Are sprinkler valves sensitive to orientation?

Question

Not sure if this is a dumb question but ... inline sprinkler / irrigation valves, the sort turned on and off by low voltage signals from a controller, are typically installed in boxes in the ground, in pipes running horizontally, with the valve top pointing up. Is that configuration essential? Or would they work equally well if installed in pipes running vertically, with the top of the valve pointing out from a wall? Or in pipes running horizontally against a wall, with the top of the valve pointing out from the wall? I read some product manuals online, and they don't mention this issue at all.

I have become pessimistic about battery-powered irrigation timers that you can attach directly to a hose bib because they seem to be generally junk. Either the valves fail, or the electronics fail, and they seldom last long. The $80 unit I bought last year is already leaking like crazy and headed for the trash can. Product reviews online tell the same stories over and over, so I am reluctant to throw away more money. My scheme was to make a DIY version out of quality parts, mounting a control unit inside the house, and setting up a box full of valves which can be plugged into the controller and attached to the hoses in spring, and detached and put away in the fall. The box would fit better in the available space if it could be oriented vertically against a wall, rather than placed flat on the ground.

Answer 1

So far as I'm aware, no, sprinkler valves aren't sensitive to orientation.

One bit of unsolicited advice: your battery-powered timer-valve combo that mounts directly to the hose bibb almost certainly has some kind of backflow prevention device in it - a vacuum breaker and maybe a check valve, or example. As you build your DIY manifold-fed-from-hose solution it'll be your responsibility to ensure that backflow safety is addressed. Your local government (city?) or water provider may have rules about whether they require irrigation valves with built-in vacuum breakers, a check valve, or even a "reduced pressure zone" backflow prevention device. Even if they don't, inclusion of these will protect you and your family from contamination that could be drawn backward through the sprinkler system into the house plumbing.

Answer 2

Typical zone valves for an irrigation system do not need a specific orentation.

They are mounted with the solenoid and manual opening port on the top side out of convenience. Nothing in the valve relies on gravity to operate, so they can be mounted to a wall as you suggested. There is an inlet side and a discharge side. That orientation needs to be followed.

As stated by Greg Hill, Backflow prevention must be a part of whatever system you design. If the water source is a garden hose, then simple hose backflow prevention is adequate.