How to fix automatic irrigation system?

Question

Hii,

Hoping to get advice on my irrigation system and try to getting it to run by my self (if possible)

I just moved into my new house, and found this thing and chat gbt says that it's an automatic underground irrigation system? What do I need to get from Bunnings to get this to run? The trees are dying :(

the tap is near by, some of the trees on the property have some sort of black pipe coming out from the ground. Also noticed the cable have been cut but one is still connected.

JacobZ · Answer

Hi Tiara (@yayapel),

Right now, for the health of the trees, I think the best thing you can do is grab a tap adaptor and a soaker hose and run it out to them, then manually turn the tap on so they are getting watered. This will give us some time till we can work out the irrigation.

From there, I think we should first confirm whether that black poly pipe is actually still connected to anything first. With a tap adaptor on the tap, you can use either a Pope 13mm Single Snap Sure Connector or Pope 19mm Snap Sure Connector, depending on the diameter of the black poly pipe, alongside a length of poly pipe, a barbed joiner and some poly clamps to hold everything in place. Once connected, turn the tap on and observe the area between this system and the trees for wet patches.

I'd also say that the previous owner has removed the irrigation controller, so this would need to be replaced. If you grab a new one and wire it into the solenoids, only to find they also do not work, they may need to be replaced as well.

So, right now, give yourself some time by manually irrigating the trees, then lets try to map out where the poly goes. Once we can do this, we can move on to the solenoids and irrigation controller, which are the more technical aspects of the system.

Jacob

yayapel · Answer

Hi @JacobZ

Really appreciate your response to my post☺️

The green hoe has been cut so it's just connected at the top end to the irrigation system. The black pipe goes underground and so does the cables

I couldn't find any controller or anything like that around the property too

Tiara

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @yayapel,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.

What you are looking at is indeed an automatic watering system, but more specifically, it is a 3-Way Manifold with solenoid valves, which would have been connected to an irrigation controller at some point in the past. The irrigation controller is wired into the solenoid valves, which can then be set up to open and close at certain times or under certain circumstances.

Our supplier Pope's video How to: Wire and install solenoid valves to a manifold system shows the basic setup of a system like this.

If you follow these wires -

- what do you find?

Also, can you identify what the black tubing and the hose go to?

If you can have a look at these couple of things, and let me know what you find, we may be able to piece together how the system works and look at what needs to be done to get it working again.

Let me know how you go.

Jacob