What is a Valve?
A valve is an essential part of any underground irrigation system which gets installed near the beginning of your system, and at the start of a new zone. A larger irrigation system may have water lines splitting off from the main water supply to valves in various locations around a property. This is so zone lines don’t have to run farther than necessary, risking pressure loss. They are housed in a valve box for protection and easy access, serviceability, and maintenance.
Valves are simple mechanisms made up of a handful of parts. The major parts found in a valve are:
- Wires, attach the valve to the irrigation controller.
- Solenoid, activates the valve.
- Bonnet, top part of the valve which can come off to access the inside of the valve.
- Spring, actuates the valve.
- Diaphragm, allows and shuts-off the water flow through the valve.
- Diaphragm Seat, supports the diaphragm.
- Body, bottom part of the valve which attaches to the pipe and houses the valve parts.
Check out the Video below for some more great info about what a valve is.
What does a valve do?
A valve controls an irrigation zone by opening and closing to allow or block the flow of water from the system’s main line to the desired area. Valves separate the main water line from the systems’ smaller zone lines. They are wired into an irrigation controller, which tells the valves when to activate and when to shut-off. You need to have one valve for each zone in your irrigation system.
Why do I need them?
Within an irrigation system, there is a brain, bones, joints, and nerves. Without all these parts, the system doesn’t work. The valves are the nerves of the irrigation system. They receive signals from the controller (brain) which allows the rest of the parts to serve a purpose. Without them, the system would run continuously.
Learn More
To learn more about valves, check out these resources supplied by Irritrol.