What is a sprinkler check valve?
Short answer: It is a small valve that lets water flow one way and stops it from flowing back. A check valve helps keep water in the lateral piping after shutdown instead of allowing it to drain through a lower sprinkler head.
A check valve sits in or just before a sprinkler head and opens when the zone is running so water can flow out the nozzle normally. When the zone shuts off and pressure drops, the valve closes and holds the water in the lateral pipe. That is the whole job: keep the pipe full between cycles.
The main reason to use one is low-head drainage on a sloped yard. Without a check valve, the water left in the lateral after shutdown runs downhill and out the lowest head, wasting water and leaving a soggy spot. With a check valve head — often sold as a SAM (Seal-A-Matic) head — the water stays put, and the zone also starts faster next time because the pipe is already full.
Check-valve heads are a standard part of a good install on any yard with slope. They cost a little more than a plain head, but they pay for themselves in water saved and in not having a washed-out low spot at the bottom of the zone.
What we check in Atascocita
On sloped yards we check whether the low heads on each zone have check valves, and whether the heads at the bottom of a slope are draining after shutdown. If they are, we swap in check-valve heads. We also check that the check valve is holding — a failed one drains just like a plain head.
Related reading: Sprinkler Repair in Kingwood · All questions · Contact us
Frequently asked questions
Do all my heads need check valves?
No. They matter most on the lowest heads of a zone and on any yard with a slope. Heads on flat ground at the high end of a zone usually do not need one.
Will a check valve change my spray pattern?
No. The valve is inside the head and only affects what happens after shutdown. While the zone is running, the spray is exactly the same.
Do you serve Atascocita?
Yes. Orion’s Rain serves Atascocita and the Lake Houston area — Kingwood, Atascocita, Porter, Humble, New Caney, Summerwood, Fall Creek, Huffman, and Eagle Springs. Call or text (281) 504-9998, 24 hours a day.
Related questions
- Why does the lowest sprinkler head drain after the system turns off?
- Why does water continue leaking from sprinkler heads after the zone turns off?
- Why does a sprinkler head leak around the stem while it is running?
Get it looked at
If this sounds like your yard in Atascocita, call or text Orion’s Rain at (281) 504-9998 — 24 hours a day. We will test the system and tell you what is actually wrong, and what it will take to fix it the right way.
Orion’s Rain Smartscapes and Exteriors — (281) 504-9998 — LI0029444
Sources: Check-valve (SAM) heads hold up to 14 feet of head; hold water in lateral after shutdown — Rain Bird 1800-SAM-PRS product specifications (store.rainbird.com).