SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Quoted from "Lstrath"

We have a nice grassy area in front of an apartment building in Denver that the transient drunks seem to enjoy sleeping on...needless to say, it really is becoming a problem for the "tenant happiness" factor, especially for our young single women. Is there a way to add a motion detector onto a head or two that has a time delay of 30 seconds or so before clicking on? Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Linda

It might be easier to set up motion detectors and some speakers playing really annoying music. Some convenience stores got rid of loiterers with stuff like Lawrence Welk.

We have a nice grassy area in front of an apartment building in Denver that the transient drunks seem to enjoy sleeping on...needless to say, it really is becoming a problem for the "tenant happiness" factor, especially for our young single women. Is there a way to add a motion detector onto a head or two that has a time delay of 30 seconds or so before clicking on? Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Linda

Quoted from "mrfixit"

So if that's the first thing to check then why did you recommend they move the number 3 wire around as a first step.

Moving a zone wire to another station does not require a multimeter.

So if that's the first thing to check then why did you recommend they move the number 3 wire around as a first step.

When encountering non-opening zones with these old controllers, it pays to check the controller output first. Sometimes the non-opening is only temporary, as the 'timing wheel' slowly turns, and the wafer switch contacts finally close.

Ok, Don't double check your wiring.

Quoted from "mrfixit"

Try resplicing the ground wire.

there is a zone-failure mode in old electro-mechanical controllers, due to poor continuity in the wafer-switch assembly - it might be remedied by cleaning the contacts, but some of them are passing line voltage, so fiddlers beware

Try resplicing the ground wire.

Quoted from "Puzzled"

Have imperial controller with brass valves (6 zones). Zone three was not coming on so I replaced with a Rainbird inline valve. Then I could not get that valve to shut regardless of what zone controller was on - after bleeding got zone to shut but cannot get any others to activate on their respective zones. Now just puzzled???

there was probably nothing wrong with the valve you replaced. You should try connecting the zone 3 wire to another (unused) controller station. This is a problem, of course, if you are already using all 6 zones of the controller.

Have imperial controller with brass valves (6 zones). Zone three was not coming on so I replaced with a Rainbird inline valve. Then I could not get that valve to shut regardless of what zone controller was on - after bleeding got zone to shut but cannot get any others to activate on their respective zones. Now just puzzled???