The short answer
If every zone is dead, there are only three suspects: the water is off, the electricity is off, or the common wire is broken. Every valve in the yard shares that one common wire, so a break in it kills the whole system at once. Check the shutoff at the backflow and the controller's power first, they are free; the common takes a multimeter. If it is one zone instead of all of them, that is a different problem with a different guide.
Step 1: Is It One Zone or the Entire System?
Before you grab tools, figure out the scope of the problem.
Try running each zone manually from the controller. Most controllers have a manual start or test function. Run through every zone for 2-3 minutes each.
This single test narrows your troubleshooting from "everything is broken" to a specific area. That saves time and money whether you're fixing it yourself or calling someone.
- No zones work at all — The problem is upstream: water supply, master valve, or controller. Keep reading this guide.
- One zone won't turn on — The problem is zone-specific: that zone's valve, solenoid, or field wire. We have a dedicated one-zone troubleshooting guide that covers the solenoid swap and diaphragm cleaning step by step.
- Some zones work, some don't — Could be multiple solenoid failures, a partially broken common wire, or wiring damage affecting certain runs.
Step 2: Check the Water Supply
This sounds obvious. It isn't. About one out of every five "my system won't turn on" calls we get is a closed shutoff valve.
About 20% of the "nothing works" calls we respond to are a shutoff valve that got closed — by a plumber, a landscaper, or the homeowner themselves. It's a two-second fix that saves a service call.
Brandon Surratt, TCEQ Licensed IrrigatorWhere to Look
Your irrigation system has at least one shutoff point, usually at the backflow preventer (also called a double check valve assembly). It's typically a brass or copper assembly near your water meter or on the side of the house, often with two ball valve handles.
Both handles should be parallel to the pipe (inline with the water flow). If either handle is perpendicular — turned 90 degrees — the water is shut off.
Why It Gets Shut Off
- A plumber turned it off during other work and forgot to reopen it
- You (or a previous homeowner) shut it off for winter and never turned it back on
- Someone bumped the handle
- City water work required a temporary shutoff
The fix: Turn both handles so they're parallel to the pipe. Then try running a zone. If water flows, you're done.
If you can't find the backflow preventer, look near the water meter. There's usually a shutoff on the irrigation supply line between the meter and the backflow. Some systems have the shutoff buried or inside a utility closet.
Step 3: Test the Master Valve
Many irrigation systems have a master valve — a valve that controls water flow to the entire system. It opens when the controller sends a signal, and it closes when the system shuts off. If the master valve isn't opening, no zone gets water.
Manual Bleed Test
Find the master valve. It's usually buried in a valve box near the backflow preventer or near the first zone.
Most irrigation valves have a bleed screw on top of the solenoid (the cylindrical part with wires coming out of it). Turn the bleed screw counter-clockwise about a quarter to a half turn. If the valve is getting water, you'll hear it open and water will start flowing through the system.
Important: When you bleed the master valve open, water fills the mainline but doesn't come out of sprinkler heads. The zone valves are still closed. You'll need to also manually bleed a zone valve to confirm flow — or just listen for the master valve opening and the sound of water charging the line.
Common Master Valve Problems
- Bad solenoid — The electromagnetic coil that opens the valve burns out over time. Solenoids are replaceable without digging up the valve.
- Wiring damage — A cut or corroded wire between the controller and master valve. Landscapers, trenching, and rodents are the usual culprits.
- Stuck diaphragm — Debris or mineral buildup from DFW's hard water prevents the valve from opening. Sometimes a manual bleed-and-close cycle clears it. If the master valve needs professional attention, a valve repair service can diagnose and fix the issue without replacing the entire assembly.
Step 4: Check the Controller Output
Your controller might look perfectly normal — screen is on, schedule is programmed, clock is correct — and still not be sending voltage to your valves. The display and the output are two separate circuits. The screen running on backup battery power while wall power is actually off is more common than you'd think. If you're not sure your schedule is set correctly, our controller programming guide walks through the setup step by step.
