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Short circuit in zone

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allthums

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

1

Sunday, May 7th 2006, 3:11pm

Short circuit in zone

I have a Toro system about 15 years old. After servicer started it up this spring, the controller appeared to have died for no reason. I installed a new Toro controller, seemed to work fine. Today I was running individual zones to mark sprinkler heads and the controller died when running zone 7. Replaced fuse and it ran again, but when I ran zone 7 it signaled "short" in that zone. I moved the controller wire to an empty zone but it signaled "short" again and blew the fuse. I checked the wiring at the valve box and could see no evidence of a short circuit. Then I removed what seemed to be the valve motor (the part the wires go into -- solenoid?), but could see nothing wrong with it. (To make matters worse, when I put it back on, the zone ran continuously, so I had to cut water to the system. Apparently it is now stuck open.)

Will a valve motor simply short out due to age? Will this require a new valve, or is there some other diagnosis that needs to be done regarding the possibility of an unexplained short?

Thanks.

allthums

SprinklerGuy

Supreme Member

Posts: 358

2

Monday, May 8th 2006, 2:21am

sounds like the solenoid has gone bad....it may not be visible. replace the solenoid, don't forget to install the o-ring.

Good luck
Sprinkler Solutions, Inc.
Arizona and Colorado
www.sprinklersolutions.net

allthums

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

3

Monday, May 8th 2006, 3:54am

Thanks for your prompt reply, SprinklerGuy!

Are solenoids for older Toro valves available, or are there generic solenoids out there? I couldn't find any on sprinklerwarehouse.com.

Thanks again!

allthums

SprinklerGuy

Supreme Member

Posts: 358

4

Monday, May 8th 2006, 2:24pm

How hold? Toro solenoids are generally two types....held on w/ two screws or threaded into the valve....

I can point the way if you tell me where you are in the USA...
Sprinkler Solutions, Inc.
Arizona and Colorado
www.sprinklersolutions.net

allthums

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

5

Monday, May 8th 2006, 3:49pm

Installed circa 1991. The solenoid is the two-screw type, with a small spring that fell out when the solenoid was detached. There was a number on the label but I did not write it down. I am in Indianapolis area. Thanks.

allthums

SprinklerGuy

Supreme Member

Posts: 358

6

Tuesday, May 9th 2006, 1:54am

try this distributor

John Deere Landscapes
(317) 576-1888 9336 Castlegate Dr
Indianapolis, IN

If they don't have them, I can get you some as well....but try them first as they are local....

Remember when you put it back together...the pointy end of that solenoid plunger goes inside and the black ended part stays outside....spring goes in first...and I always lose them.

Good luck
Sprinkler Solutions, Inc.
Arizona and Colorado
www.sprinklersolutions.net

allthums

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

7

Saturday, May 20th 2006, 3:06pm

Well, I got a whole new valve and installed everything except the bottom part connected to the pipe. Sadly, the controller again blew the fuse in less than 5 seconds when that zone was selected. The insulation on all the visible wires seems intact.

Any other thoughts on what could be causing this strange behavior?

allthums

SprinklerGuy

Supreme Member

Posts: 358

8

Sunday, May 21st 2006, 4:16am

Time for a service tech unfortunately.....there is a direct short in zone 7 somewhere...

Have you been digging lately?
Has the phone company or cable company or others been digging lately?

If you can find the area that someone has been digging lately, perhaps you can fix this yourself, but if not, a tech is necessary who has the right equipment to find broken / shorted wiring underground.

I have also seen broken/shorted wires show up where people stapled the wiring to the interior walls from the timer????

Just consider that the wire for zone 7 is making contact w/ either direct ground or with the common wire....or it has been wired wrong ?

Sprinkler Solutions, Inc.
Arizona and Colorado
www.sprinklersolutions.net

allthums

Active Member

Posts: 5

Location: USA

9

Sunday, May 21st 2006, 4:31am

I figured my next step was to inspect line where it travels under crawl space to see if it was breached or chipmunks chewed it. No digging lately. Have no idea whether zone was wired correctly, I connected the new valve just as the old one had been. If I don't find an obvious breach I will call my servicer.

Thanks for your time and help, SprinklerGuy!!

allthums
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