Plumbing Mystery

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MPGI

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I successfully repaired my irrigation system today with the outstanding assistance of this site's members but am very confused about the sprinkler system's plumbing.
The system has four zones.
1st mystery:
There are actually five solenoids controlling the four zones.
Zones 1 and 2 each have a valve and solenoid.
Zone 3 has two valves each with a solenoid.
Zone 4 has one valve and solenoid.
Zone 3 appears to be hooked up in parallel to run the two solenoids simultaneously although the wires are different.
I am mystified about this and wonder if anyone else has seen such a set up?
2nd mystery:
There is a valve 'downstream' from Zone 3 that has a solenoid that is not connected to anything. I pulled the solenoid out and ran the system. Water squirts out.
The two attached images show my system. The first is an establishing image showing all of the valves. Image two shows Zone 3 valves (right side) and the mystery valve (left side) with its unconnected solenoid. Any ideas about the mystery valve?

IMG_1963 - Establishing image.JPG
IMG_1965 - Zone 3 on right Mystery valve on left.JPG
 

WorthFlorida

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Most irrigation controllers can handle two solenoids and I've done it myself by connecting two zone wire to one zone connection on the controller. Most controller's are 4 zones basic configuration and there is an extra cost to add a module for zone 5-8. Some controller's are not expandable. Sometimes a zone on the controller goes bad and with no spares, you connect two zones together to get buy.

I tied two zones (solenoids) together after capping off about a dozen sprinklers when adding a large patio and walkways around the home. I have very high pressure from the reclaimed water system here in Avalon Park by Orange County Water, therefore, to tie two zones together was no problem on the pressure side. However, since one of the two zones receives more sun and dries out the Floratam, I changed it back to four zones to allow more water time for this one zone.
 
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MPGI

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Well, the system is working well and that is a good thing. Since my last post I learned that there is an abandoned sprinkler system in the yard. For some reason, one of the previous owners decided to install a new system and left the old piping etc. That perhaps explains the one valve (on the far left) that is not connected to anything. It seems like the only thing keeping water from flowing into that old system is the solenoid that does not receive power. Not sure if I like that but removing the entire valve looks painful.
 
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