I've walked into houses where the controller screen looked perfect — schedule programmed, clock right, everything normal. But when I put a meter on the terminals, zero volts. The display was running on battery backup and hadn't actually powered a valve in weeks.
Brandon Surratt, TCEQ Licensed IrrigatorWhat You Need
A multimeter (also called a volt-ohm meter). You can get a basic one at any hardware store for $20-30. Set it to AC voltage (the "V~" or "VAC" setting).
How to Test
- At the controller, find the terminal strip where the field wires connect. You'll see labeled terminals: C (common), M or MV (master valve), and numbered terminals (1, 2, 3, etc.) for each zone.
- Start a zone manually from the controller.
- Put one probe on the Common (C) terminal and the other probe on the zone terminal you just activated (e.g., terminal 1).
- Read the voltage. Controllers are 24 VAC nominal, but an unloaded reading at the terminal normally comes in higher, commonly around 30. Anywhere in the 24 to 30 volt AC band is healthy.
Also Check the Master Valve Terminal
Put one probe on C and the other on the MV terminal while a zone is running. You should see the same 24-30 VAC. If the master valve terminal shows 0 volts, the master valve won't open — and no zone will get water even if the zone valves are fine.
Controller Looks Dead?
- Check the outlet — plug something else in to verify power
- Check for a blown fuse or tripped breaker
- Check if the controller has a battery backup that's been powering the display while wall power is actually off
- Lightning and power surges are common in DFW storms and can fry controllers even through surge protectors
A Block of Dead Zones Points at a Module, Not the Controller
Many controllers are modular: the station terminals live on removable modules rather than on one fixed board. When a module burns out, it takes down only the zones wired to it and leaves the rest running normally.
So the pattern matters. If zones 1 through 4 are dead and 5 through 8 run fine, suspect the module those first zones land on before you condemn the whole controller. A module is a far smaller replacement than a controller, and the display and programming will look perfectly healthy the entire time.
If the controller really is dead, replacing it is a very approachable DIY job — the guide covers the photo-and-label method and the wiring gotchas that trip people up.
Step 5: Test the Wiring
You've confirmed the controller is sending 24 VAC. But is that voltage reaching the valve in the ground? Wire problems are one of the most common causes of zones not working, especially in North Texas where clay soil shifts and settles constantly. When wiring damage is confirmed, professional wiring repair involves tracing the break with specialized equipment and splicing in new wire.
Voltage Test at the Valve
This is the real diagnostic step. Go to the valve box in the yard.
- Set your multimeter to AC voltage.
- Put the black lead in the dirt — literally push it into the soil near the valve. The earth acts as your ground reference.
- Touch the red probe to the field wire (the colored wire connected to the solenoid). With the zone running from the controller, you should read approximately 24-30 volts AC.
- Now touch the red probe to the common wire (usually white). It should read close to 0 volts.
Put your black lead in the dirt, set the meter to AC, and read the field wire — you should see about 24 to 30 volts. Then read the common. It should be zero. If the common is also reading 26 volts, your common wire is broken. That's the one that tricks people because voltage is there, but the circuit can't complete.
Brandon Surratt, TCEQ Licensed IrrigatorWhat the Readings Mean
| Field Wire | Common Wire | Diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| ~24-30 VAC | ~0 VAC | Wiring is good. Problem is the solenoid or valve itself. |
| 0 VAC | 0 VAC | Field wire is cut or disconnected between controller and valve. |
| ~24-30 VAC | ~24-30 VAC | Common wire is broken. Voltage on both wires but circuit can't complete. Valve won't open. |
| Under 18 VAC | ~0 VAC | Partial wire break or high-resistance connection. Wire is damaged but not fully severed. |
The broken common wire is one of the trickiest problems because a homeowner testing just the field wire might think everything looks fine. You have to check both wires to catch it.
Resistance (Ohm) Test for Wire Integrity
If you want to test wiring without running a zone, disconnect the field wires at the controller and use the ohm (resistance) setting on your multimeter.
