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

Thirty-five-year-old Rain Bird Controller, 3 1-1/2" Rain Bird Valves, 1 1" Toro 230-06-04 Valve. While digging to replace a sprinkler head, I partially cut through the wire bundle leading from the controller.

Although I only cut one or two wires in the bundle of six or eight with the shovel, it was easier for me to cut the entire bundle, then solder the leads back together and wrap each wire and the bundle with black electricians tape. Since that time I've discovered that one zone out of my total of four does not work. That zone uses the original Toro 230 valve but has never caused a problem of any kind in the past. After finding the dead zone, I went back and checked my work on the wires and found them to all be intact.

The Rain Bird valves in my system have a stainless nut and washer on the bottom of the diaphragm which holds it together and when that breaks off, the zone won't come on except by using the bleed screw. Since those are the symptoms I'm having with the Toro 230 I opened it up to look at the diaphragm. I tried to get the diaphragm out but couldn't, and I didn't want to damage the diaphragm by prying on it if it still works. From the top of the diaphragm it appears the Toro 230 does not have such a screw holding it all together. Everything else inside appears to be OK so I cleaned it all and closed it back up.

When I cut the wires, the controller was still plugged in because I wasn't doing any electrical work but it was not active. Is it possible that the shovel cutting through one or two wires could have fried the solenoid? I haven't checked the solenoid yet, but I assume disconnecting it and checking for continuity would do the trick.

I believe someone on another site mentioned that the 250-06-04 valve solenoid is interchangeable with the 230, and if necessary the guts from the 250 could be swapped out with the 230 but I would like to confirm this to be true, if indeed it is the way to go. I would like to avoid having to change out the entire valve if I can.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Wet_Boots. That's the one thing that escaped my thought train: it was working prior to cutting the wires.

So I'll work from the solenoid back to the controller.