On older Fullerton lots, devices often ended up wherever the irrigation installer brought the line out of the ground: behind a hedge, under a juniper, in a side yard or inside a green valve box near the sidewalk. Decades of landscaping can bury them completely.
Commercial devices are usually easier to spot but harder to reach, inside cages, behind locked gates or in riser rooms. Either way, access problems are a common reason a test takes longer or cannot be completed.
How to find it
Start at the meter
Follow the service line from the water meter toward the house. Devices protecting the whole property are often close to it.
Find the sprinkler valves
The irrigation device is usually upstream of the valve manifold, often on a short riser above ground.
Check valve boxes
Rectangular lids in the lawn or planter may hide a double check assembly.
Look at the building riser
On buildings with fire sprinklers, check the outdoor riser or the fire riser room.
Ask the city
The water utility's records may include a location description for the device ID on your notice.
Keep it test-ready
- Keep at least an arm's length of clear space around the device.
- Do not pile mulch, gravel or soil over valve box lids.
- Make sure enclosure locks have a known key or combination.
- Keep sprinkler spray from hitting the device constantly.
- Leave drainage room below an RP's relief port.
- Label the device with its serial number in your records, with a photo.
If access is a problem
- IfThe device is buried in soil inside a boxThenDig out the box carefully or ask the tester to plan time for it.
- IfA new hardscape or wall now blocks itThenTalk to a plumber about access, and check with the city before relocating it.
- IfIt is inside a locked cageThenLeave a key or be present for the test.
- IfIt sits in a flooded box or pitThenTell the tester; an RP should not be installed where its port can be submerged.
Questions to ask about location
- Is this device installed where the supplier allows it?
- Is there enough clearance for testing and repair?
- Would an enclosure help protect it, and would it still be reachable?
- If it must move, what approvals and tests are needed?
Common questions
My device is in the neighbor's yard. Is that possible?
Occasionally devices or service lines cross lot lines on older properties. Ask the city to confirm which device belongs to your account.
Can a landscaper move my backflow device?
Moving a required assembly is plumbing work and may need approval and a new test. Check with the city first.
What if I find a device that is not on my notice?
Tell the water supplier so its records are accurate, and ask whether it needs testing.
General information for Fullerton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.