Find Out if You Have a Leak on the Irrigation System or the Main Water Line

A mushy and muddy lawn may mean that you have a leak. But where do you begin? Is the leak coming from my sprinkler system or is coming directly from the line to my house? Learn how to tell where a leak is and how to address it.
Learn more at legacyplumbing... or schedule a consultation with Legacy Plumbing at legacyplumbing.... Legacy Plumbing is your North Dallas provider of water heaters and plumbing solutions.

[@nbt3663]

Well i got a tiny leak. I guess im going to have to isolate the main line in a couple areas to figure out where the leak is.

[@LegacyPlumbing]

So you've isolated the irrigation system and the house piping system to find out you have a leak in the yard?
Do you have any mushy spots, greener grass, or other symptoms of a leak along the probable path of the water line from the water meter up to the house?
If there are no other symptoms of a water leak in the yard, it's a good idea to verify your isolation tests before you start digging up the mainline in various areas.
Even if you shut off the main house valve and the irrigation supply valve, it may still be possible that a leak is not on the main water line if the valves didn't shut off all the way. Older valves (especially gate-style valves), may appear to shut off all the way and still leak a little through.
We often confirm our tests with pressure gages, but you can also just proactively replace the valves with good ball valves if there is strong doubt about the old valves. It also may be possible to open up a faucet downstream of the old valve and see if it keeps dripping continually even after the valve is supposedly turned off.
This is just a tip. Always a good idea to double check your tests... especially if there's old plumbing involved.
If you live in the North Dallas area, feel free to give us a call. We'd love to come out and help you get this issue squared away.

[@nbt3663]

@Legacy Plumbing thanks for the reply. Very cool. So when I turn on the shutoff to my main line, the meter leak indicator will start turning, but
Only a very slow turn. Then I cut it off and it stops. So I know the leak is with the irrigation. The 6 valves are spread out in the yard. I put it in 25 years ago. I do have one valve that the valve that wouldn't shut off. So I took it apart and cleaned it. Now it turns off but slowly. That one could be leaking. So I'm going to re-clean it again.

[@nbt3663]

@Legacy Plumbing I thought about installing a few shut off valves in the main line, just ahead of the various valves. That would help me illiterate a significant portion of the mainline. Work my way back to the beginning to see when it shuts off. Then work on that section.

[@LegacyPlumbing]

@@nbt3663 Okay, you are talking about the main line for the irrigation system! That's good news; it is usually more straightforward to resolve an irrigation leak. If you have zone valves with bleeder screws, it may be a good idea to purge all of the zone valves to make sure one isn't slightly stuck open. ua-cam.com/video/7bnldOsIA10/v-deo.html
But it sounds like you've already confirmed the zone valves are working. Since you know the path of the lines, it may be helpful to probe along the path of the lines to see if there are any areas were the soil is more damp. Good luck!

[@teacherlynn671]

My whole front yard is mushy. How can I find the leak? I know it is not coming from the house or house supply line. It has be coming from yard irragation system. The shut off for the spinkler system is about 30 foot from the main meter so it could be leaking along that line.

[@LegacyPlumbing]

Were you able to isolate the irrigation system to be sure the leak isn't on the potable water system?
Start by establishing a baseline: check all above-ground fixtures including outdoor hose faucets and toilets to make sure none of those will throw off your tests, then check your water meter and find out what the leak rate is. After that, isolate the irrigation system by shutting off the isolation valves at the double check assembly. You should then be able to have a much better idea of whether the leak is on the irrigation or the main house plumbing.
If you have determined for sure that the leak is on the irrigation system, the best next step would probably be checking all of the solenoid valves serving the wet area to make sure none of them are stuck open.
We do not work on irrigation systems, but if you determine it is leaking on the main water system, we would be happy to help! Call us at [phone].