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Bleed valve must be open for system to work.
My Rainbird system will not start unless the bleed valve on the first station is open and squirting water. Then the system works fine and all the stations come on. Is this related to that station's solenoid?
Check the wiring for resistance.
when you open up that "first station" does a zone come on? Sounds like perhaps you have a master valve on the system? (a single valve that must open with each individual valve to bring water from one point to another).
I agree with OSL. Sounds like that valve you're turning on is the master valve. You called it station number 1. Do you have that valve wired to the number one terminal on the controller and not the master valve terminal? If not it's either the wiring as Boots suggested or the valve itself. Also make sure the controller has power at the master valve terminal while a station is running.
Bleed valve must be open for system to work.
This is a 25 year old rainbird system that I inherited when we purchased the house. The system has 7 stations and used to start when I pushed the manual start button, but now the system will not start until I open the bleed valve on the first station. (It is next to the water meter.) Then 6 sprinkler heads pop up and run their time. Then the next station starts etc. until all 7 stations have finished. Then I turn off the bleed valve. Meanwhile that first station's hole has filled with water. Is that a wiring problem that I am circumventing?
I don't believe that valve next to the water meter is station number one. It's just giving the appearance that it is because the 6 heads pop up. That valve you're turning on is supplying water to all 6 valves. So it's supplying water to valve number 1 which makes you think it is valve 1 when it's the master valve.
So either the master valve isn't getting a signal from the controller or the valve needs repair.
Take a look at the terminals on the controller and see if there's a wire hooked up to the master valve or pump terminal. If so then you do indeed have a master valve. If not maybe the wire broke off.
Bleed valve must be open for system to work.
Thanks for your help. I will see if I can follow through with your ideas and suggestions.
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external bleed port leaks
(Jul 19th 2007, 3:55pm)