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abogin

3 Zones don't work

abogin
14 years ago

I bought a house recently, it has Hunter irrigation system with 9 zones set up. When I set up to run all zones, only first 6 work, I can't make to work any other 3 even manually. I don't know if one valve controls one zone, but if it is all 3 valves can't be broken. Please help

Comments (9)

  • lehua49
    14 years ago

    Hi abo,

    If you can do it or have someone else check the wiring from the controller to the valves. Hunter is a very good professional brand. There should be 9 valves, one for each zone. Also tell me how many heads work on each zone. Did the person selling you the home show you that all the zones were working? Or is this irrigation system something you didn't check when you bought the house? Do you have a big lawn or a bunch of little bed areas? Unscrew the solenoid on the non-working valves part way, the zone should come on. If they don't you may have to replace the valve. No too expensive. JMHO Aloha

  • abogin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I never checked all zones. I opened the lid with 3 valves yesterday, bunch of wires, nothing comes on. I think maybe pump for these zones is turn off, on controller, or programming is off. I will check it tonight.
    Thank you lehua.

  • abogin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I checked all programming, everything looks normal, performed a circuit check. I can hear 6 zones click and 7,8,9 nothing.

  • lehua49
    14 years ago

    abo,

    Check the solenoids as per my last post. Do you have access to all 9 valves? Are 7,8&9 in the same valve box. Check the voltage with a voltmeter at the solenoid when the controller is on to that zone. Check both wires. One will be hot the other the common wire. All the hot wires (can be either one of the solenoid wires)hook up directly (colored wires) to the controller station terminal. All the common sides of the solenoids are hooked up to one white wire that goes to the controller terminal marked "common". Just check that wires are not disconnected and have continuity from the controller to the solenoid. Performing everything from the controller only tells you that something is not working. Now to the find out why, you have to check connections in the valve boxes and follow wires where they are supposed to go. Time to get dirty or hire someone. Make sure sure that valves 7,8&9 are even physically connected in the controller terminal area. Let us know what additional info or explanation you need. Aloha

  • abogin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    7,8&9 in the same valve box. I checked wires in the box they look good. Checked resistance in the controller. Zones 1-6 are fine, 7,8,9 resistance jumps up and down, like no contact. I have extra module, but when I connect wire 7 to it it does the same thing.

  • lehua49
    14 years ago

    Abo,

    1. Did you try the solenoids like I described in my first post? Tell me what happens when you unscrew the solenoids.
    2. Did you check the wire terminal box inside the controller and see if valve 7,8&9 wire are terminated/connected in the controller in there respective bays or slots?
    3. After you do that, pull the wires out of valve box 7,8&9 and separate the controller wires(colored) from the solenoid wires(black). Keep track of what color goes to what solenoid and what ones go to the white wire. Turn on the controller to that zone and let me know the voltage reading from a volt meter at the end of the wires from the controller; not the resistance(ohms). Just curious, what did you check the resistance with and how did you do it? Reconnect the wire to the solenoids using screw caps with gel inside to keep then waterproof.
    4. If you get voltage at the end of the wire from the controller that go to those solenoids and you have previously unscrewed and tightened the solenoids again, replace the valves and connect new solenoids to the controller wires.

    We are getting there.

    Aloha

  • abogin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I'm pretty sure it's solenoids. I'l do your thing tonight. Thanks for your help. What throws me of, is that all 3 solenoids don't work and only on one box.

  • abogin
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Bingo!!! Missing ground. I have 2 boxes I think ground wire runs from the 1st one, which works. I will open it up tomorrow. Thanks for your help

  • lehua49
    14 years ago

    abo,

    Da nada and congratulations for solving the problem yourself.

    Aloha.

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