# One zone won't work from controller but will manually (solenoid and wiring wiring ok)



## Macdaddy (Jul 8, 2019)

Please help! My problem is a zone that will not turn on via controller, but will turn on manually.

For some background, I have an older home that came with numerous irrigation issues (controller was dead, valve diaphragms damaged, broken heads). Replaced controller, two backyard valves, and two front heads. Everything works fine now except this one zone.

Here are the details:

Installed brand new Rain Bird Anti-Siphon Irrigation Valve with Flow Control. Installed same valve right next to it for adjacent backyard zone.

Opening bleed will start zone fine.

Opening solenoid manually will start zone fine, but it takes quite a few turns and the base of the solenoid is leaking at that point.

Flow Control setting makes no difference.

The backyard valves are close enough to let me swap the solenoids (leaving wired as-is). Swapping the solenoids shows neither the solenoid nor the wiring is he problem (the other zone continues to work and the problem zone continues to not run).

Removing the bonnet did not reveal anything amiss.

Any ideas on what the problem might be?


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## Ballistic (Mar 19, 2018)

Doesn't sound like you have troubleshooted the wiring, I would try swapping a working zone wire to that, double checking the wires are all properly connected, maybe if you have a volt meter you can do a continuity test with a few of the wires.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

Ballistic's advice is good. Swap wires in the controller to see if a different zone causes the same issue. If so, then you can eliminate the outdoor wires and valves as the problem. If the problem is inside the controller or the 12V power supply to the controller, then that's an easy indoor fix with no further digging needed.

I suspect you either have a bad relay inside the controller on that zone, or the 12V power supply itself is going bad.

You can also try replacing the GFI plug itself, which may be overly-sensitive or has gone bad. But this is a long shot.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

I'm sorry! I got my threads confused. I thought I was posting in that GFI error thread.


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