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

"always-on" sprinklers indicate a valve that is either stuck open, or left in a 'manually-on' condition. Locate the valves, and see if you can see a way to return it to normal operation.

What happens when you unplug the timer all together and try manually turning the water on at the road? Do the sprinklers still come on? If so, the issue with your sprinkler systems is most likely not related to the timer. It is most likely related to the valve(s) in your system that operate the zones that continues to run constantly. If you are comfortable troubleshooting the valves, locate all of them to check for a couple of things. First, check to make sure both the bleeder screw (if applicable) and the solenoid are hand tight. A loose solenoid will allow the system to run constantly, reguardless of what the timer is saying. Next check all of the wire splice connections coming off of the valves. There should be two wires coming off of each solenoid, one wire connects to the COMMON wire, which runs to all other valves, and the other wire is the ZONE wire, which controls the individual zone valve. Make sure that both of these wires are connected at each valve, and that the connection is watertight and is an approved splice for direct burial. Also, if you've got a multimeter, check to make sure that the valves are getting power to operate. Most valves operate 24 VAC. You should test the wires both at the controller, and out in the field at the valve. A couple of other things that are generally overlooked are the rain sensor. Do you have a rain sensor? If so, is it wet? If it is, the system will not run automatically until it dries out. If you don't have a rain sensor, but your controller is set up for one, make sure there is a jumper wire (should already be there) installed from rain sensor terminal to terminal. Probably not the issue, but still something to look at.