Wet Spots Between Watering Cycles

A wet spot between watering cycles can come from a valve that is not closing, a buried lateral leak, a head leak, or another water source. Timing and location are the key signals.

Symptoms to compare

• The wet area appears after one zone and follows its pipe path.
• The ground stays wet while all zones are off.
• Water pools around one head, valve box, fitting, or low point.

Free diagnostic checks

1. Mark the wet area, turn every zone off, and observe whether it grows or dries.
2. Run the likely zone while watching whether the area expands immediately.
3. Check the water meter with all demand stopped to identify continuous flow.

What the result usually means

• A valve that bleeds through keeps low-volume flow moving after a cycle.
• A lateral or fitting leak follows the zone schedule.
• Groundwater, a supply leak, or drainage remains wet independently of irrigation.

Free diagnosis boundary. Isolate irrigation before digging and use a licensed plumber for potable supply or continuous-flow problems. Use the matching Repair Guide for the protected repair procedure, parts list, testing, and verification.