How sprinkler valves are wired to the controller and how to troubleshoot sprinkler wiring. Sprinkler Repair DIY. Sprinkler Repair. Do it yourself sprinkler repair. Sprinkler Troubleshooting
This video is the best!. My son lives in New Jersey, we did the tests and checks and were still stymied. We called Jimmy and left a voicemail, explaining exactly what we tested and what the problem was. Within an hour we received a phone call back. He asked us a couple questions and had us explain what we saw on the control box wiring. He explained we had a master control valve problem. We located the master valve and he was 100% correct. An animal had decided to eat thru the wiring. We replaced the wiring and had success. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Thanks for the video. Watching what you do , I noticed that I had my power wire installed in the pump port and not in the common port. Thought I put all wires back when I replaced the new box. Apparently not! Keep up the good work. Sincerely, DeWayne
I replace controller last year with an Orbit B-Hyve Wi-Fi indoor. Worked great until about a month ago. Zone 3 will not come on unless I do a Manual Watering for it. All other zones work fine. I switched Zone 1 and Zone 3 wires at the controller and now all zones work as scheduled. Hope I didn't mess up anything. Enjoyed your video!
Thank you so much for your expert troubleshooting advice. We got our sprinkler system up and running again. All this time it was one of the white common wires that disconnected somehow. Easy fix! Imagine we almost called a repair guy. $$$
So many guys performing irrigation work for a living, don't have this basic understanding. I'd wager that at least 80% of the entire service industry doesn't know this stuff. It costs everyone involved lots and lots of money.
Wow! You went to a lot of work to make this video. Thank you for setting up a mock system and explaining the components so well. I really appreciate your efforts.
Oh you did cover it! How would you expect to find this underground? Would all 4 dedicated wires run along side the supply lines and the common wire? What about for a 15 zone system? Is there really 15 wires in the ground? Thanks again
Yes, the wires are usually in the same trench as the main line. Sometimes they will come in from different sides depending on what the installer did, but yes for a 15 zone system, you would have 16 wires running in the ground to the controller and 17 if you have a master valve.
Hi Jimmy I bought an old house with a sprinkler system that was working with a very old rainbird controller and a pump relay. It was working great with 2 zones and I disconnected the controller to replace with a newer one, first mistake!!!!! now I cant get any valve to work. the wiring is confusing. the controller wiring hooks to the relay using brown and white then continues to the valves . All common wires are connected to white and other wires connected to red... then there are 3 "harder wires coming up inside the valve box that are connected to the common wires. At the controller I connected the withe to common and brown to MV and the red to zone 1 I get nothing except the pump turns on but no valves working. I tested the valves manually and they are fine.
I'd take ohm readings and make sure they are all good. if so, then I'd double-check the controller settings. If those are good, it is probably the MV wire is in the wrong place. I'd rotate all the wires into the MV slot with the others in the zone slots and see if you can get it going that way. I hope the best for you!
While I don't live close enough to physically have their services I was struggling with my system since it wouldn't work for the last few weeks. I called Jimmy and he provided me with some incredibly useful information which allowed me to fix my issue in 5 minutes. Thank you so much Jimmy!
I’m my goodness I could literally cry! I have spent hours and hours trying to figure this out AND someone cut my “white” and I had idea how to fix! Now I see why nothing o past a certain zone will work and I just need to figure out how to fix the cut wire. A worker cut my 1” blue pen pipe and the wire. The pipe has a red wire sorta of under it but almost too close to cut the pipe. I have dug out the area but can’t find a good answer for repairing pipe as I think I have to remove about an inch or little more and the couplings are so short! I found a barbed coupling but my hands are weak and these are so hard for me to push in. The other coupling is one of those that goes on the outside, slips on and stays because of the tiny metal teeth inside the rim. But I’m not sure I have enough pipe to reach once I remove an inch. And now I’m off to see what other videos you have because you are the best “teacher” I have found after weeks of searching! Thank you for taking time to make these videos. By the way I’m in Texas as well, little town just outside of Austin.
What a Gentleman !! I had a bad Rain Bird sprinkler where the solenoid was shot due to lightning. I have searched on Internet and landed to this video. I called Jimmy and left a message. Jimmy called back and helped me troubleshoot the issue with my multi meter and told me where exactly was the problem. Thanks so much Sir. You helped me save my yard, time and so much money.
When turning my Hunter SRC from manual station to 'run', it doesnt activate the zone run timer as usual and defaults back to the date display. I cant get it to run, it keeps resetting back to date display. No error code or anything. Ive used multimeter on the AC power, checked the fuse, unplugged it for a while, changed the battery, reset the unit, re-programmed the timers and zones, checked the ohms from the controller to the solenoid, everything checks out. Bad controller?
This is wonderful! Thanks for taking the time and using your expertise to show us exactly how a system should be wired and how to use a multimeter to diagnose common wiring problems in home irrigation systems. I particularly appreciate your telling us the normal resistance readings we should be expecting. Your video is clear, well thought out, to the point, and presented extremely well. This video is a shining example of how a RU-vid video should be made and presented.
Jimmy is a perfect example of why the internet is so awesome. My brother just called with a random question about a broken system and was able to get it fixed in 20 minutes. Thanks again!
@@sprinklerrepair4L Hey Jimmy, I am the one (Paul's brother)who spoke to you earlier today. After your guidance and a trip to Ace it is up and running!!!!
Thanks for your video, I had an french drain installed. After completion, My zone 1 will not turn on, and my zone 2 water comes out very weak. The rest of my zones are fine. I think a wire was cut in the process. can I run a wire instead of digging up the yard trying to find where the cut is located?
Yes, you can. It'll probably be easier unless you have a valve finder. I'd check the ohms just to make sure that is the problem. The one with low pressure especially. Could be a break somewhere on that one.
one of the better videos I have seen. I'm diagnosing an 8 zone system in Gadsden Al (mine) with numerous problems. Getting smarter all the time but certainly not an expert. I have a large box with a ball valve and two zone solenoid controls. One was a standard Irritrol but the other is MUCH larger and the local Plumbers Wholesale didn't recognize it or have one in stock. The valve body and diaphragm housing is 4" diameter and has 10 3/8" screws that are not Phillips or Torx, they were removed by socket. The last two were under the solenoid and it needed to be screwed out of its hole in order to remove the final two screws. The faucet type handle is completely immobile so would like to replace the innards. I'd send a picture if you give me a method. Would really like to know what kind of valve this is and where I can order a replacement?
What would be the problem if I don't get any resistance in any zone? And when I turn on a single zone all of them get voltage at the same time? Everything was working just fine a month ago. But now I can't get them to turn on.
Carlos Sandoval, it is most likely a problem with the common, somewhere between your controller and the last valve. Could be the solenoid in that last valve, a bad connection, a bad splice, or even a hard wired rain sensor. Good luck!
Thanks for the video. System stopped working after some trenching work. Watched your video and used a multimeter to determine that the MV circuit to the pump was the problem. Did some more digging and found that the pumps’ control wire had been cut. Repaired and the sprinkler system works like new!!!
Hi, thanks you for making this informative video, my first zone keeps blowing my controller fuse, i did ohm test on solenoid and also wiring, both test show within range but almost 1ohm less reading, what could be causing the fuse to blow,all other zones work normal if i disconnect zone 1wire or turn its setting to zero on controller.
Most likely the solenoid or short somewhere in the wire, unless your controller is having an issue. If you move the wire to another slot and it does it, I’d go back to the solenoid or field wire.
Not sure I understand the question, but you can run a common on top of the ground to the nearest working valve that shares the common, or you can run a wire all the way back to the controller.
I'm right down the road from you! I have 2 questions: what should the resistance be for a lawn genie solenoid? I'm getting around 18. Second, I have 2 zones that are dead. I believe the common was nicked by a sharp shooter. They show 30 volts at controller but only about 8 volts at solenoid. Could I just run a new common from the controller to each of them to fix this? Also, a bonus question: the color of the wire at the valve is not the color at the controller. How and why did the installer do that?
Not sure about that specific brand but in general they should be between 20-60 ohms. Yes you can always run a new wire, if you know which one is bad. It is very common to see color changes in the wiring from the valve to the controller. Usually it’s because of a repair or the installers run out of the same kind of wire and finish up with what they have on the truck.
Hello sir, Thank you for all of your informative videos. I am reaching out to you to see if I can email you and learn about irrigation design, specifically line of sight measurements,etc...?
To be very honest I am not the best guy for that arena. I only do repairs on existing systems. While I do add zones and have to understand design, mine is on a very small level. I would suggest going to an actual class. In Irrigation licensing programs, part of your class is actually designing and laying out a system. It would be well worth your time if that is something you want to pursue. I hope the best for you!
I have 5 sprinklers but only the first three are activated by the Rainbow timer. Any ideas why the last two are not turning on by the timer? Is this a wiring issue or something else? All can be manually activated. thanks
I'd start with measuring the ohms at the controller. If you get between 20-60 it's probably a mechanical issue. If not, it's probably a mechanical issue. I hope the best for you!
There's some controls.or timers that control the irrigation pump also controls the valves at the same time..what happens if one of the valves won't open. & the pump is running?
Yes, I’ve seen wires crossed in the field. Unless you know the area that work was done, it’s very difficult to find & sometimes easier to run a new wire.
Great videos, Jimmy! Appreciate your servant attitude in helping DIYers. I'm trying to diagnose my system which is not working properly and your videos have given me a good intro to how things should work.
You all probably dont give a damn but does anyone know a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I stupidly lost the password. I would love any assistance you can give me!
@Zayne Cain Thanks for your reply. I found the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later with my results.
Hi! Thanks for the helpful video! I recently moved into a new house and 2 of my 3 zones are not functioning. The valve box I have found only houses the piping/valves that are located to the left of your master valve shown on this video. It does not have any of the solenoid valves or wires within this box. Would the solenoid valves for each of the zones be in a different area in the yard? And do you have any tips for locating them? I would like to try to manually turn on each zone at the solenoid valve to verify functionality.
Depending on what part of the country you are in will determine where they put the valves. Here in North Texas the valves are usually scattered throughout the yard. To find them you will most likely need a valve finder or to hire someone. Here is a video that may be helpful. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-losQPAWSkK8.html
I need to replace my current sprinkler system. The sprinkler system that I currently have is a Weathermatic sprinkler system. I has up to 16-station connection. My lawn uses 14-station. I am unable to find any Rainbird sprinker system that can handle 14-station. The most I have seen is 12-station evan for any sprinkler system. Can I use a 12-station sprinkler system on a 14-station lawn? Can I use station 13 & 14 and plug it to the station 11 & 12?
Awesome, echoing what's been said prior, this video is very clear; thank you. It's been 5 years but... what if you have a pump start relay between the water-pump and the sprinkler timer? I have a 6-Zone Rain Bird system that's connected to a relay, there's power going to the relay from the breaker, and the Rain Bird system is also powered, all the wiring running to and from both units look good, but I cant' get the water-pump to turn on. Where or what else should I be looking for?
I’m not a pump guy, but I’d check and make sure your controller is giving it AC and then make sure AC is getting to the pump. After that it would be a pump issue.
I notice that my Orbit valves are pretty noisy when energized and so were yours in this video, is this normal? My old system used Rain Bird Valves that barely hummed.
I'm not sure to be honest. I rarely work on orbit valves. Most residents don't have orbit valves. Most are Rainbird, Hunter, or Toro/irritrol, or weathermatic.
I’ve got a 4 zone system the previous home owner put in, with 2 extra colored wires not connected at the control box or to any valve. The solenoids are like 250’ from the controller box. Will this work to test the continuity of the unused wires as I’d like to use them to add zones, and not damage anything while testing ? If I unplug the power to the control box from the wall, take the two colored unused wires and touch a 9v battery lead to each wire. Then at the solenoid 250’ away test the voltage of the 2 unused colored wires with my multimeter connected to each wire. Will this work as a continuity test? If any voltage shows up, it shows the wires have no breaks. And if anything is connected to those wires it shouldn’t damage it right bc it’s only 9v, right? Thanks for any help on this.
very nice way of explaining the "sprinkle wiring issues". My sprinkler system was working until three days ago. Today, when I switched it on, one specific zone (3), it didn't work. I tried all other 5 zones. none of them were working. Checked the back flow valve and found it working. Controller is working. Checked the transformer and found working. There is one white and 6 colored wires. Does it mean, I have a master valve? My last try is to check the white wire and master vale. Since, none of the zones are working, based on your video, I am suspecting common wire and or master valve. My neighbor was repairing his lawn at the zone 3. Can it be due to some damage to the zone 3 water line? or does it impact only zone 3? Please give me your insight.
If you have a master valve, you should have a wire in the slot on the controller labeled MV or Pump or P. The white wire is usually the common wire which all the zones share. I would start by taking ohm readings. You should have readings between 20-60 ohms on each of the zones. That will tell you if you have wiring issues or something else. I hope the best for you!
There is no wire attached to the MV, So, it appears that there is no master valve. I checked the ohms by setting the multimeter at 200. When I checked the common wire with zone 6 , it didn't show any ohms (I neither got any beep sound nor DL error code). I checked zone 1, it didn't show any ohms either. Since none of the zones are working and I got no ohms from first and the last zones, I think the common wire is cut just at the 1st valve. Do you agree ?
@@orkayen Yes it sounds like the wire has been cut or come disconnected at some Junction. I’d look at the zone closest to the controller. If nothing is working, then it is probably cut or disconnected somewhere between the controller and the closest zone, which is what is why none of the zones have ohms.
The options are to find and repair the damage, run new wire, or if another valve is close you can use an "add a zone" that will save you from running wire all the way back to the controller.
It's normal for the lowest head on the zone to seep water out. The steeper the slope, the more you will see this type of activity. If you mean it continues to water, it points to either a bad valve or controller continuing to give AC.
If you mean they are fully running, it would point to a valve not closing down or controller continuing with AC for 15 min. If you mean the heads continue to seep water for 15 minutes, that is just the water in the lines leaking out. It is usually the lowest head on the zone that is impacted. There is .433 psi/ft. So if the steeper the slope, the more pressure.
Thank you for the excellent demo, i noticed that you used the red wire from the Multimeter for the common and the black(ground) for the zones, does it make any difference when measuring resistance ??
It’s a good practice to use black on common, but for ohms & ac it doesn’t matter. If your measuring dc you need to make sure black is on the negative and red is on positive.
Is the wiring the same to the master valve as it is for the other valves...one solenoid wire to common and one to a different wire? Because what appears to be my master valve looks like it has both solenoid wires going to the same wire. Is it supposed to be like that?
You are correct the wiring to the master valve shares the same common as the other valves and the other wire goes directly to the controller and into the master valve slot.
Assuming your wires are good, assuming you only have 1 common, Turn your multimeter to ohms, Pick a wire and put one probe on that wire and then go through each of the other others until you get a reading between 20-60 ohms. 1 of those 2 wires is the common. Continue to measure ohms until you figure out which of the 2 is the common.
Hi, I have the orbit 6 station timer. I have an issues and can't figure it out. I have 3 station on it. My timer runs my 3 stations and then instead of turning off like normal it keeps running them over and over again until I turn it off manually. What can I do to fix the problem?
I'd double check the programming and if it's correct, and do a reset (if it has one) then I'd change the controller if it still continues. I hope the best for you!
Using an orbit model number 57899 9 sections . When the 10 minute cycle starts counter clockwise the last valve from the cycle simoustanly turns on and reduces the pressure from all other sprinkler heads and reduces the range of water coverage drastically ..this happened over time ...it worked fine at first. Anyone know what the issue is and can give me an insight to what the problem might be
It may not be a controller issue. To test just make sure that the controller is not giving AC to that zone. If it is not it is a mechanical failure of the valve, which is usually what is happening. I hope the best for you!
Thank you so much for this video. So helpful. However I have one question...zone 1-4 are wired by the same wire spool. Zones 2-4 work but Im getting an open on zone 1 and solenoid is good. Doesnt make sense that zone 1 would have a cut wire and not the others since they are in the same strand. Any ideas?
It’s definitely possible that it was the only on cut in a bundle. Does it have ohms at the controller? If it does, then measure voltage to make sure the controller is doing its job.
Great videos! I have six zones in my sprinkler system but only one thru three zones are working. I checked the continuity and they all have 24 to 27 ohms. Zone one thru three have 24 volts. However, there are no voltage on zone 4 thru 6. Please help. Thanks!
The issue the controller. You can replace it or if it’s a newer controller call the manufacturer and they will help you troubleshoot it for free. I hope the best for you!
No MV - Just 5 valves. 1st valve 1 red wire connects with common and rest of the 4 valves red wire and then the 2nd red wires connect to individual zone wires. There is also a rainbird wiring connection for rain delay to the 1st valve
Hello I have a low ohms reading on the panel its about 13 ohms, but I go outside on the selenoid and it looks good about 33 ohms, but that zone is showing error in zone, and it wont open manually either, Im looking for any advice on what to do, thanks in advance
Either your on the wrong valve or you have a short between the controller and the valve or you’re on the wrong valve. Cut the wire on the solenoid (not the common). Then go back to the controller and see if you lost all ohms. If so you’re on the right one and have to find the short. If not you may get lucky and it’ll just be a solenoid. I hope the best for you!
