Have you got automatic irrigation for your lawn? A solenoid is an electric tap that stops or allows water flow to sprinklers (or drippers, sprayers etc). If it's all working well, you may not have thought twice about it. However, when the sprinklers stopped working for our back lawn for about six months when they were most needed, we very much cared.
Using a Cable Locator
Dad purchased a Holman Cable and Solenoid locator and following the instructions, identified where wires could be broken. I had a go myself. I connected the red clip to the Station 2 wire (controlled by Solenoid D, read on) and the black clip to a wire I shoved into the ground - a makeshift earth wire.
Looks easy, doesn't it? Just dig where the noise stops. For Dad and I, not so easy. We needed to pull up the schematics.
Referring to Irrigation Schematics
The Story of My Struggles
Upgrading a Solenoid Pit
The Saga Continues
In Summary
Finally, the installed solenoid pits and lots of dug up lawn.
Unexpectedly challenging projects like this require patience, persistence and knowing when to hit the brakes. With a mind free of attachment, it is possible to have this level of wisdom. This meditation that discards attachment from the mind has been an absolute life saver and I used it regularly while doing this project.
Hope you have better luck than we did 😅