Finding Lawn Sprinkler Valves with a Wire Finder

Watch as I find a sprinkler valve using an underground wire finder.
I bought this house with no knowledge of where anything was with the irrigation, and have been chasing down leaks, valve boxes, sprinkler heads, etc.
This is an effective way to find the approximate location of a valve box to help narrow down where you should prod your lawn.
A couple details with this method:
1) You need to verify your wiring is actually good and activates the valve. If the wire has been split or corroded and separated, this method will not work. Verify a working valve at your controller using a multimeter, or simply turning the zone on to confirm water starts flowing at your meter.
2) You've unhooked the power supply.
IF THIS HELPED YOU, PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!
** SINCE THIS VIDEO WAS MADE, I'VE APPLIED FOR THE AMAZON ASSOCIATES PROGRAM AS OF 8/15/23. All of the products I use are linked below! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I get a commission every time you purchase a product through my affiliate link below. ***
The current version of the tool I used - amzn.to/3KKit0S
Other alternatives:
amzn.to/3OBl0eY
amzn.to/44cWkz7

[@goodairin]

Mike, I watched your video after purchasing an old house with sprinkler valves hidden under decades of overgrowth and dirt-and no irrigation system plans or other help in how to find the valves. I bought-on Amazon-the same wire finder you used and attached it to the common wire going to all the valves. It worked great. I used two sets of 10 irrigation lawn flags (purchased from Lowes) to mark about every 10 ft. the general direction and location of the buried sprinkler system wires. Then, using knee pads, I got down with a long flat-head screw-driver and probed into the lawn along the lawn flags path. Within a few hours-with several breaks to rest-I found all five valves in the system! Your video was just what I needed for encouragement and how-to. Thank you so much!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Nice! Glad it helped, thanks for watching.

[@dogpatch75]

Very useful video. If only it had been shot in landscape orientation like the other vids on this channel!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Sorry my man, this video took off unexpectedly. Had I known it would have gotten so many views I would have prepared a little better. Appreciate you watching, have a great day!

[@AdamScheuermann]

Thanks, this helped me find some boxes in my yard. Very helpful!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Glad it was helpful... please consider subscribing!

[@BetoisDmentD]

This really works too

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Thanks for watching

[@karenjaimet9878]

I couldn’t tell a difference in the sound it was making when you said you were going to start searching “here.” What am I listening for?

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

It will be loud and squealing away from the wire and get softer or change pitch over the wire.

[@adsoule]

Excellent tool. Found the valve within half an hour, and it was far uphill from where the sprinklers were actually running.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

I wouldn't call ot excellent... but it works! Ha

[@heroknaderi]

Very incredible find: I may give it a try one day. I have 9 valves at my home and still working ok but I I want to find them eventually so incaace I need to replace them in the future. I guess it can be like you found yours or sometimes the installer may have just buried them directly without a box. I enjoyed watching the video 😁😎

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Thanks for watching, and hopefully this helped you out! Shoot me a like/sub if it was helpful for you please!

[@chrisdubeau2477]

😐 Good on you for making a video, sir, but this is not the way. Rent proper valve locating equipment for $45/day and find what you need in minutes, instead of hours/days. Save yourself the headache. I'm just curious how much time was spent poking around after you stopped your camera at the 6:00 mark? Pro tip- using a 4 tine pitchfork is like having 4 probes-in-one. If you decide to continue with this method, I recommend grounding the transponder. If the controller is in the garage and you can't reach the ground outside, you can use a jumper wire and screwdriver to extend your reach. If you have a general idea where the valve is located then connect the lead clamp to the specified valve wire and your ground clamp to the common wire. The intertwined wires cancel eachother out... Instead of following the noise to the valve, you'll only hear noise when you are directly over the valve. I hope this helps. I know how frustrating it is find hidden valves... Even with proper equipment.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Appreciate it! I'm certainly no pro but this helped get my system back in order. Still missing 1 valve (buried a couple feet under a flower bed I think unfortunately) but may try your suggestions to seek that one out.

[@ecospider5]

I looked into the pro tool rental. Sunbelt rental wanted $180 minimum rental. I will try a couple other things before doing that. Hopefully for that price I can find someone to do it for me.

[@rrs6635]

The last part of your post about locating just the valve is EXACTLY what I have been looking for, thanks to both of you for the much needed info!!!

[@ichbin27455]

I'm in the middle of finding and repairing a couple of buried valves. The system was already installed before we purchased the house and there was no location map. Anyone who would install a system with control valves spread around the yard, rather than putting them in a single box near the house, needs a "talking to." Makes no sense at all!

[@goccogrrl]

Does anyone else have a hard time hearing a silent moment when the finder swings over the wire? Is it supposed to go quiet or does it just drop a tone?

