Water in valve box

Just installed my irrigation system and I am having a problem with water collecting in my main valve box to about 2-3 inches from the top. The valve box in question holds my DCV and four valves. I have dried it out and am 100% confident that there are no leaks. I am guessing that it is just from ground water and (oops) i dug it into a flowerbed right underneath the soffits on the house (live in the south, no gutters).

I guess my real question is whether it is "good" to have your valve box full of water. All of my connections are made with greased wirenuts and I shoved the wirenuts up under the inside lip of the box.

Any comments would be appreciated,

Jason

 

Where's the water coming from? Is this a daily/weekly/monthly thing? Just when it rains? And do the majority of homes down south not have guttering to carry the water away after a rainfall? I'm thinking you don't have a basement, right?

~

 

Only after it rains. No gutters or basement. I would guess that I empty it out about once a month....depending on the rainfall. I guess it is just ground water and water that comes in through the lid during rainfall.

I really just want to know how bad is it for the components.

 

I use Rainbird DVF valves, and I've seen them working submerged just fine.

I had one situation like yours, where the ground water tended to collect in a box because the ground was poor draining clay.

My solution was to dig up the box, and dig under the valves about 3'.

Then I filled that with drainrock, and backfilled the box.

No more standing water.

 

It can also help if the top of the box is slightly above grade, so that drainage doesn't naturally funnel into it. Lots of boxes in beds are set too low. No water damage worries, so rest your mind as far as that goes.

 

Excellent. Thanks for your help, guys!

Jason

 

I've found that in clay (which is pretty poor draining as is), the water will follow my plow lines and collect in the lowest box, regardless of the grade of the box.