If water continues to flow from a zone after the controller has turned the valve off, what is a likely cause?

• A. The timer is misprogrammed
• B. The zone is receiving water from another zone
• C. The valve is leaking (stuck open or seat leak)
• D. The main supply line is broken

Answer: (C)

When water keeps flowing after the controller has shut the zone off, the issue is the valve not sealing properly. A valve can leak because it’s stuck open or the seat is worn/leaking, so water can pass around the closing mechanism even though the coil or actuator is de-energized. This is a hardware failure inside the valve itself, and it means the zone isn’t being truly blocked at the valve.

Other possibilities don’t fit the symptom as directly. A timer mix-up could affect when the valve opens or closes, but once the valve is commanded to off, a leak at the valve would still let water through. A cross-connection from another zone or a broken main supply would present different symptoms (shared piping issues or widespread loss/return of pressure) rather than a single zone continuing to water after shutoff.