Have decided that this will be the summer I will try to get my irrigation system working. I bought this house five years ago, not even realizing that it has irrigation. In the course of cleaning up the disaster the previous owner had left in the yard I have discovered heads all over the place. Cleaned out an overgrown bed last summer and found a valve box.
Today after clearing out an overgrown shrub I set to work on the valve box as a starting point. I have walked the piping back to the source in the house and have confirmed that the system is shut off and dry. Pop the top off the valve box and it is full to the top with dirt. Scooped out all the loose stuff on top but the ground is still frozen a foot or so down. Did manage to expose all the wiring and grease caps. And one of the solenoids seems to be pulled off. Will let the ground thaw and I think I am going to excavate everything in the area around the valve box as soon as I can to see where I am at.
Valve box full of dirt and some wires.
Rogue solenoid