[@paristo]

It is suppose to be quiet, and only increase volume of audio signal when probe gets closer to the signal source. And when the device volume is highest, then probe is closest to the source.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Other way around my friend. It'll be loud and screeching when its NOT by the wire, and get quiet when hovering close/over it. Check towards the end of the video around the 630-7 minute mark after I discover the valve box. I demonstrate how it should sound. Thanks for watching!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Check towards the end of the video, around 7 minute mark. I demonstrate how it should sound there.

[@andykolcun8218]

You should use waterproof wire nuts!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Ope!

[@p33nut]

I have this. it's difficult to get hang of how to use it properly, it's a skill, bought a IDEAL sure trace for $1200, it's not much better than this, you still need skill to use it, it's almost like an art

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

like any tool, there are different levels. this is lower level. Thanks for watching.

[@AustinApologue]

Great video. Super helpful. Sincere thanks. To the naysayers ... there is more than one way to skin a cat. This is one way whether you "like" it or not. (Internet hurt feelings disclaimer - I love cats). Happy sprinkling!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Thanks for watching brother! There indeed are other, more professional, ways to find a sprinkler valve, but I was just a guy spending a lot of time during the "2 weeks to slow the spread" era of the pandemic and found this to work for me.

[@AustinApologue]

@@MikeZimmermanOfficial absolutely, thank you! Similar situation here, just a guy trying to do a one-time troubleshooting effort, not making a career out of sprinkler repair, your video made perfect logical sense to me and is something I can actually follow :-)

[@wjguerrero2747]

Well that's for house repair work normally i use bigger machine to track the wires sending the signal from the solenoids exactly where are located or use charter box but in comercial normally few valve box are like 16" or deeper making the solenoids charter kind impossible to hear where the sound coming from or last metal detector.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Certainly a DIY residential option here. Commercial is a different story. Appreciate the input and thanks for watching.

[@sudilos1172]

Didn’t expect it to die like some Electronic Mouse dying

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Hey, electric mice have a dying sound too!

[@kristianztm]

great video!! thanks save the digging

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

There might still be some digging involved!

[@jonanderson8069]

Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Ha... Thanks for watching!

[@HansEisenman]

Great video thanks! Too bad they can’t get that sound to be a bit more pleasant! 😀

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

No doubt, it's especially bad when you're using earphones. Thanks for watching!

[@christopher2887]

If you connect the ground connector from the device to an actual ground, it won't sound like that. The reason why it sounds like that is because the ground is not connected to anything and just left hanging. It may have functioned for the purposes of this video, but if you're trying to find buried cable that is more than 20 ft away from the location that you hooked the transmitter onto the wire, you will need to actually ground it.

[@tex24]

This may be the solution I've been looking for. Several valve stations are buried in my yard and I need to replace valves that have started acting up. How do you handle a valve cover that's 6" under ground? Do you dig around it and replace with a new one that will come up closer to the surface?

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Did they just bury the valves or are they in valve boxes? If the valves were just buried in the dirt, I'd add valve boxes once you locate them and place the cover even with the soil level. If you already have valve boxes that have the cover 6" underneath the dirt, I'd either raise the boxes up once you find them (if that's an option) or add a second valve box to bring them level with the soil. Good luck.

[@tex24]

@@MikeZimmermanOfficial Perfect. Thanks!

[@Xeonise]

Watched your video, bought the same exact tool and spent an hour playing with it. It’s very hard to get anything out of it. I get a different form of static with about 6 feet of my one known valve. It’s a sound I don’t get anywhere else in the yard. Tried tracing wires going from the garage controller, but haven’t been able to actually follow the wire any reasonable distance. Each way I get some sound and can’t tell which one is the right one. Will try again, but so far, it’s been a major fail, sadly.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Try grabbing some other wire you have in the house (speaker wire, or other low voltage wire), and clipping the negative terminal of the tool to the wire. Wrap the other end of the wire around a screwdriver (be sure wires wrapped around the screwdriver are exposed to make contact with the metal of the screwdriver) and stick the screwdriver in the ground. You need to swing the tool, and be sure you're connected to the common wire with the positive terminal of the tool, and unplug your controller from any power sources. What are you trying to accomplish? Do you have working valves that are just hidden, or do you have non-working valves you're trying to locate?

