I show up, it's time.....[/QUOTE]

:clapping::bday:[

[greenmonster304]

I have several customers and wineries where I get wine all the time. Murphys (http://www.visitmurphys.com/winetasting.html).

Best tip.

i am not into wine but I work at this place http://tatesbakeshop.com/store/default.asp
and hey usualy give me something when i come for a service call.

[DanaMac]

To the original question........
How about an entire residential zone done in swing pipe
PVB installed inside between floor joists
8 zone system with all valves inside home and 8 holes drilled through the wall with a pipe coming out each hole
Homeowners who think the Seasonal Adjust % is to increase pressure

[greenmonster304]

"8 zone system with all valves inside home and 8 holes drilled through the wall with a pipe coming out each hole"

I have seen that but with only 3 zones

[Stuttering Stan]

To the original question........
Homeowners who think the Seasonal Adjust % is to increase pressure

At least they know it's there. Some don't even know how to open the front cover.

[WalkGood]

Multiple overlapping schedules.

Zones with 4 hour "on" times.

MV mounted inside and vertical pipe.

Above ground copper manifold(s). One had brass unions designed and built by homeowner so he could disconnect/remove to inside for winter.

[Mike Leary]

Showed up for a service call and found all the laterals were garden hose. :dizzy:

[Wet_Boots]

Showed up on a job and saw the entire system was garden hose.

[unit28]

Kirill is the winner...heck everything discombobulated on an
irrigation system is typical.

found a zone set for 6 hours,
found electrical conduit on a system,
and I found this too.........
Typical Ho:dizzy:

[Mike Leary]

and I found this too.........Typical Ho:dizzy:

Seems like every time I see those Dura fittings with the "O" rings, it's a junk install. :hammerhead:

[DanaMac]

Seems like every time I see those Dura fittings with the "O" rings, it's a junk install. :hammerhead:

Made it real easy for me change out some Flow-Pros the other day. Much like what you see in his the most recent pic. Irritrol 2400 jar tops are just about the same length as a Flow-Pro. Makes it real easy to replace.

[Without A Drought]

PVBs installed backwards, AVBs installed in floor joists, systems ran with orange extension cord, funny piped zones, "timers" made of light switches, you name it, it's been done. and i've seen a lot of the worst.

[ohenry]

Zones with 4 hour "on" times.


found a zone set for 6 hours,

OK, just checking here, and obviously, if you found these things and considered them unusual, it was because they were unusual, but:

If you're talking about systems that include drip zones, a 4-hour or even a 6-hour run time wouldn't be totally unheard of, would it? Conceivable that, say, a tree zone done in drip could run for four hours? Or am I wrong?

[mowerman111]

Electrical receptacle and timer in the valve box on a commercial property. Can you believe it was an electrician that installed irrigation system.:hammerhead: After they installed everything they called me in to trouble shoot because they couldn't get the valves to come on, I went and checked it out and they had the timer to far away with real small wires couldn't get enough voltage to fire the solenoids.

Told them to move the clock closer so several weeks later we went over to start maintenance couldn't find the clock I opened up valve box and there was the clock hooked up to the solenoids and plugged in to a receptacle that was in the valve box and :wall

[EagleLandscape]

I audited a system last week that was actually designed properly.

did you audit one of my dad's 10,000+ designs then?

there are 9,999 more out there for you to see...

[EagleLandscape]

Every new Bank of America we take over the maintenance on, within a week always has the last valve on the mainline run stuck open. Debris always in the line. Easy $300-$400 bucks.

5 new branches since Jan1 already.

[Kiril]

did you audit one of my dad's 10,000+ designs then?

there are 9,999 more out there for you to see...

:laugh: Bet you a free audit I could find problems with them, ignoring the scattered valve nonsense.

[DanaMac]

I'll take a picture when I get to see this one.
My tech was on a job last week with a real weak zone. Troubleshot it for an hour. Sounded like tree roots choking the pipe. LOTS of aspen trees. Went back today and did a little digging around. Found that the pipe is all the 7/8" Rain Jet crap. But he found a tee with an auto drain on it.

So he cut the pipe at the tee to see if there was enough water flow to that point. Once he cut in he found the problem. Roots had grown in THROUGH the outlet of the auto drain, and had virtually filled up the tee and some of the pipe.

[EagleLandscape]

:laugh: Bet you a free audit I could find problems with them, ignoring the scattered valve nonsense.

On the plan not a chance... by the time they are installed by another contractor... more than likely.

[Kiril]

On the plan not a chance... by the time they are installed by another contractor... more than likely.

A plan is only as good as it's ability to survive installation specs intact.

[michigander]

Went to a service call last year. On a 9 zone system, 3 zones were stuck on. After taking valves apart, found someone had thought it would be good to lube the plungers in solenoid with vaseline. Cleaned out worked good. Found two more this spring. It was a lawn maintenance guy who thought he could do the "EASY" irrigation job. :laugh:

[hoskm01]

Went to a service call last year. On a 9 zone system, 3 zones were stuck on. After taking valves apart, found someone had thought it would be good to lube the plungers in solenoid with vaseline. Cleaned out worked good. Found two more this spring. It was a lawn maintenance guy who thought he could do the "EASY" irrigation job. :laugh:
Worries me that someone carries Vaseline in the truck...


:::Awkward:::

[michigander]

Worries me that someone carries Vaseline in the truck...


:::Awkward:::

Maybe he used it to soften his rough hands , so it wasn't so hard on his ????. Gosh, I guess it could have been KY Jelly!:confused:

[hoskm01]

Maybe he used it to soften his rough hands , so it wasn't so hard on his ????. Gosh, I guess it could have been KY Jelly!:confused:
I carry Vaseline brand lotion, non scented. Clay and water mix here really chaps my hyde.

[WalkGood]

Gosh, I guess it could have been KY Jelly!:confused:


Never had Kentucky Jelly before...... :rolleyes:

[Tony Clifton]

We had to replace a leaking fitting on a sand filter last week (fairly complex filter, looked similar to a propane tank) Anyhow, we realized the lines that discharge the sand were jam packed with sand, then realized there was a 1.25" electric valve on the discharge. Tracked the wires, and they were hooked up to the MV terminals at the controller. There was a bad connection in the wire nuts so it wasn't coming on, obviously when we fixed it, it stayed on any time the pump was running. 1" output running at least 3-4 hours per cycle....what a waste! Wired it up so it flushed 3 times per cycle, hopefully that well isn't producing so much sand that it gets plugged up again.

[keepcuttin]

Went to a high-end house today to check out a system and found that they wired it with cat5 cable wire and made the wire connections with black tape, Hope I get the repair work....................

[Mike Leary]

Went to a high-end house today to check out a system and found that they wired it with cat5 cable wire and made the wire connections with black tape, Hope I get the repair work....................

Pics, please, we like a laugh.