Best Overall
Orbit 57623 ¾ Automatic Anti-Siphon Valves
Best Bang For The Buck
Dig ½-Inch In-Line Shut-Off Valve
Best Inline Valve
Rain Bird ¾-Inch FPT In-Line Sprinkler Valve
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Sprinkler systems pull through fourth dimension and eliminate the need to pull out a hose to irrigate the yard , but a system ’s vital valve , which baffle water supply flow , do n’t last evermore . When a sprinkler system valve croak high-risk , replacing it is a relatively straightforward labor .
Despite the variety of selection available , sprinkler valves serve one very simple design : They baffle water flow . Some bend water on and off , while others restrict the amount of water that flow through a sprinkler system . The style they accomplish this — and the size of the system they suffice — varies , but they all perform the same elementary task .
When putting in a new sprinkler organization , valve are installed based on the trade name of the system , and the installer will select the types and sizes suitable for different watering zones . Some sprinkler system ask dozens of valve to operate pee usage to multiple zones in a yard , while others have only a undivided on / off valve . Our favorite is theOrbit 57632 3/4 Automatic Anti - Siphon Valvesthanks to its valve design and profound - duty building .
Ahead , determine what to conceive when pick out the best sprinkler valves for a specific sprinkler system , and detect out why the espouse modeling are all well suitable for use in rest home systems .
How We Chose the Best Sprinkler Valves
In choose the sprinkler valves for this batting order , we extensively researched dozens of valves . We weigh their pro and gyp and study what type of sprinkler system they were well suited for .
Brand reputation was also a considerateness , with Orbit and Rain Bird among the well - known producer with national statistical distribution . However , we did n’t dismiss smaller brands , as quality new manufacturers are always worth a look .
We pick out models suitable for a range of use of goods and services — both for large sprinkler scheme with multiple zone and low , aboveground drip and befog systems to propose the broadest orbit of valve . We also looked at ease of facility and whether the valves would accommodate to existing system .
Our Top Picks
Watering needs depart , and sprinkler organization deviate , so it ’s only innate that sprinkler valves differ as well . Thebest sprinkler valvefor one watering system of rules may be unsuitable for another . The following sprinkler valve were selected based on how well they fulfill particular urine - regulating want . By replacing any failing valve yourself using one of the products below , you may deliver money on thecost of a sprinkler repair .
For sprinkler system requiring a designated backflow preventer , consider the Orbit anti - siphon valve . This valve comes in a muted green color that intermingle in with landscape painting works . It features a ¾-inch female wander inlet connection and a ¾-inch outlet connection . The Orbit sprinkler valve earmark piss to flow freely from the house to the sprinkler system but prevents body of water from flowing backward from the system of rules into the house .
The valve set up above the ground and can bleed ( drain ) the lines for winterize . user can adapt the valve ’s pressure to befit the type of sprinkler heads used .
Get the Orbit 57623 sprinkler valve atAmazon , Ace Hardware , orThe Home Depot .
Regulating water flow in an aboveground sprinkler or drip - type watering arrangement need n’t cost a band . The Dig in - line shut - off valve connects to ½-inch poly tube . Both ends of the valve feature push - type setose connexion that simply push into the tube to work a leak - free seal . This in - line sprinkler shut out - off valve is design for aboveground use and features gamy - timber ultraviolet illumination - resistant PVC .
To operate the DIG valve , simply turn the hold 90 point . When the handle lines up with the tubing , the water is on ; turning the hold vertical to the tube shuts the water supply off . The digging valve can also regulate water system pressure by turning just a bit between the on and off placement .
Photo: Amazon
Get the Dig sprinkler valve atThe Home DepotorCheap Sprinklers .
Those looking for a eminent - quality refilling valve for an in - line connection may be quite proud of with the Rain Bird in - line of merchandise valve . It ’s made to supplant an live swallow up in - line valve that relate to ¾-inch pipe .
The Rain Bird valve is a residential and light-colored commercial - grade valve made to set up at the same level asunderground sprinkler systempiping . It ’s compatible with all type of organization controllers via be irrigation wiring . The Rain Bird valve may also be adjusted manually to bleed the irrigation lines if desired towinterize the sprinkler organisation . The valve have both female inlet and outlet connections , and it total with a unequaled reverse - menses feature that closes the valve to forestall flooding in the event of a outflow .
Photo: Amazon
Get the Rain Bird sprinkler valve atLowe’sorThe Home Depot .
Best Valve Manifold
Orbit 57253 3-Valve Heavy-Duty Preassembled Manifold
Manifolds are used extensively in piss supply position , such as home body of water distribution heart , and they can be just as beneficial in routing water to various sprinkler zones . The Orbit three - valve multiplex lets substance abuser connect three different scattering system zones in a exclusive buried weewee sprinkler valve corner .
The multiplex features female person - meander inlet and outlets and come with screw - on coupling for either ¾-inch or 1 - inch pipe ( adaptor include ) . Once the union are attached to the exist railway line via PVC mucilage , twisting the screw - on collars to firmly bind the pipes is a simple topic . This three - valve Orbit manifold reduce wiring worries , as a single existing irrigation wire is sufficient for hold in all three valves .
Get the Orbit 57253 sprinkler valve atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orThe Home Depot .
Photo: Amazon
Best Easy-Access Valve
Orbit 57461 Automatic Sprinkler System Jar Top Valve
Should debris become accommodate in a sprinkler valve , flushing out the valve with water will often remedy the trouble . With some valve , the user must apply a wrench or other peter to disassemble the valve for purge . Not so with the Orbit jar top sprinkler valve , which has a top that twists off by hand , making it simple to reach the inside of the valve . The jar - top valve attaches to 1 - inch sprinkler organisation pipes , connects to an exist irrigation wire , and is compatible with most system controllers . It features laboured - tariff construction and stainless brand interior components for durability . This Orbit valve has distaff threaded connector on both the inlet and the release . It also features an optional manual bleeding screw for draining and winterize the telephone line .
Get the Orbit 57461 sprinkler valve atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orThe Home Depot .
Best Ball Valve
Apollo ¾-Inch Brass PEX Barb Ball Valve With Drain
Simple in way and role , the Apollo Brass PEX gibe ball valve offers a way to turn the piss supply off and on manually . This produce it handy to use where there ’s no existing irrigation telegram , and it ’s just as suitable for employment on an outdoor faucet as it is on buried sprinkler line of merchandise . The Apollo valve also comes with a manual drainage screw for bleeding the system ’s line , if trust .
This type of restraint valve features a handle that aligns with the direction of the connecting pipes when the water flow is on and vertical to the organ pipe when the water is turned off , so substance abuser have intercourse the status of the water at a glance . By turn the grip just slightly , the valve can be used to increase or reduce water flow . The Apollo valve ’s recess and outlet connections fit ¾-inch PEX tubing ( but push - type PEX connecter are not include ) .
Get the Apollo ¾-inch sprinkler valve atThe Home Depot .
Photo: Homedepot
Best Battery-Operated
Orbit 57860 Battery-Operated Sprinkler Timer
When there ’s no existing irrigation wire to link up a valve to a central control unit , the Orbit shelling - run valve stairs up . This valve , which manoeuver on three AAA rechargeable battery ( not included ) , answer as its own control unit , making it well suitable to replace manual valves or set up a sprinkler system with no access to electrical energy . It ’s designed for in - line , underground facility .
This Orbit valve features a digital LED read-out and can order up to four freestanding sprinkler zone . Users can take from eight preset start time , and the valve can be programmed to water at any time for up to 4 hours . Entire tearing programs can be preset for up to 30 days . The timekeeper come away from the living accommodations for well-situated computer programming . The valve boast two threaded female way out and is designed for a 1 - in pipage .
Get the Orbit 57860 sprinkler valve atAmazonorLowe ’s .
Photo: Homedepot
Best Globe Valve
Hunter Sprinkler PGV101G Globe Valve
Those who may desire to minify the water catamenia to a specific geographical zone should take the Hunter sprinkler ball valve . It ’s designed to damper down water rate of flow for lighter - usagesprinkler heads , such as bubbler or misters . This in - line of business sprinkler valve connects to most sprinkler system via an live irrigation conducting wire .
The valve is built to last , made from high - grade material , and it comes with one - piece of ass debris remotion that make it easy to crimson . The Hunter valve is design to tie in to entomb sprinkler system lines in a sprinkler valve box . It attaches to a 1 - inch pipe via two female - thread connecter — both inlet and wall plug .
Get the Hunter sprinkler valve atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orThe Home Depot .
Photo: Amazon
Jump to Our Top Picks
What to Consider When Choosing a Sprinkler Valve
If you ’re snitch for the best sprinkler valve , it will ordinarily be toreplace one that ’s brokenor stopped working efficaciously . The best class of action at law is to remove the valve in dubiousness and take it to a plumbing system supply store to get a suited replacement . The skillful sprinkler valve will vary from organization to system based on type , the amount of water stream , and pipe sizing .
We tapped Tom Smith , universal manager and proprietor ofDesert Designer Landscape and Developmentin Phoenix , Arizona , for more brainstorm on how to choose sprinkler valve .
Types of Sprinkler Valves
Residential sprinkler systems are aboveboard apparatus that require four main portion to engage : a H2O source , piping , sprinkler valves , and sprinkler heads . Many system , but not all , also feature a main control unit with a programmable timekeeper that do as the system ’s brains and communicates with the valves ( via an irrigation wire ) to disperse weewee to dissimilar areas of the K . The two main types of sprinkler valve are in - line and anti - siphon . Different options are available within those two types , but most valve are in - line valve .
The practiced type of valve for a specific sprinkler system will depend on local codification . Some community require anti - siphon valve , which are light to test because they ’re locate above earth , while others permit in - line valve and disjoined backflow preventers .
Unless a sprinkler system or irrigation system is solely manual — meaning the user release it on and off by hand — the valves in the arrangement will be machinelike , unremarkably via a central control unit . During installation , irrigation wires are go in the same deep as the pipes : one telegram from the control whole to each of the valves . The abject spirit level of electricity in the wire ( 22 to 28 V ) is sufficient to turn the valves on and off .
Photo: Amazon
or else , irrigation system of rules valves may be shelling operate , in which cause they often function as simple-minded timers that can be programmed to run a limited number of lachrymation zone . These are often in - line valve that attach to buried lines but are still accessible within a protective box .
A gate valve is a barrier that prevent or allows urine flow . These devices have been around for decennium , and the upright manual example is the thickening on an outside spigot , called a sillcock . Turn the node clockwise and the motion depress a gate within the faucet that cuts off the urine rate of flow . Turn the boss counterclockwise , the internal logic gate lifts , and the water flows freely . big gate valve can be found in municipal or farming water system systems where they dish up the same purpose of turning on or off the piss flow .
A testicle sprinkler valve is a manual valve used to turn the piss on and off to separate parts of an irrigation or sprinkler system . A ball valve is an in - crease irrigation ascendancy valve with a unbowed handle that controls a ballock within the valve that either permits water current or blocks it . The handle moves only 90 degree : when the handgrip is ordinate in the direction of the pipe , the piddle is on ; when the handle is turned 90 degree perpendicular to the pipe , the water is off .
Photo: Homedepot
hinderance valves are simple in - line valves that foreclose water backflow . Like anti - siphon valves , they keep contaminated pee from the sprinkler system from ooze backwards into the home ’s water supply supply . They ’re oft used on piping that cater water to pumps , consortium , and sometimes sprinkler systems . Depending on local code , however , a simple check valve may not be moot decent to protect the imbibing water in the home . In some communities , a designated anti - siphon valve may also be necessary .
Less common types of valves may also be incur in some sprinkler system .
Size
Valves are sized to fit specific pipe diameters . When replace a ¾-inch valve , you ’ll need to purchase another ¾-inch valve .
“ Most residential jobs will have a ¾-inch arrangement , ” Smith says . “ If you have a big job , there are large valves . Commercial valves can go up to 2 or 3 inches , but most residential valves will be ¾ inch . ”
Water Flow
The amount of water that flows through the piping is measure in congius per minute ( GPM ) or gallon per 60 minutes ( GPH ) , which indicates how much water is available . Water menstruation depends mainly on pipage diameter . organ pipe measure ¾ column inch in diam will typically endorse approximately up to 8 GPM of water flow , depending on the quality of the valve . For larger sprinkler systems with flow rates greater than 12 GPM , 1 - inch pipes and valve are more common .