[@Xeonise]

@@MikeZimmermanOfficial Thanks for the reply, sorry mine took a bit, but I wanted to get another go at it. I'll start from the end and work backwards. I have hidden valves and I need to know where they are for access. The matter took on an urgency last week when one of the valves got stuck open and forced me to turn off the whole system to stop the bleeding. I got the wire tool, used it, failed and then ended up trying again yesterday. I did manage to find 'A' valve. It was pure luck, since the valve in question was level with the ground, had no cover on it and was only covered by some leaves. Apparently, it was a snake den as well. Unfortunately, it wasn't the valve I was looking for, but I was happy that I was able to trace the wire well enough to find it. If I wasn't at a dead end spot in my yard and the valve had been under any ground, I wouldn't have found it. Only reason I did was that in my frustration I started scraping off the leaves and just happened to be standing on top of it. The only other located valve did not produce enough of a signal for me to know it was there just by the sound. Nearby electrical box was causing some interference, I think. Attempting to find where the other wires run only worked for me for a certain distance, then I lose them. One of the bigger issues is that the zone I want to locate the valve for is on the other side of the house, so it is a long distance to track. I used the tool correctly, as I was able to trace the wire for a short distance, actually pretty accurately near where it goes in the ground. After that it gets much harder. I did try the screwdriver method, but it didn't make much difference for me. I have a hole I dug up in one of my zones where a pipe busted that I need to repair. The wire runs through there and if I hold the probe near it, it works. However, if I hover it slightly above the ground level, the sound goes away. My general conclusion is that this tool works well for short runs that don't go too deep. Sadly, I think this isn't the case for me, so I'm considering returning it. I really appreciate your help, thanks!

[@JT_70]

Just had sod replaced along with a truckload of soil. Landscaper said he would raise all the sprinkler heads. I flagged all heads and valve boxes for him. He didn’t raise any heads and sodded over three valve boxes. Luckily I found one box, which I raised by adding two more boxes atop it, and one that will need one more box added but haven’t located a 3rd valve box. Probing thru the sod hasn’t helped so hopefully the tool shown will do the job. I also need to locate the wires to another valve that were apparently severed. Will the tool help me locate the broken wires? I have seven zones. How do you know to which wires in the controller box to attach the sender? I don’t want to dig up my newly planted Zoysia to try and locate the broken wires. I have to raise at least 7 sprinkler heads that are now way too deep. Some may need to be raised 4”. Frustrating!

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

You have a lot of work ahead of you, but it won't be too bad. Any of the big box stores sell risers that can be cut off at different heights, that should be all you need to raise the heads... and some time. When selecting the wires in the controller box, you can either use the "Common" wire (which goes to every sprinkler valve) or you can use each particular zone's wire if you're just seeking out 1 vavle box. I'd try the zone wire to find the break in your line. Start at your house where all the wires exit the home with the transmitter connected to the zone's wire you feel is severed. It will go quiet when you swing over that wire... keep tracing it until the tool seemingly doesn't work anymore, and right before that spot is likely where your break is. The transmitter needs the wire to send the signal to the receiver (the part in your hand). If you go past where the wire is broken you won't get the signal any longer.

[@rkbest9783]

What’s the poking tool? Also, it seems the probe is sounds over a large area around the wires and I am unable to isolate one station wire even when connected to only one wire (no the common).

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

It was just a garden stake of some kind.... or a long screwdriver.

[@NeilFoxSelfProclaimedGenius]

It would have been faster to manually probe with the rod. This is not a good use for this device. The depth is poor and you can’t hear a bull. At all. A 521a device costs 500-600 dollars, but it gives a lot of love. An irrigation system is expensive and it’s not a bad investment.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

I did a lot of probing in the yard, which eventually led me to a tool to help further. You're right, not a great tool, but it does work. There were 4 other valves I found with this that aren't shown in this video as well. Thanks for watching, and thanks for the comment!

[@199theartist]

Is that the only possible sound for a wire finder? :) Why didn't they use crying babies?

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

good question!

[@reubjames]

Can you link to the wire trace tool you purchased please?

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Just added the link for you. Thanks for watching.

[@edwardgarcia6496]

Hopefully you replaced the controller by now

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Not yet, but in the plans this year. Last year the goal was to find all the valve boxes and heads.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Controller has now been replaced with the Wyze irrigation controller!

[@Austin-cf2kx]

Why no valve box

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

There was a valve box over the valve where my pvc 4 way intersection is, I just removed it after I dug a hole for easier access on a different repair I had to do.

[@SiCDesigns]

I ordered this tool and I swear it's awful... Quiet when it goes over the line? BS.. This thing just makes whatever noise it wants.. I see why they pay $20-40 for a video using the item..

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

I don't get paid squat for it, just trying to share what I used that helped me. Certainly not a perfect tool, but its cheap and helped me find my hidden valves all around my yard.

[@TheRaginkage]

🤦‍♂️ there's still time to delete this....

[@markrott5256]

that thing didn't even work.lol

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Sure it did, I found 5 of 6 valves with this tool. It's not the best, but it's cheap and a decent homeowner option before you call the pros. Thanks for watching!

[@Mowasfla]

Youre doing it wrong

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

What's new?

[@daryllect6659]

To keep from prematurely breaking the wire, a man with a brain would hold the detector vertically.

[@MikeZimmermanOfficial]

Therein lies the problem, my brain is missing!