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selenoid will not shut off
I have a system that is about 10 years old. When I started the system this Spring zone 3 runs when any zone is on resulting in a loss of pressure to other zones. Is there a way to clean or repair the selenoid switch without changing it. I am not worried about the cost of a new one but the labor involved. I installed all of my selenoids underground to help prevent freezing when the system was on and it is a major problem to dig it up to replace a selenoid. I realize now that this was probably a mistake.
Kemp
Unfortunately for you, that probably was a mistake. The only way you are going to troubleshoot and fix the problem is by digging up that valve. Does the zone run all of the time when the water is on? Or just when you turn another zone on? If you are concerned with digging up the valve and the hassle of labor, you may want to contact a qualified service contractor to take a look at it.
Tony Posey
Ridge Run Landscapes
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Kemp</i>
<br />I have a system that is about 10 years old. When I started the system this Spring zone 3 runs when any zone is on resulting in a loss of pressure to other zones. Is there a way to clean or repair the selenoid switch without changing it. I am not worried about the cost of a new one but the labor involved. I installed all of my selenoids underground to help prevent freezing when the system was on and it is a major problem to dig it up to replace a selenoid. I realize now that this was probably a mistake.
Kemp
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">I pump water from a lake so it only flows when the system is on.
The 7 seleniod valves are in two water meter boxes so I can see the valves and take them apart but to change a bad one I must dig up the line feeding out from the value and cut it to get enough room to change the valve. If they were in a box above ground it would be much easier to get to the pipe to cut it. I was advised by the dealer to do it that way. If there is no way to clean or repair the valve I will buy a new one and dig up the line.
Link a picture of the valve, if you don't know the make and model. It's been decades since they've manufactured a valve that couldn't be repaired in place, without cutting it out.
The valve is a Nelson 7901.
I bought a new valve today. The dealer said that I could just loosen the four screws on top and swap the top part of the new valve for the top part on the old valve and not cut the old valve out of the line.
He also said that would be almost as cheap as buying the parts and rebuilding the old one.
I had actually thought about trying that before he suggested it. I will give that a try.
Thanks for everyone's help.
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