Re: lawn sprinkler control unit repair

[pak.ecker@xxxxxxxxxxx]

I hate for this saga to go on and on, but...........  here goes

1) disconected all the wires at both ends ( control box and valve box)
2) Had someone, connect one at a time each colored wire to the common
at the valve box, while at the other end I tested the same color one
at a time to commom with a continuity tester. I got a light on each of
the five colors, telling me I think that wires were OK ??
3) but what confuses me is that I also got a light between each
colored wire and common when they weren't connect at the valve box
end.
3) So I hooked up just one wire and common to a good solenoid and
control box, then tried to turn on at control box, fuze immediately
blew?

Need a little more advice if you guys are still out there.

Paul

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 20:19:28 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>Sounds like you have one bad solenoid. To be sure, you can take a 24 vac
>power supply and attach it to the soleniod leads and see if it works. If
>it doesn't, disconnect quickly. As for the wiring, to check for a short,
>disconnect both ends of the wires and don't let the ends touch each
>other. At either end put one test lead on the common and then use the
>other lead to test each of the other wires. You should see infinity (or
>no tone if using the tone function). If you get a tone between any two
>wires you have a short.  You can also test between the colored wirs to
>make sure there's no short there.  If you find a short you'll have to
>either find and repair the point that's damaged or replace the cable.
>
>From:pak
>eckerpw@xxxxxxxxx
>
>> OK,  becasue all connections in valve box looked very old and worn, I
>> undid all them.
>> 1) tested each of the five solenoids, all but one read between 22-24
>> ohms, so I assume they are good. The fifth read infinity, so I assume
>> that one is bad, correct?
>> 2) At the vavle box cheched each of five colored wires to the common,
>> each read 0-2 ohms, not sure what that means? Help
>> 3) Then measured each colored wire terminal at control box to the
>> common terminal, each read 0-1ohm. See aboverequest at item 2.
>>
>> I am learning a great deal in this project and really appreciate your
>> ongoing help.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 23:03:59 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Yes, just unscrew the black soenoid from the valve body if it indeed
>>> needs to be replaced.  If you disconnect the solenoid wires from the
>>> wires going back to the panel, you then put your meter across the two
>>> solenoid wires and see if theres a short.  Next, put the solenoid
>>> wires aside and put the meter across the common and the other wire
>>> going back to the panel and see if there's a short.
>>>
>>> From:pak
>>> eckerpw@xxxxxxxxx
>>>
>>>> Bruce- hate to keep asking questions, but ....just want to be sure I
>>>> understand
>>>> 1)  unscrew the solenoid from the valve body?
>>>> 2) re: your last sentence, how do I check solenoid and wires after
>>>> they are disconnected?
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:18:28 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> No, check for shorts with the power OFF!  Changing the solenoid is
>>>>> simple. Clip the wires and just unscrew it (turn the water off).
>>>>> The new one (available at your local home center) just screws in
>>>>> and you hook up the wires (it's 24 VAC so there's no polarity to
>>>>> worry about).  If the same brand as your valve is not available,
>>>>> that's OK as they're interchangeable. Rainbird, Toro, Orbit, Lawn
>>>>> Genie, etc. all use the same thing. Bring the old one with you
>>>>> just to be sure. Remember, if you find a short from the panel it
>>>>> might be the wiring rather than the solenoid. If you find a short,
>>>>> disconnect the wires to the solenoid and check the soleniod and
>>>>> the wires to see where the problem is.
>>>>>
>>>>> From:pak
>>>>> eckerpw@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>
>>>>>> Understand, one more question or two, if I find that there is a
>>>>>> short in the solenoid, is it  best to replace the  valve or can I
>>>>>> repair? Does the control unit need to be powered up to check for
>>>>>> shorts?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 20:47:23 GMT, "BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The gelcaps are plastic tubes filled with a waterproof gel. You
>>>>>>> stick the wirenutted connection into the gel and close the top.
>>>>>>> That keeps water out of the connector. There may already be
>>>>>>> corrosion in the wirenuts so replacing them (cutiing back the
>>>>>>> wires beyond the corrosion) will give you a clean, tight
>>>>>>> connection.
>>>>>>> To check for shorts from the control box, put one test lead on
>>>>>>> the common terminal and then touch the other lead to each screw
>>>>>>> terminal. If you read 0 ohms there's a short in a solenoid.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> From:pak
>>>>>>> eckerpw@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> OK, got the valve box all cleaned out. There are 5 valves, each
>>>>>>>> with a colored wire and a black wire which I guess is the
>>>>>>>> common. All the connections in the valve box that were under
>>>>>>>> dirt are just connected with wire nuts, but all wires seem
>>>>>>>> intact and still connected. The fuse in the control box is
>>>>>>>> blown.
>>>>>>>> The advice here  was to check all connections and then
>>>>>>>> waterproof with gel caps. Can some one explain how gel caps
>>>>>>>> work or what I do with them? are wire nuts sufficent for this
>>>>>>>> application?
>>>>>>>> Also George suggested " measure that solenoid at the control box
>>>>>>>> to verify that the resistance is comparable to the other
>>>>>>>> solenoids, I think in the range of 20-50 ohms. (Put ohmeter
>>>>>>>> between
>>>>>>>> common and valve when watering is not active.)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Could you explain that a little further? I assume all the
>>>>>>>> control valves are soleniod operated. Not sure how to measure
>>>>>>>> soleniod at control box. Am I looking to see if one of the
>>>>>>>> valves has shorted out? Need a little more qdvice on the
>>>>>>>> trouble shooting path.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>> Paul
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 18:53:51 -0700, "AZ Woody"
>>>>>>>> <Reply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I saw one (don't recall the brand) that would also go
>>>>>>>>> completely brain dead if the backup battery went bad.  But it
>>>>>>>>> sounds like you should clean out around the values as a first
>>>>>>>>> step...
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> "pak" <eckerpw@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:d0ll61hgdvlb5qoagpu3cft9r6jefkca31@xxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>>> it's a Hydro Rain HR 6000-1, not sure how old
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 22:55:01 GMT, "Jack Ak"
>>>>>>>>>> <akjack@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> What is broken?  A device model number might be needed along
>>>>>>>>>>> with failure symptoms.  My local OSH store carries parts
>>>>>>>>>>> for the Lawn Genie controller.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "pak" <pak.ecker@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>> news:24gl61d0gcnnrpalfsb0m3jo7pf0alhmdh@xxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>>>>> Wondering if this is the right group to ask questions about
>>>>>>>>>>>> automatic sprinkler system control unit repair?
>
>