Sprinkler tech

Gen. Nonsense · 03-25-2006, 04:36 PM

HELP!!

About a 3 weeks ago, the puppy found the power cable for the sprinkler system solenoid and chewed it up...I thought I fixed it and didnt pay any attention to it after that.

At any rate, it has come to my attention that the fawkers have all together quit working. I checked the solenoid, and all conections. I even read the touble shooting guide in the damn instructions! Nothing in that works either.

I did find that if you begin to unscrew the solenoid, the water kicks on...could the valve have given up the ghost?

Blame Canada · 03-25-2006, 04:50 PM

Sure.

But how far away from the solonoid, was the damage done to the cable from the puppy? If it wasn't that far away, it's conceivable that the puppy pulled on the cable, which pulled on the solonoid, and damaged the connection at the solonoid.

Gen. Nonsense · 03-25-2006, 05:03 PM

Ive got continuity from the box all the way to the solenoid.(checked every connection) I even replaced the solenoid with a known good one.

Pazuzu · 03-25-2006, 05:41 PM

[Tucson voice on]

Why do you have a sprinkler? Do you have a fawking LAWN??? Why would you plant a LAWN in the fawking desert???

[/Tucson voice off]

Wilson · 03-25-2006, 05:57 PM

Check your controller for a fuse. If it's an older or cheaper controller the power out will be fused and could have blown if the sprinklers were turned on while the wires were shorted. If you've got continuity and a good solenoid (wired correctly) It should turn on. The solenoid merely relieves pressure on the diaphragm when activated to turn the valve on, the same thing that happened when you unscrewed it.

scope · 03-25-2006, 07:32 PM

The solenoid is just a magnet; a coil of wire, when voltage is applied to it, it creates a magnetic field, lifts the plunger. This causes differential pressure in the top chamber to be less than the pressure in the bottom chamber of the valve; diaphragm raises, sprinkler go PSHHH.

Now, cut/undo the wires at the solenoid. Take the 18 volt battery out of your drill (I use Dewalt) and touch the two solenoid wires to the terminals. If the valve activates, you have just eliminated the solenoid as the problem. I doubt your problem is in the valve/solenoid.

Most likely source of your problem is in the wiring. Start at your controller. 110v comes into the transformer 24v comes out. Check that first. Look for fuses while your in there, some clocks (Rainbird) use them, just an automotive style glass fuse. Next to check is the terminal strip. You have a common terminal (this wire goes to every valve), and then there will be a wire to each individual valve. Turn on each zone and check to see if you have 24v between the common and each individual wire as they come on. If all that checks out then you have isolated your problem to the field wiring (the most likely source of your problems, given the pups actions).

When you say nothing works, do you mean multiple valves not coming on? Likely, your problem is with the common wire in the area where the pup was chewing.

Gen. Nonsense · 03-25-2006, 10:03 PM

Blown fuse...found it about 10 mins after my last post. Proceeded to get drunk in victory. Yelled at the dog. lol Thx for the help!

03-25-2006, 04:36 PM	#1
Gen. Nonsense Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Member # 18671 Location: BCC, AZ Posts: 935	Sprinkler tech HELP!! About a 3 weeks ago, the puppy found the power cable for the sprinkler system solenoid and chewed it up...I thought I fixed it and didnt pay any attention to it after that. At any rate, it has come to my attention that the fawkers have all together quit working. I checked the solenoid, and all conections. I even read the touble shooting guide in the damn instructions! Nothing in that works either. I did find that if you begin to unscrew the solenoid, the water kicks on...could the valve have given up the ghost? __________________ no sig

03-25-2006, 04:50 PM	#2
Blame Canada Rock God Join Date: Jun 2001 Member # 5176 Location: Abbotsford, BC Posts: 1,141	Sure. But how far away from the solonoid, was the damage done to the cable from the puppy? If it wasn't that far away, it's conceivable that the puppy pulled on the cable, which pulled on the solonoid, and damaged the connection at the solonoid. __________________ I keep my post count low by posting in chit-chat. STOLEN!!! -->'80 CJ-7 w/ 258 I-6,T-176,D300, '94 YJ tub, '83 toy axles front & rear, Smirffield front axles, w/3.90's, 'YJ rears up front, and a bunch of home-grown patches, all sitting on BFG 35" MTs. Post #411

03-25-2006, 05:03 PM	#3
Gen. Nonsense Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Member # 18671 Location: BCC, AZ Posts: 935	Ive got continuity from the box all the way to the solenoid.(checked every connection) I even replaced the solenoid with a known good one. __________________ no sig

03-25-2006, 05:57 PM	#5
Wilson Pirate4x4 Addict! Join Date: Sep 2001 Member # 7233 Location: Paradise, CA Posts: 11,751	Check your controller for a fuse. If it's an older or cheaper controller the power out will be fused and could have blown if the sprinklers were turned on while the wires were shorted. If you've got continuity and a good solenoid (wired correctly) It should turn on. The solenoid merely relieves pressure on the diaphragm when activated to turn the valve on, the same thing that happened when you unscrewed it. __________________ ECV 7-11 Serving up a Tsunami of Swagger

03-25-2006, 07:32 PM	#6
scope Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Member # 13889 Location: Conifer, CO Posts: 350	The solenoid is just a magnet; a coil of wire, when voltage is applied to it, it creates a magnetic field, lifts the plunger. This causes differential pressure in the top chamber to be less than the pressure in the bottom chamber of the valve; diaphragm raises, sprinkler go PSHHH. Now, cut/undo the wires at the solenoid. Take the 18 volt battery out of your drill (I use Dewalt) and touch the two solenoid wires to the terminals. If the valve activates, you have just eliminated the solenoid as the problem. I doubt your problem is in the valve/solenoid. Most likely source of your problem is in the wiring. Start at your controller. 110v comes into the transformer 24v comes out. Check that first. Look for fuses while your in there, some clocks (Rainbird) use them, just an automotive style glass fuse. Next to check is the terminal strip. You have a common terminal (this wire goes to every valve), and then there will be a wire to each individual valve. Turn on each zone and check to see if you have 24v between the common and each individual wire as they come on. If all that checks out then you have isolated your problem to the field wiring (the most likely source of your problems, given the pups actions). When you say nothing works, do you mean multiple valves not coming on? Likely, your problem is with the common wire in the area where the pup was chewing. __________________ CJ7, 1 tons, 5.7l, hummers, IROK's etc., etc.

03-25-2006, 05:41 PM	#4
Pazuzu Zeus of the Sluice Join Date: Feb 2000 Member # 54 Posts: 4,854	[Tucson voice on] Why do you have a sprinkler? Do you have a fawking LAWN??? Why would you plant a LAWN in the fawking desert??? [/Tucson voice off]

03-25-2006, 10:03 PM	#7
Gen. Nonsense Registered User Join Date: Apr 2003 Member # 18671 Location: BCC, AZ Posts: 935	Blown fuse...found it about 10 mins after my last post. Proceeded to get drunk in victory. Yelled at the dog. lol Thx for the help! __________________ no sig

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