Re: lawn sprinkler control unit repair

["BruceR" <brNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxx>]

You also need to do the same test with all the wires disconnected at
BOTH ends as I described in my earlier post below. If you test at one
end with all the wires disconnected and not touching each other at the
other end and see continuity between ANY two wires, then you have a
short in the cable and need to replace the cable or at least find the
damaged portion and repair it. If all the wires are good and you only
see continuity when they're connected as in your latest test, you might
have a fried controller.

 If you put in a new fuse, turn on the controller and turn each zone on
one at a time with NO wiring connected, the fuse will blow when the
shorted zone is selected or even sooner if the short is before the zone
seletion.  New controller is the answer there.

Let us know what you find!



From:pak.ecker@xxxxxxxxxxx
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?