At the controller terminal strip, measure resistance between the common wire and each field wire:
- Common to Master Valve: should read 20-70 ohms
- Common to Zone 1: should read 20-70 ohms
- Common to Zone 2: should read 20-70 ohms
- Common to Zone 3: should read 20-70 ohms
- Continue for each zone...
A typical solenoid coil reads 20-60 ohms by itself. Wire resistance adds to that, a few more ohms depending on how long the run is, so the total you measure at the controller is always at or above the coil's own reading. 20-70 ohms is the healthy window. If you read OL (open line) or infinite resistance, the wire is broken somewhere. A reading below the coil's own 20-ohm floor points at a short — two wires touching underground.
What the Ohm Readings Mean
- 20-70 ohms — Normal. Solenoid and wiring are intact.
- Infinite / OL (open line) — Broken wire or disconnected solenoid. Signal can't get from the controller to the valve.
- Under 20 ohms — Suspect a short. Two wires touching underground, or an internal short in the coil. A reading near zero is a dead short.
- Higher than 70 ohms — Corroded connection, partially damaged wire, or waterlogged splice. Signal is getting through but weakly.
Test every zone. If most zones read normally and one reads OL, you've found your problem zone.
Reads Open? Check Zone to Zone Before You Dig
An open reading between common and a zone wire is usually taken to mean a broken wire, and people go straight to digging. Take one more reading first: put the probes between two zone wires.
If you get a reading there, you have a loop — two field wires are in contact somewhere, typically a nicked pair sharing a trench or a splice that has flooded and bridged. That is a different fault from a clean break and it changes where you look. A break gets traced to one point; a loop means two conductors are touching, and the damage is wherever those two runs are closest together.
Reading the wire from the controller tells you whether the solenoid and the path to it are alive before anyone opens the ground. Digging is the last step in a good diagnosis, not the first.
Step 6: Sprinkler Head Not Popping Up?
Sometimes the system IS running — you can hear water in the pipes — but specific heads won't pop up. This is different from the system not turning on, but homeowners often describe it the same way. If a head is cracked or damaged beyond cleaning, sprinkler head replacement is a straightforward fix — usually under $15 in parts.
When It's NOT the Head
If you replaced the head and it still won't pop up, the problem is pressure — not the head. Check for:
- A leak elsewhere on the zone (look for soggy spots in the yard)
- A partially open zone valve (diaphragm not opening all the way)
- Too many heads on one zone — common in systems that were expanded over the years without resizing the zones
DFW-Specific Factors
North Texas creates unique challenges for irrigation systems that homeowners in other parts of the country don't deal with.
Clay Soil Movement
DFW sits on expansive black clay that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. This constant movement stresses buried pipes, valve connections, and wire splices. A waterproof splice that was perfect when installed can crack open after a few seasons of the soil expanding and contracting around it.
If you're getting intermittent zone failures — works sometimes, doesn't other times — soil movement damaging a wire splice is one of the most common causes we see across Garland, Plano, Allen, and the rest of the Metroplex.
Storm Damage
DFW thunderstorms regularly produce lightning that can fry controllers, even through surge protectors. If your system stopped working after a storm, the controller is the first suspect. Check for a burnt smell near the transformer or melted/discolored terminals.
Lightning doesn't just fry the controller — it can send a surge down the field wires and blow solenoids on multiple valves simultaneously. If your controller died in a storm, check every zone solenoid with an ohm test before replacing the controller. Otherwise you'll install a new controller and still have dead zones.
Hard Water and Mineral Buildup
North Texas water is hard — high in calcium and magnesium. Over years, mineral deposits build up inside solenoids and valve diaphragms, causing them to stick. If a valve worked fine for years and gradually stopped, mineral buildup is often the reason.
Freeze Damage
While DFW doesn't get the deep freezes that northern states do, we get occasional hard freezes that catch exposed backflow preventers, above-ground pipes, and valve solenoids. If your system stopped working after a freeze event, check the backflow preventer for cracked fittings and each zone valve for freeze-cracked solenoids.
