Start with what you see
- Nothing turns on. Controller power, settings, or the water supply. See sprinklers won’t turn on.
- One zone won’t turn on. That zone’s valve, solenoid, or wire.
- A zone won’t shut off. A valve stuck open, or a program problem. See valve won’t shut off.
- Water where it shouldn’t be. A soggy spot, a bubbling valve box, or a high bill usually means a leak. See find a sprinkler line leak and leaking when the system is off.
- Weak spray or misting. Low pressure from a leak on the zone, a partly closed valve, too many heads on one zone, or clogged nozzles.
- Heads stuck down or not turning. Dirt, a worn seal, or low pressure. See head not popping up or rotating.
- Brown spots. Usually coverage, not run time. See brown spots in the lawn.
Fixes most homeowners can do
Cleaning a clogged nozzle, straightening a tilted head, re-aiming spray off the sidewalk, replacing a broken spray head at the same height, and fixing controller settings are all reasonable DIY jobs. Turn the water to the irrigation off before you unscrew anything, and use the same brand and pattern of nozzle so the zone stays matched.
Fixes that usually need a tech
Wiring faults, valves that won’t open or close, broken lateral or main lines, and backflow problems take testing equipment, digging, or both. The main line stays under pressure all the time, so a break there can waste a lot of water. Before you dig anywhere, call 811 to have buried utility lines marked.
Misting heads and blown fittings usually point to pressure that’s too high, and weak zones on old steel pipe can mean corroded galvanized line. We see both often in Old Fig Garden.
Our free 21-point inspection runs every zone and lists each problem by valve, with its location and what that one fix costs, so you can decide what to do first. Or book sprinkler repair in Fresno, Clovis, Madera, and Madera Ranchos.
Safety first: if you can’t stop the water, close the shutoff valve for the irrigation system, or the main shutoff to the house. Before you dig anywhere, call 811 to have buried utility lines marked.
Written by ACRE Landscape Co., Fresno & Clovis. Updated October 26, 2026.