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

I recently had a leaky valve replaced and now a zone is stuck on (only turns off when I cut off the main water). The guy who replaced the valve told me it was a problem in the controller and I need a new controller. Since its the end of the watering season I put it off but now I'm wondering if his advice was right.

Here's the background:
-recently moved into house, previous owner didn't use system, system ~16 year old Rain Bird system

-5 zones - 2 front, 3 back (1 on the side really, but these valves are grouped)

When I first turned the water on and checked out the system everything seemed fine except a damaged sprinkler head in the back and some calibration issues. I ran the system over night on a program and found a swamp in my front yard the next morning. I turned the water main back off, called a repair company.

The repair man dug up the front valve area and said one of the pipes into and/or valve was leaking. New valve and pipe section is needed. He did so and the leak was no more. After testing and putting everything back together he tells me that this zone will not shut off and he tried several thing but nothing fixed it. His opinion was the controller was the problem (original analog Rain Bird 6-zone controller). It didn't seem to have an issue shutting off before the repair HOWEVER that could have been due to the leak - the leak causing the always on zone not to show.

I started researching some replacement controllers and doing some reading and now I'm not so sure its the controller. The most common explanation I see for "always on/stuck" zone is a bad valve. However, the valve was just replaced - although I'm not sure which of the two front yard zone valves was replaced exactly. The replaced valve *could* be for the zone that is working correctly. The repair man wasn't specific but I got the impression from him the zone with the replaced valve was the problem.

Any suggestions on how to diagnose or troubleshoot further before installing a new controller?

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

get a multimeter and see what the controller is doing

does the system have a master valve?

I do not believe the system has a master valve but I'm not sure. There is no information from the original installation other than the controller manual.

I have a multimeter and can do basic things with it. What should I look for? Can I have the system start running with the water off and just check the connections to be sure each zone is getting the same voltage when its activated?

Quoted from "mrfixit"

Turn the water back on. While the valve is stuck open disconnect the wire from it or at the controller. Did it shut off? If so it's the controller. If not it's the valve that's the problem.

Brilliantly simply! Will do!

It appears to be a valve problem. When the zone was running I disconnected the zone wire and it kept chugging right along.

So I have two valves in the front yard, one was just replaced - and as I stated before, it was my impression that valve controlled the troubled zone. I'm hoping that's not the case but I obviously need to figure out which valve is controlling which zone. From the valve side, is the easiest test a similar test to the one I just did but instead disconnect the wiring on the valve side and see if the zone stops? That's really only helpful when operating zone 2 - the working zone, since zone 1 never shuts off. That should narrow down which valve does which zone. Any other easy ways?