How To Find Sprinkler Lines Without Digging?

Considered crucial for the overall health and beauty of the lawn, sprinkler systems have become ubiquitous these days. But just like any other system, lawn sprinkler systems can also go rogue at any point in time. The sprinkler valve might start acting up or the pipe may develop some leaks, and this can have a devastating impact on the overall health of your lawn. Thankfully, you don’t have to dig up your lawn to be able to locate the source of the problem. Here in this article, we are going to share some tips to help you find sprinkler lines without digging up your lawn.

Understanding Your Sprinkler System Layout

The very first step in locating the sprinkler line is understanding the layout of the sprinkler system in place. More often than not, a vast majority of sprinkler systems tend to follow a logical design pattern that is primarily based on the shape and size of the lawn. The water gets channelized to the control valves first, and then the water gets distributed to different zones.

You can get a general idea of the layout of the sprinkler system if you somehow manage to get your hands on the installation plan. Now, if you fail to find any such documents, don’t fret; just call the sprinkler installation company that you had hired to install the sprinkler system in your lawn. Hopefully, they will have some documents that will help you get valuable insights about the locations of the sprinkler lines. Even if they don’t have it, they might provide some assistance given their immense experience dealing with similar sprinkler systems.

Another way to make an educated guess about the probable paths of the sprinkler line is by taking a close look at the visible components of the sprinkler system. Look for things like the main water supply line, control valve, or sprinkler head. Now try to draw a line between the components in your head and probably, you will be able to locate those underground sprinkler lines more accurately.

Using a Sprinkler Valve Locator

Designed specifically to help people locate underground lines and sprinkler valves, a sprinkler valve locator could be a lifesaver in such scenarios. The main task of a sprinkler valve locator is to help you trace the path of the sprinkler lines. The valve receives the signals sent by the sprinkler valve locator via the connected wirings, and this is what helps people trace the location of the valve without digging things around.

The very first thing that you need to do is locate the main control box of your lawn sprinkler system. This box has got all the wirings that are directly connected to all the valves of your sprinkler system. Now, all you have to do is attach the sprinkler valve locator to the wiring of the sprinkler valve that you want to track. Once the sprinkler valve locator is connected to the wire, you just need to turn the device on. Now, use the handheld device to track the signal that the targeted sprinkler valve starts producing. Be patient while tracking the signal. You need to move slowly over the ground. The handheld device will start receiving stronger signals as it nears the sprinkler line.

Listening for Water Flow

By carefully listening to the sound of the water flow, you will be able to locate the sprinkler lines faster and more effectively. However, to make it work, the sprinkler system needs to be activated first so that the water starts flowing through the lines. You should not activate the entire sprinkler system at the same time because that would make it extremely difficult for you to locate the line. Rather, turn on one zone at a time and then walk across the lawn while listening carefully for the sound of water flowing through the pipes. You can use a stethoscope or any other sound-amplifying devices for this purpose. A strong and steady flow means you are directly above the sprinkler line. But as you can already understand, this method is not 100% accurate, but it is better than having no system in place at all. However, when combined with other methods like a valve locator, it can prove surprisingly accurate and effective.

Using Metal Detectors for Sprinkler Head Locations

Most sprinkler heads contain at least some metal components, and that means they can easily be tracked by using some sort of metal detector even when they are buried underground. The settings of the metal detector need to be adjusted so that it can detect small objects before you hit the ground with it. Now, you need to carefully sweep the detector over the lawn, and whenever it detects something, you need to mark that location with something like a stick or a flag. That marked location indicates the presence of a sprinkler head or any other metal component of the sprinkler head. Once all the sprinkler heads are identified, you will be able to make an educated guess about the paths of the sprinkler lines connecting them.

Using Water Probes for Line Detection

Water probes can also help you detect sprinkler lines without losing your mind over it. What this device does is detect small changes in the soil moisture. The higher the soil moisture, the greater the chances of locating the buried sprinkler lines accurately and efficiently. You need to mark those areas that have higher soil moisture levels and bingo – now you have a map of where your sprinkler lines are buried.