Smart Controllers: Skip the Multimeter
If all this voltage and ohm testing sounds like more than you want to deal with, there's a modern shortcut: smart irrigation controllers with built-in current monitoring.
Rachio Pro controllers monitor the electrical current draw on every zone, every time it runs. If a solenoid starts drawing abnormal current — too high (short), too low (failing coil), or zero (broken wire) — the controller flags it and sends you an alert on your phone before you ever notice a brown spot in the yard.
Traditional controllers are dumb — they send voltage and hope for the best. They have no way of knowing whether the valve actually opened. A smart controller like Rachio closes that feedback loop by measuring current flow on each zone:
- Normal current draw — Zone is working. Solenoid is pulling the expected milliamps.
- Zero current — Wire is cut or solenoid is dead. You get an alarm.
- High current — Short circuit in the wiring. You get an alarm before it damages anything.
- Gradually increasing current — Solenoid coil is degrading. Early warning before it fails completely.
This means a Rachio Pro can detect a bad solenoid or broken wire the same day it happens — not three weeks later when you notice the dead patch. For homeowners who don't want to learn multimeter diagnostics, this is the closest thing to having a technician monitor your system 24/7.
As Certified Rachio Pro installers, we set up zone monitoring as part of every smart controller installation. It's one of the most underrated features of the system.
Step 7: When to Call a Professional
Here's where DIY troubleshooting hits its limits.
You can handle:
- Checking and opening shutoff valves
- Replacing a broken sprinkler head or cleaning a clogged nozzle
- Checking controller voltage with a multimeter
- Running the ohm test at the controller terminal strip
Call a pro when:
- You need to locate buried valves you can't find
- Multiple zones are dead and ohm readings show wiring problems
- The controller outputs voltage but nothing happens in the field (buried wire fault)
- You're getting readings you can't interpret
- The master valve won't open even when bled manually
Professional irrigators carry wire tracers and valve locators — tools that send a signal down the wire and follow it underground to find breaks, shorts, and buried valves. These tools cost $500-$2,000 and aren't worth buying for a single repair. A diagnostic visit with professional equipment costs far less than the hours you'd spend digging blind. Once the problem is identified, most issues can be resolved in a single sprinkler repair appointment.
What to Tell Your Technician
If you've followed this guide, you already have valuable information that saves your tech time — and saves you money:
- Whether it's one zone or the whole system
- Whether you checked the shutoff valves
- Whether the controller is outputting voltage (and what you measured)
- What your ohm readings were (if you tested)
- Whether you bled the master valve and got water flow
This lets them bring the right tools and parts on the first trip instead of starting from scratch.
Quick Reference: Diagnostic Flowchart
No Zones Work
- Check water shutoff at backflow — open if closed
- Bleed master valve — water flows? Yes: Check controller voltage. No voltage: controller issue. Has voltage: check master valve wiring
- Bleed master valve — no water? Water supply issue upstream
One Zone Won't Work
- Check controller voltage on that zone terminal — no voltage: controller issue
- Has voltage — check ohms between common and zone wire. OL = broken wire. 20-70 ohms = bad solenoid
- Bleed that zone's valve manually — water flows: electrical problem. No water: valve or supply problem
Heads Won't Pop Up (System Runs)
- Check other heads on same zone — all weak: zone pressure problem (valve or leak)
- One head weak: clogged nozzle or broken riser — clean or replace
Frequently Asked Questions
My controller screen is on but nothing runs. Is it broken?
Why does my sprinkler system work sometimes but not others?
How much does it cost to diagnose a sprinkler problem?
Can I test my sprinkler wiring without a multimeter?
What does it mean when my common wire reads 26 volts?
My sprinkler heads barely pop up. What is wrong?
This guide covers the whole DFW Metroplex. For how Brandon, a TCEQ Licensed Irrigator, gets a dead system running again on your street, start with your city: