Backyard sprinklers don't work.

At the end of last summer, my wife and I bought our first house. Yay. Lot's to be done.

When spring came, I got to turning on the water for the sprinkler system. Turned the stop&waste and the sprinklers in the front yard work beautifully.

However, the backyard sprinkler valves have no water to them. I've completely removed the screw for the manual override and no water comes out.
Because of this, I've concluded that there is either
a: another valve for this supply line (which if there is, I can't find.)
or b: this supply line has been disconnected.

I've contacted the previous owner, and he doesn't remember anything. The people that were renting it when we bought it also don't remember the sprinklers ever working in the back.

I would just dig up the ground and follow the supply line to the source, but I can't do that. It appears to go underneath the driveway. I could dig up on the other side of the driveway, and guess where it comes out, but I don't really want to mess up my beautiful front lawn right now.

If I can't do that, the only solution I see is to run a new supply line out of the side of the house under the deck from the utility room. I don't really want a visible pipe, so this is kind of a bummer.

At the end of of the season we're planning on spraying the whole yard with roundup (as it's mostly weeds) and next spring, laying new sod after getting the sprinklers working.

I'm worried about HOW to get those sprinklers working though. Any suggestions?

That is a heck of a problem... I had a similar problem in my old house, abandoned pipes everywhere, yard hydrants that didnt work. If it were me, I would just install a new line. It will be the fastest way to just get it done. You could spend days of headache inducing problem solving and tracking down lines, trouble shooting, etc. Or spend 1 full day installing a new line and have a happy yard.

Thanks for the tip. That's probably what i'll end up doing. (next spring)

If you get funny pipe its a piece of cake to install, just dig a trench with a pick axe, then have a buddy follow you and lay in/cover up the pipe and fill the trench back in. If you want to be careful not to add a pile of dirt next to your trench use scrap wood or old cardboard boxes along the side of the trench to pile dirt on.

Also remember to call before you dig, you do not want to hit any burried water, electric, or gas lines, then you have more trouble.
It's free and in the yellowpages.

The first thing that you should check out during your lawn sprinkler maintenance is pressure. It is a common problem with sprinkler systems.As a general rule, you also have to regularly ensure that your sprinkler heads are always clean-that is, free from dirt and glass clippings.Lawn sprinkler maintenance is oftentimes complicated since the system involves a network of pipes, valves, timers, and more. If you are not the do-it-yourself type of homeowner, it is best to leave the plumbing, electrical work, and general maintenance to the professionals.

"The first thing that you should check out during your lawn sprinkler maintenance is pressure. It is a common problem with sprinkler systems.As a general rule, you also have to regularly ensure that your sprinkler heads are always clean-that is, free from dirt and glass clippings.Lawn sprinkler maintenance is oftentimes complicated since the system involves a network of pipes, valves, timers, and more. If you are not the do-it-yourself type of homeowner, it is best to leave the plumbing, electrical work, and general maintenance to the professionals.