Hi all

I just bought a country place in central TX; has a sprinkler system for the lawn & garden areas. The previous owner is deceased; bought it from the estate. The heirs only know that the system worked years ago but nothing else.

I found the main feed line; had a break in it. Patched that with a coupling (system is PVC pipe). The control wire cable (7 pair) is parallel & adjacent to this pipe. Amazingly 4 of the 6 circuits work but the 2 that do not are the "most important" (# 6 main garden & # 1 front yard) IMHO.

I've only been able to find 2 of the electric valves so far; the master valve & one other one that is for one of the working circuits. I know where most of the other valves should be logically but this system is apparently rather illogical! 5 of the 6 circuits cover certain logical zones but the 6th one appears to have been added later or as a "catch-up" for areas missed the first time it was turned on. Heads for zone 6 are scattered everywhere! I hooked a garden hose to one of the risers on zone 6 just to see where all it went.

The 2 valves I've found are in the typical little round green boxes about 4-5 inches in diameter slightly below ground level so the others should be also I'd think. I think the others are grown over with St Augustine grass but can't find them poking a wire in the ground in what would seem to be logical locations in relation to the main line & where the zones would seem to logically branch off the main line for the valves hoping to hit the hard cap of the box. I've been able to "witch" the pipe layout pretty accurately (I think) using an "L" shaped piece of wire.

Any suggestions on locating these valves (other than buying a metal detector, digging up a bunch more pipe, or hiring a sprinkler company) would be deeply appreciated! I've got too many small holes I've dug up looking for the valves already.

Thanks!

Lew