SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Thanks for the replies guys. I replaced the entire main valve and the system lives once again. I have a big sweetgum tree in the front yard with shallow roots going everywhere. I dug up the box that the main valve is in because i noticed the shutoff was leaking. I built a new assembly with schedule B and a new main valve and put it back together. When i went to reassemble it I noticed the line going to the system wasn't lining up. I dug back a little further to find a 8" diameter root pushing the line up. Had to dig it up and remove it with a chainsaw. Why are easy things to do never easy?????? My next tuneup is to find the buried valve covers and replace some diaphragms that are leaky. Does anyone know a cheap alternative to a wire tracker to finding buried valves???? I know someone will reply a shovel. Any better way? Thanks fellas so much for your help.

Okay, with water escaping the bleed screw from the master valve, you would proceed to a zone valve and manually open it, and know that there is actual full flow.


-

An electrical check of the system comes next. Looking for 24 volts AC at the clock outputs is a start. After that is confirmed, you have to check the system wiring for resistance. All the zones lost at once points towards the common wire.

Sounds like the ground wire tenman. Try bypassing the rain sensor wire. If that' not it, it could be disconnected someplace. Possibly between the controller and the closest valve. Done any digging lately? Any big tree roots that may have broke a wire? Try running a wire above ground from the common terminal to any valve in the yard. Hook it up to the solenoid where the common wire is. It's probably a white wire.

---

Ok tenman I just re-read your post. You haven't tested the controller yet. Simply turn on station number one and see if it's putting out approx. 24 volts. If it is the controller's working. If not it needs resetting or a new fuse.

Come back with the results. No need to tell you more right now.

the water is definatley on. there is a shutoff valve right before the
main valve and it is working the only other thing before the City's
meter is the backflow preventer. I'm pretty sure im getting water to the
main valve. the other valves 9 total are buried throughout the yard who
knows were. I have taken the bleed screw out and I get water shooting
out. So should i start to diagnose the controller?

Go back to square one and confirm that the water is actually turned on. This is all mechanical - no controller involved.

ok i opened the valve manually and still have no water to sprinklers.
This sucks!!! One day it works perfectly now nothing. what do I check
now? im stuck

Yes, the Toro valve will have a long 'pin' as a part of the bleed screw. Loosen the bleed screw just enough for the valve to open. Whenever you can't get results with the controller, you can confirm that the water is 'on' by manually opening the electric valves.

wet boots the bleed screw is the thing with the needle like thingy on it right? Do you just back it out a bit? I have what I think is the flow control (round knob) turned all the way counterclockwise. The bleed screw fits into the center of it correct? If it is opened manually I should have water to the whole system. If that doesnt work the next thing must be the controller right?

Sorry for my technical jargon "needle like thingy"
I'm an idiot

I have similar issue. My system was working before the winter. I tried to operate it yesterday and none of the zones out of the four zones is working when I put my Rainbird controller in test mode or manual mode.

1) Controller has power and I can program it.
2) Rain sensor is clicking when I press the pin at the top and I have opened the sensor to 1" and we have had no rains in a month.
3) I opened the control valves manually and the sprinkler heads started spraying.

Not sure where the issue is. All four valves couldn't have gone bad or the wiring for them for that matter.

As a side note: During the winter my backflow had busted because of freezing temperatures and I turned the backflow valves off but forgot to turn off the Rainbird controller. So it must have been coming on according to program but no water flowing through the control valves. Not sure if that might be the cause for failure.

Please help!

the Toro 250 series valves can be manually opened by way of a 'bleed screw' on the top center of the valve