Rainbird DV 100 Electric Valves
The Rainbird DV-100 series valves are a very good commercial grade valve that is commonly used on lawn sprinkler systems. The 100 basically stands for 1". There is also a DV-150, which is an 1&1/2 inch input and output.
The DV series Rainbird valves come in slip, female threaded, union fittings, or barbed for poly-pipe. I prefer the slip for ease of installation, and if plumbed correctly repairs are not bad like some contractors may claim. With all electric, in-ground valves, the valve box should be centered around the valve so that you can have easy access to remove the screws (or bolts on some other brands).
A common maintenance item is the diaphragm going bad, which can be fixed by replacing it with a repair kit. To do this you need to remove the eight #2 Phillips head screws and pull out the old diaphragm
The female threaded series are good, but of course you have to have (2), 1" male adapters for the input or in-flow side and one for the output or out-flow side. You apply either Teflon tape of Teflon paste to the male threads before attaching to the valves to make a good seal and also to make it easier to remove if ever needed. Replacing an entire valve can be easier with a threaded valve compared to a slip because you can remove the valve without cutting it. You can even install a new slip valve by using a 1" female adapter. This is 1" slip on one side and 1" female threaded on the other so it can attach to an existing male adapter. But, if you don't know what you are doing, it can be difficult and you could break other pipes, so please be careful.
The barbed series are perfect for those who build their entire system on barbed poly-pipe I don't personally use the poly-pipe for the entire system, only the small 1/2" Rainbird flex (polyurethane) pipe. Coming off the PVC lateral lines we use the pre-fabricated Rainbird swing assemblies which are 12" long. We thread the 1/2" male threaded side of the barbed fitting into the threaded fittings (tee or 90) and then use the other end, which contains a marlex (a.k.a. street elbow) after the barbed fitting, to attach the sprinkler head, whether it be a rotor head or a spray head.
It is rare that you have to replace the entire valve, but there are cases where it is needed. If the main body cracks, such as freeze crack, then the whole valve will have to be replaced. When replacing the diaphragm I also recommend replacing the solenoid, so basically the whole top or bonnet of the valve. The reason why is because the electric solenoids go out after an average of 7 years and have to be replaced. The sometimes go out first, so if the valve is 4 years old, it would be wise to just go ahead and put a new solenoid on while you are replacing the bad diaphragm.
The diaphragm repair kits do not come with solenoids, so to do what I mentioned you will need an entire valve. Just get a new valve and remove the entire top to have ready before replacing the old one. Have plenty of space dug out around and underneath the valve, be prepared to manually, hand-pump water out of the hole, or scoop it out with a cup. You don't want sand, rocks, and other debris getting inside the line! The water main drain for a minute or two, but will eventually stop because it is just draining out the water in the lateral lines. O ya, DON'T FORGET to shut off the main water line prior to working on the valve!
If you are on city water, you should be able to shut off the water supply to the valves with one of the ball valve handles on the back-flow prevention device. If you are on a well & pump with a pump-start relay, just make sure that the pump does not turn on and pressurize the line. Otherwise, you are good because with a relay your line is only pressurized when the system runs.
If your sprinkler system uses a well, pump, pressure tank, and pressure switch, then you will also have to shut the main water supply to the irrigation system prior to any valve work. These systems usually have a ball valve or gate valve for the main shut off.
Good luck with your repairs and if you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
The DV series Rainbird valves come in slip, female threaded, union fittings, or barbed for poly-pipe. I prefer the slip for ease of installation, and if plumbed correctly repairs are not bad like some contractors may claim. With all electric, in-ground valves, the valve box should be centered around the valve so that you can have easy access to remove the screws (or bolts on some other brands).
A common maintenance item is the diaphragm going bad, which can be fixed by replacing it with a repair kit. To do this you need to remove the eight #2 Phillips head screws and pull out the old diaphragm
The female threaded series are good, but of course you have to have (2), 1" male adapters for the input or in-flow side and one for the output or out-flow side. You apply either Teflon tape of Teflon paste to the male threads before attaching to the valves to make a good seal and also to make it easier to remove if ever needed. Replacing an entire valve can be easier with a threaded valve compared to a slip because you can remove the valve without cutting it. You can even install a new slip valve by using a 1" female adapter. This is 1" slip on one side and 1" female threaded on the other so it can attach to an existing male adapter. But, if you don't know what you are doing, it can be difficult and you could break other pipes, so please be careful.
The barbed series are perfect for those who build their entire system on barbed poly-pipe I don't personally use the poly-pipe for the entire system, only the small 1/2" Rainbird flex (polyurethane) pipe. Coming off the PVC lateral lines we use the pre-fabricated Rainbird swing assemblies which are 12" long. We thread the 1/2" male threaded side of the barbed fitting into the threaded fittings (tee or 90) and then use the other end, which contains a marlex (a.k.a. street elbow) after the barbed fitting, to attach the sprinkler head, whether it be a rotor head or a spray head.
It is rare that you have to replace the entire valve, but there are cases where it is needed. If the main body cracks, such as freeze crack, then the whole valve will have to be replaced. When replacing the diaphragm I also recommend replacing the solenoid, so basically the whole top or bonnet of the valve. The reason why is because the electric solenoids go out after an average of 7 years and have to be replaced. The sometimes go out first, so if the valve is 4 years old, it would be wise to just go ahead and put a new solenoid on while you are replacing the bad diaphragm.
The diaphragm repair kits do not come with solenoids, so to do what I mentioned you will need an entire valve. Just get a new valve and remove the entire top to have ready before replacing the old one. Have plenty of space dug out around and underneath the valve, be prepared to manually, hand-pump water out of the hole, or scoop it out with a cup. You don't want sand, rocks, and other debris getting inside the line! The water main drain for a minute or two, but will eventually stop because it is just draining out the water in the lateral lines. O ya, DON'T FORGET to shut off the main water line prior to working on the valve!
If you are on city water, you should be able to shut off the water supply to the valves with one of the ball valve handles on the back-flow prevention device. If you are on a well & pump with a pump-start relay, just make sure that the pump does not turn on and pressurize the line. Otherwise, you are good because with a relay your line is only pressurized when the system runs.
If your sprinkler system uses a well, pump, pressure tank, and pressure switch, then you will also have to shut the main water supply to the irrigation system prior to any valve work. These systems usually have a ball valve or gate valve for the main shut off.
Good luck with your repairs and if you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
posted by Irrigationman at
9:54 PM
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