It is flat against the ground. Green removable cover says "Water master irrigation control system" inside there are two openings that look like they may be tubes under the ground, and the inside of this thing has a smaller cylinder on the inside that says "ICS" with a small hole in it. If anyone knows how to use this thing, please advise me.
I just looked outside and the thing actually reads "Water Irrigation Valve" There is no controller for it anywhere in the garage or on the house. the thing seems to stand alone. and everything connected to it is underground piping from what I can see inside of it.I want to fill it with water but am afraid I will break it if I do it wrong.
It’s for the ungerground sprinklers. Probably the on/off valve controls.
it is the irrigation control system.. you have a series of pvc pipes under ground there that connect there… are there valves in there you can turn on or any solenoids? If valves (like a ballcock) you can turn them on manually, if a solenoid, you should have a timer or switch in your garage or possibly in a box mounted to your house.
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don’t fill it with water! it connects to your water supply somewhere, and there is a way to turn it on somewhere (or else the valve has been broken off, or the timer was removed) Filling it with water will do nothing except (if it is solenoid driven) short out the electrical (if it is not well sealed).
Contact a local irrigation company (undergroun sprinklers) and have them look at it, they can tell you where to turn it on, if it is operational, etc.
Yeah, it sounds like you irrigation control system. However, you may not have any pvc pipes running around your yard just yet.
A lot of the newer neighborhoods install the hook-ups for an irrigation system for you, but don’t necessarily lay down the pipes. Its nice that they make everything ready, it just means you have a plate in your yard that you may not use.
If it’s an older neighborhood, then someone before you has put in a system, and you need to figure out whether it still works or not. As mentioned in a previous answer, call an irrigation company for anwswers. But, if they tell you they "need to totally put in a new one because yours is outdated" (common line), call for a second opinion.
Good luck.