Help with Sprinkler/Irrigation Problem

[spamcastle]

I had a large area in my yard that I covered with black landscape fabric and planted a couple of plants because water runoff and shade were killing the grass. Shortly after finishing I started having an area of the driveway with a small puddle on it. At first I thought maybe it was rain runoff accumulating under the fabric and leaking out of the ground but Ive received a few higher than average water bills that now have me wondering if its something else.Over the last few weeks the puddle has gradually gotten larger. I'm thinking maybe I nicked a irrigation water line with a landscape spike or something? We do not use the sprinkler system and it is not turned on but a few times a year.

I found what I believe is the irrigation control box.I could not find any large valve to cut off the system. I did however find these 3 little turn valves next to each little stack. Are these the correct shut offs? After turning them all clockwise until they stopped the sprinkler system no longer turns on.

Instead of moving all the pine straw and removing the black fabric to try and locate the source of the water I figured I would turn off the system and see if the area dries up. Is this my best option at this time? Is there anything else I should try?

Figured someone with some experience maybe able to offer some ideas/help before I waste to much time going in possibly the wring direction..

 

[Morgan]

Those are the solenoids, you should have a manual shut off somewhere. Check the leak detector in your main water meter to know if you have a leak.

 

[Grdbreaker]

Those are the solenoids, you should have a manual shut off somewhere. Check the leak detector in your main water meter to know if you have a leak.

The shut off should be a small round box close to your water meter box.

 

[spamcastle]

I can’t find anything next to the main shut off by the street or anything near the house where the electronics come into the box. Here is my main. Could it be under the house in the crawl space?

If I don’t use the water tonight or flush the toilet if the number on the meter goes up will that tell me if I have a leak?

 

[Morgan]

On your main meter there should be a small dial, mine is a red triangle. It will turn if there is ANY water flow.

 

[Morgan]

Is that sprinkler control box near the house? If so, im guessing they supplied it from the crawlspace. Hopefully they installed a cut off valve

 

[Rbenzo]

You turned the knob in the center of the vales. Those are flow controls. They are made to fine tune the amount the water going through the valve. Usually turning clockwise will close the valve to restrict flow. The small knob is a bleeder screw. Don't turn that one.
Morgan is correct. You should have a shutoff, usually a ball valve typically located in a round or square valve box along with a backflow preventer. Walk a straight line from your meter to your house and look 5' or so on the same side of the yard as the box you found. Or walk from the box you found towards where it would intersect your water main. Irrigation guys dig straight trenches, the easiest route avail. May have grass/mulch covering it.
You can probe around and you may get lucky and find it.

 

[Macvan]

On your main meter there should be a small dial, mine is a red triangle. It will turn if there is ANY water flow.

Morgan has the quick answer to a water leak..open your city water box by the curb if there's no water being used in the house that red dail should not be spining .... II owned a lawn service In socal I worked on hundreds of sprinkler systems. On the edge of the driveway screams main water line especially if the city box is in line with the leak and your main shutoffvalve on your house

 

[spamcastle]

So there is water in some of the sprinkler lines even when they are turned off right?

If I had managed to cut one how much water would be leaking out? Would the leak detector on the meter constantly be spinning?

If there is a leak and its coming up from the ground would the wet area be getting larger and larger? Should I see air bubbles or anything in the puddle that's already appeared?

I cant find the shut off box anywhere near the meter or near the box pictured. There was nothing under the house either. Should I try to dig down the area where the leak is or is it best just to call someone to look at the issue? I'm just trying to figure out if it is a irrigation issue or if it is possible that the ground is just holding water run off.

 

[Morgan]

Leak detector info