First zone won't shut off when other zones are running.

[michael b]

When I turn on Zone 2-8, zone 1 will not stop running. I have replaced the diaphragm, solenoid and cleaned anything I could in the valve. I then redid all the electrical connections with fresh ones in the area. STill zone 1 always runs.

I then went to the rain-bird controller and removed the zone 1 wire and nothing runs after that. I can't get any other zone to function. So I then put it back in to zone 1 and all works again except the shutoff issue.

I am at a loss of what else it could be? I can only find 1 solenoid too and 1 valve I don't seem to have any more around the property. It was here when I bought the house and the installer is long gone. So any help or direction would be appreciated.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Sounds like there is only 1 zone, one valve, and somewhere all eight zones are wired together. If there are wires on the other zones at the controller, it is very rare that that many zones would not work unless the common wire is opened past zone-1 somewhere. Typically large lots one trench is put in and all zones wires are together and then branch off to the valve locations. Depending where the water source is and the layout, not too often are all the valves near each other. if the valve are spread around the property, over time the grass will creep over the valve box covers and from the top side they'll be lost. A toner that can trace wires underground will be needed for the fastest find.

1. When you say, all works, all eight zones or what appears to be zone-1 only?
2. When zone one works does it look like the entire property is covered with sprinklers?
3. Any idea on how many zones you have? Don't go by the controller.
4. Are there wires on zones 2-8?
5. Rainbird Controller model number? I need to know if there are plug in modules.
6. Is there a wire on the MV terminal? (master valve)
7. City water or well pump.
8. At zone-1 valve & solenoid, how many wires? You may see more than one wire for the common leads all under one wire nut and only one wire on the other (the zone wire). Each wire nut(2 of them) connects to the one solenoid.
9. Can you post a picture?
10. How large is your lot? Eight zones is a lot for a typical 1/4-1/2 acre lot.

What to do? You'll need a volt-ohm meter, AKA multimeter.

• Remove all zones wires if there are any except the common on the controller. Mark each wire to ID which zone they were connected to.
• Place one lead of the voltmeter to the common and the other to the zone-1 terminal. Activate the controller for zone-1 and you should read about 24v ac. Leaving zone-1 on check the voltages on zones 2-8 terminals (not the wires). They all should read zero volts. If you read voltage it would be a bad controller.
• Next activate zone-2, 24 volts on zone-2 and zero voltages on all the other zones. repeat for each zone. If you read 24v on zone-1 for every zone operated, then it's a bad controller.
• Connect the wire for zone-1 to the zone-1 terminal. Activate zone-1 and your sprinklers will be working.
• With zone-1 active, measure for any voltage on the zone 2-8 wires not yet connected. There should be zero volts.
• If you read voltage on any of them, somewhere they are connected.
• With all the wires disconnected except the common, using the ohm scale on your meter, measure the resistance from each zone wire to the common. A good solenoid you'll read about 40 ohms or anywhere between 20-60 ohms.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[michael b]

Wow thanks for the reply I have some homework to do. I will also get pictures. I have not been able to locate any other solenoids or valves and I don't have a large yard. It is maybe 1/5 or 1/6 acre normal residential home.

We had a real hard freeze in February and I had some risers on a few of the heads crack and that's when I noticed zone 1 not shutting off when another zone was running.

1. All zones do work if I cycle through them but on say zone 4, zone 1 will still run or zone 5 then zone 1 will still run.
2. I do have sprinklers all over the yard and have lived here 7yrs with no real issues. I have swapped out the controller module for a newer one with the wifi module.
3. 7 zones
4. In the controller I have wires going to the modules for their respective zones.
5. ESP-ME w/ wifi module. Inside the controller their are 2 module packs. Pics below
6. I don't know where this would be?
7. City water 1 meter.
8. Pics below
9. Not large just a normal residential lot. Home is around 22yrs. We had the controller swapped when we first moved in since the LCD was out on it. Since then I have upgraded again since it was a simple swap to the ESP-ME with wifi.

I will work on the multimeter I have to find mine since it has been a long time.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EFMcUYuxdGiqh1tbVHSvHFn8Bno1woXC?usp=sharing

 

[michael b]

So after looking at your response and my picture the white is most likely the common. So I unplugged the black wire at the controller and zone 1 won't run now. So that has to be the zone 1 wire.

I then try another zone and nothing happens. With the white or black wire out of the controller no other zone will run.

The black wire is in the MV position in the controller box which is also the Zone 1.

 

[michael b]

OK so I fixed it. I saw a setting on the ESP-ME about the master vavle being opened on different zones. So I switched to zone to on the panel and said don't open MV. I ran zone 2 and nothing happened. I then went to zone 3 to run it and boom only zone 3 ran. I then said on zone 2 open MV and now zone 2 is just zone 2 running. So I don't really know why it did that but now each zone is working as it should. Thanks for the help.

 

[WorthFlorida]

It doesn't seem like the black wire is zone 1.

The MV is only used when you have one master valve to open the water main (if you will) before going to the zones valves. It is usually not used but maybe for winterizing it is a better way. With the master valve off or closed it keeps the pressure off the system and should a pipe burst from freezing before the zone valves you won't have a water running for hours. The MV will have power to it when any zone is active.

The MV is usually used for pump start relays. When a zone it called for, power to the MV operates a relay to bring power to the pump motor.

The one valve box open there are other color wires that are not used? You're going to have to find the other zone valves. So far I do not think you have eight zone valves. Did you run an ohm check on the other wire?

BTW... the backflow device is top notch and it tells me some knew what they were doing when the system was installed. A hack job would normally cut corners and this is the first place an expensive part would not be utilized but it is required by code.

 

[WorthFlorida]

 

[michael b]

Thanks for all the help but since the controller is now working properly I think I am good. I will still try to find the other solenoids thought just to mark them. Thanks for the education and I dig the Camaro.