Maximum Pressure
Water flow and pee pressure are pertain yet slightly dissimilar . The power of the urine per square inch ( psi ) determines the type of sprinkler used . During installation , the installer will fix the optimal amount of weewee pressure level for a specific zona in the yard . Powerful rotor coil - type sprinkler expect more water system pressure to operate than do bubblers or drip - type nozzles that are commonly found in flower beds .
“ Most city see to it the pee pressure descend out of their water arrangement , so if you live within city limit , you probably do n’t have to worry about body of water pressure , ” Smith says . “ However , if your pee pressure is too high , you will require to install a pressure sensation regulator in your irrigation organization . ”
Connection and Compatibility
The main rule when pick out sprinkler valve is to pick out a valve with the same type of connections as the previous valve . For good example , suppose the existing valve had the distinctive configuration of both a female - draw inlet and a female - threaded outlet . In that slip , select a young valve with similar threaded connectedness . If that ’s not possible due to a modified selection of valve , adapters are normally uncommitted to make the connection fit .
luckily , most sprinkler valves are universal , mean one valve brand will put back another brand , as long as the size of it and other factor match .
“ you’re able to use whatever brand of valve you want , ” Smith say . “ It just want to be the same size as your previous valve . ”
Photo: Amazon
Automatic or Manual
Most installed sprinkler systems have automatic valves that work with the central control unit . However , manual systems are still in function and are well suitable to aboveground misting and dribble irrigation system of rules that the gardener can release on and off by hand as hope . Manual valves are not worthy for an robotic system and frailty versa .
reflexive valve sport a solenoid : a gyrate conducting wire factor that act as an electromagnet to turn the valves on and off . reflexive valve must link up to a buried irrigation wire or be bombardment operated .
Durability
valve are available in a variety of fabric . Copper , galvanized metal , and unstained brand are among the most long-lived option , but they ’re also pricy . An inexpensive charge plate close - off valve will fit the bill for those who want to set up a dim-witted drip mould system .
“ Most valves are PVC ; there are metal valve , but we almost always work with PVC for residential , ” Smith says . “ Metal valves are more of a commercial-grade matter . ” He says to be fain to supersede valve every 6 or 7 years , which may add to yoursprinkler repair cost .
FAQs
Sprinkler systems are a blessing for helping water the lawn and landscape painting uniformly , but sprinkler valves do n’t last forever . When one goes on the fritz , picayune or no water may come out of the sprinkler heads , or water supply may spurt from a cracked valve . Some questions are probable for those seek to replace worn or damaged valves .
A sprinkler valve determine the flow of water . Some valve put across via a buried irrigation conducting wire with a cardinal ascendency building block that turns them on and off according to a program , while others are battery run . Some are entirely manual , and still others utilize the force of water run through the valve to ensure water flow .
When a valve goes defective , sprinkler heads may emit imperfect streams of water — or no water at all . moistness or sponginess may be noticeable around a sprinkler valve boxful if the valve is broken and leaking .
Photo: Amazon
reckon on the eccentric , a exclusive replacement valve costs between about $ 4 and $ 65 , while the full sprinkler manifold can be up to $ 100 or more . While some systems utilize valve that are reasonably unproblematic for a DIYer to install , professional initiation .
In general , the estimable irrigation valve last 5 to 10 years before needing replacement .
If the sprinkler heads are not watering as they should be , open up the valve box and look for flooding . If the valve is not leak and is connect to an irrigation wire , use a voltmeter to test the voltage at both the valve and the primal ascendance unit . The sprinkler valve solenoid ( the ingredient that connects to the irrigation wire ) should prove between 24 and 28 volts .
Yes , each tearing zone needs a separate valve .
Debris , such as guts or malicious gossip , can get stuck in a valve and keep it from closing .
Eventually , yes , but most will last 5 to 10 years , count on quality .
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