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

Buster -
If you have already replaced the controller, I would suggest that the problem is most likely in your valves. Are zones just randomly turning on, or do they go in a methodical order? If your controller is in the off position and your valves still turn on, the particular zone or zones that are turning on may have either sticking valves or a bad solenoid. There is also a possibility that your system may have a short in the wiring, which is causing this to happen. What is your static water pressure, and how old is the system?

I would suspect if your water pressure is within the normal levels, that you can eliminate that as a problem. Sometimes a very high water pressure will cause this to happen. A solenoid is what screws into the top of your valve and connects it to the controller to operate it. There should be two wires coming off of the solenoid. One of the wires connects to the COMMON wire, and the other connects to the actual ZONE wire. Depending on what brand your valves are, I would say they should last more than seven years, but not all of them do. Check to make sure there is a good wire connection to the solenoids. If that still doesn't fix the problem, you may want to replace the valves. Let me know how it goes.