Great video(s) and this helped me understand and troubleshoot my problem and get it working.I'm still confused on how my 5 zone system worked in the first place until I attached the common wire to the controller.There was a red stranded wire attached to the common on the controller.All the other wires were copper,not stranded. I had an old Rainbird ESP-6si controller that was working fine but I wanted a WIFI so I installed Rainbird ESP-TM2 6 and wired it exactly as the old controller but no valves came on.I thought I must have fried something so I re-installed the old controller and it didn't work either. I then dug up the valve box which probably hasn't been opened since the initial install 17 years ago and could see the 5 valves and their corresponding colored wires and a white common (not red).I went back in the garage and connected the white wire to the common on the old controller and it then worked.I then re-installed the new controller and it worked as well.It wasn't a case of me not wiring properly.The white wire at the controller had not even been stripped until I did it! It just blows me away how it worked to begin with and I have no idea what that red stranded wire is.Maybe it's a rain sensor but I don't want that hooked up any way.
Thanks for the Video. Have a Hunter Sprinkler system with an Orbit B-Hyve controller. Everything was working fine till a few weeks. I was watering manually using the Orbit app and we had a week of sporadic rain in Toronto so didnt need to water. This weekend tried to water and there was no water in any zone using the app. Deleted and reinstalled the app. Checked the voltage and Ohm at the controller end. Also tested each solenoid and had a steady reading. Even replaced the controller. I can turn on the water for each zone by turning on the solenoid using quarter turn but other than that I cant get the controller to water. Not sure where the fault is. Appreciate help
If you are getting ohms 20-60 on each zone & the controller is giving AC, I would check the water source. If you have a MV, I would change the guts in it.
I have Toro Vision springkler timer (controller). When the master valve (or pump) wire is connected, my controller fuse burns immediately and no power to the timer at all. When I disconnect the master valve wire with the fuse replaced, the timer powers on and the timer and sprinklers work. What seems to be a problem?
There could be something wrong with the solenoid, the wiring or the controller. I'd check the connections and make sure there aren't any shorts first since it will be a cheaper fix. I hope the best for you!
Thank you for the great video. I have a 20 year old 6 station system run by a Rainbird ESP-8 controller. Problem that just started is that when timer turns on station #1 - three other stations come on. Wondering if my controller is in need of replacement ?
If you have a multi meter, you can check and see if when zone one is on is the controller giving ac to the other zones. Then you will know if it is your controller or mechanical failure with your valves.
@@sprinklerrepair4L Thank you so much for your reply. I do have a multi meter, and although my mechanical skills are good, my multi meter skills are not one of my strong points - could you tell me where to set it and where to to place the probes ?
So - watched your video with the Rainbird controller and followed your steps and everything seems to be working correctly - so must be a valve problem. I have only been able to get one zone to open and close manual by turning the solenoid - so that is a mystery - getting dark here so will attack again tomorrow.
The place I moved into has a complete system like this connected but nothing works regarding the timer. The wires coming off the valve heads are eroded and no longer sealed. I assume I can buy the celenoids? Or have to replace the whole thing? Also, if I manually turn off all valves by hand would that stop the timer from turning on the water as well?
Specialist K , if they are contemporary valves, then yes you can buy them and replace them. If they are old and you can’t find the parts, then you’ll have to replace the whole valve.
If you could zoom in on the wiring to the timer, I would have been able to 👍 and share it with a Facebook group. Since you didn't, I'll give you an A for effort because you do know what you're talking about.
So normally, would all of those valves be in the green box in front of you? I assume you have them out of the box for instructional purposes? What/how would you troubleshoot a low pressure zone? We tested our sprinklers early in the year and all were fine. Now 1 zone is super low on pressure and at least one other zone is dead.
Yes, normally the valves have some sort of box on top of them. For low pressure on a zone that was fine is usually a leak or the diaphragm is bad. I probe around each of the heads to see if that is the place you're losing pressure. If not and there is no visible leak I'd change the guts out of your valve to see if that's the issue. I hope the best for you!
I need to replace my mother-in-laws ancient controller. There is no master valve, but there is a well pump motor that needs to be on. Would i wire into the master on the controler to switch the pump on?
