I just moved into a sub-division with pressurized irrigation. I am
trying to figure out how to turn it on. Under the control box cover in
the front yard there are 2 gate valves. Then there is a Watts regulator
inline with a pipe with 2 brass ball valves. I opened the ball valves
and then turned the gate valves open with an irrigation key (they are
36" down). The first gate valve did noting. The second let water
through but all 4 or 5 outflow ports on the regulator were spewing
water. I had the sprinkler irrigation system on in manual mode and
nothing came out of the sprinkler heads. Any idea what the landscaping
company did when they winterized the system for the previous owner that
I am not undoing correctly?

Thanks,
Dave

Ahhhhh Hah! It was the little valves on the outflow ports that had to
be closed. Just turned them so the notches were perpendicular to the
outflow direction.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davef/10459050/

Another question:

The gate valve in the PVC pipe at the top of the photo turns on the
water supply. The second one does nothing as far as I can tell. Would
that be part of a vacuum breaker? Should I leave it closed or open?

Check out the photo he
http://www.flickr.com/photos/d=ADavef/10459050/

I have heard that a vacuum breaker is required to keep irrigation water
from being sucked back into the water main in the event of a water main
break.Though I suspect that this system is on pressurized irrigation.
How can I tell. The irrigation company is so busy this time of year
that they haven't called me back. My neighbors are clueless.