Anyone have any tips on locating a sprinkler valve in the yard?

The system has 7 zones. I can see the main shutoff for the sprinkler system and just past it, I can find 4 valves all in a row. I can't seem to locate the other 3.

The system keeps blowing a fuse when it gets to zone 6, but I haven't been able to find that valve. I was hoping to just replace the solenoid, but until I can find the stupid thing, I'm at a loss.

Here's a shot from Google Maps:


The main shutoff is just to the right off the front patio and the 4 valves I can find are right next to it.

Here are the 7 zones:
1) Front Sidewalk
2) Front Main
3) Side Road
4) Side Main
5) Side Backyard
6) Back Main
7) Neighbor Side

The ones I can find are zones 1-4 which makes sense based on their location.

Since 6 is what keeps blowing the fuse, I assumed it would be in the backyard somewhere, but I can't find it anywhere.

We finally hired a licensed sprinkler guy to find our zone valves. One was very oddly located in the middle of the back yard.

Draw a map. Make measurements. Mark your foundation with paint.

Grass grows back over them very quickly.

Get a shovel and poke around. The valves will likely be covered with those plastic housings and are likely an inch under grass.

Canvas the first 3-6 feet from the foundation of your house all the way around. A sprinkler guy will do the same thing, but you'll end up paying him to do it.

I believe my coworker turned off the water and then had his wife use the wiring at the box to open and close the solenoid. He then basically crawled in the yard (in the general area of that zone) and tried to listen for the clicking sound from the solenoid energizing. Just hope that your neighbors aren't doing yard work at that time.

I did the shovel trick like whitetail suggested, it took about 45 minutes to find (I was actually helping the sprinkler guy find it). My valves were generally in line with the actual sprinkler heads themselves. The one we had replaced was located where 2 perpendicular (relative to each other) rows of heads intersected.

Found all of mine by using a metal detector I borrowed from a friend!

quote:

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I believe my coworker turned off the water and then had his wife use the wiring at the box to open and close the solenoid. He then basically crawled in the yard (in the general area of that zone) and tried to listen for the clicking sound from the solenoid energizing. Just hope that your neighbors aren't doing yard work at that time.

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Would be a good idea if it were not for the system blowing fuses every time zone 6, the one he's trying to locate, is energized. I had the same situation on mine except the fuses didn't blow but the dang transformer would.

I taped a screw driver on the end of a broom stick & starting poking until I hit the plastic covers. Neighbors likely found it odd, but it worked like a champ.

That's true. I hope he has luck finding it. I just remember being very frustrated at myself that I didn't draw a map of the valve locations when I had it installed.

Luckily...this is a rent house. We are in the process of building a new house, so I'll be sure to mark the locations of all the valves at the new house so I don't run into this problem again!