Inspect the system as a sequence, not a pile of parts.
Forney’s published irrigation guidance makes operating conditions part of the diagnosis: the city restricts automatic irrigation during daytime hours and encourages limited watering days. A repair should restore correct coverage without simply adding more runtime.
Controller
Confirm date, time, active programs, start times and zone runtimes before assuming the hardware is at fault.
Each zone
Run zones one at a time and watch heads, pressure, coverage, leaks, runoff and whether each zone shuts off correctly.
Water path
Look for overspray onto pavement, pooling, runoff, saturated areas and dry strips that indicate poor coverage or a hidden fault.
Collect the clues while the system runs.
- Controller date, time and programmed start times.
- Every zone activates and shuts off correctly.
- Broken, buried, leaning or mismatched heads.
- Leaks while zones are running and when they are off.
- Dry spots, overspray and obvious runoff.
- Pressure that differs sharply from one zone to another.
The visible symptom and the failed component are not always the same thing.
Local symptom
One bad head or one wet spot may truly be local — but weak pressure, wiring faults or valve problems can create symptoms elsewhere in the zone.
System symptom
If several heads are weak, multiple zones act strangely, or the controller behaves inconsistently, ask for diagnosis before authorizing a string of unrelated part replacements.
Repair and operation belong in the same conversation.
Forney’s published irrigation guidance makes operating conditions part of the diagnosis: the city restricts automatic irrigation during daytime hours and encourages limited watering days. A repair should restore correct coverage without simply adding more runtime.
Useful rule: after the repair, run the affected zone again. Confirm correct shutoff, coverage, leaks, overspray and runoff before calling the job finished.
Related irrigation pages.
Need system inspection in Forney?
Have the zone number, symptom, controller behavior and leak or coverage clues ready.