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Diagnoss HELP needed !

jackevln

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

1

Tuesday, August 22nd 2006, 4:52am

Diagnoss HELP needed !


I need some help with a strange problem.
I have a lawn sprinkler system with a WeatherMatic 8A
controller operating seven sectors. The seven valves
ae located 3,3,1 in separate valve "boxes".
Last week an old valve ruptured (in a valve "box"
of three). I replaced the valve as I have replaced others
at previous times. After replacement I restarted the system.
But strangely now, none of the three valves at that location will work.
I did nothing to the other two there and simply replaced the wiring
of the removed valve with the wiring of the new one.
An imediate thought (the only relation I know among the three valves)
was that the shared common was no connected. But, it is properly
connected and there is 24V AC current at the valves.
Does the controller "know" that these three happen to be located
together?
What would cause all three to stop working ? Two were OK when the
third ruptured, and it was replaced with a new one. The other four sectors
are still working normally.
My owners manual tells me nothing technical about the controller.
How do they trigger the valves to open? They are closed without
power and they stay closed with power so what opens them?

jackevln@aol.com

jackevln

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

2

Tuesday, August 22nd 2006, 4:52am

Diagnoss HELP needed !


I need some help with a strange problem.
I have a lawn sprinkler system with a WeatherMatic 8A
controller operating seven sectors. The seven valves
ae located 3,3,1 in separate valve "boxes".
Last week an old valve ruptured (in a valve "box"
of three). I replaced the valve as I have replaced others
at previous times. After replacement I restarted the system.
But strangely now, none of the three valves at that location will work.
I did nothing to the other two there and simply replaced the wiring
of the removed valve with the wiring of the new one.
An imediate thought (the only relation I know among the three valves)
was that the shared common was no connected. But, it is properly
connected and there is 24V AC current at the valves.
Does the controller "know" that these three happen to be located
together?
What would cause all three to stop working ? Two were OK when the
third ruptured, and it was replaced with a new one. The other four sectors
are still working normally.
My owners manual tells me nothing technical about the controller.
How do they trigger the valves to open? They are closed without
power and they stay closed with power so what opens them?

jackevln@aol.com

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

3

Tuesday, August 22nd 2006, 9:19am

When all three valves in a single valve box fail to work after someone installed a new valve, that indicates the wiring was incorrectly done.

Bill Painter

Advanced Member

Posts: 59

Location: Phoenix Az USA

4

Tuesday, August 22nd 2006, 3:22pm

Jack, you state "and there is 24V AC current at the valves."
Is this all 3 solenoids at the same time?
Is it actually current, or just voltage there? Voltage "ain't worth a damn" of there's no current to go with it.
Did you read the voltage with the solenoids disconnected or while under load? (Very important!)

In any case, each makes a big difference as to what's going on at each solenoid. Make sure the wires are not crossed, i.e., the common wirre is actually the common, and the resistance reading from the clock common to each of the valve terminals for the whole system is approximately the same.
Hopefully you have all the same type solenoid.

Last, read the working voltage at the clock as well as at the valves, individually. Lower voltage at the solenoid depicts a bad connecton somewhere.
The Irrigation Specialist Mfg' Az.
Please check my website and you'll find what I do and the unique tools I make and market.
Real timesavers, especially the Suck-Tube and Krik-It.
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