# Irritrol Slim Dial troubleshooting



## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi everyone,

I am having trouble with my Irritrol Slim Dial Control Panel in my garage. It isn't irrigating my front yard any more. No zones are working, no matter how many ways I try it. I've tried manual run, and guided program, and different days and times. It doesn't work (even though the screen works). I am able to go outside and irrigate the front yard by manually turning on the valve solenoids. Does anyone have any ideas what's going on? Or is there a troubleshooting guide that can help me test and fix it? Thanks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZW5Gdr7Nh6U-F8EB496nPFaNptldlLx4/view?usp=sharing


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

From the wiring, looks like you have two zones total? For a quick troubleshoot, get a voltmeter (if you don't have one, they are not expensive), turn on one of the zones with manual run and measure the voltage at the controller between the common terminal marked "C" on the controller terminal block (usually connected to that white wire) and each of the two other wires. If you measure 24 VAC on the active zone, it's not a controller problem. Would be the wiring past the controller (do you have a rain sensor in the line someplace?) or the valves. If no 24 VAC at either zone on the controller terminal block, controller is toast and best solution is to replace it.

You mentioned that the screen continues to work no matter what you're doing with it. For that controller, if the screen still works that means it's getting power and the zones wires are not shorted.


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi there,

I could use some help. I have a voltmeter now, but I am unsure how to measure the voltage. Can you let me know how I test the voltage? Like what I am supposed to connect the voltmeter leads to on the controller? Thank you. Here is a close up.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jI2Eb5ybqtWYEsQgOjqU6TbgVgT1JMhf/view?usp=sharing



Delmarva Keith said:


> From the wiring, looks like you have two zones total? For a quick troubleshoot, get a voltmeter (if you don't have one, they are not expensive), turn on one of the zones with manual run and measure the voltage at the controller between the common terminal marked "C" on the controller terminal block (usually connected to that white wire) and each of the two other wires. If you measure 24 VAC on the active zone, it's not a controller problem. Would be the wiring past the controller (do you have a rain sensor in the line someplace?) or the valves. If no 24 VAC at either zone on the controller terminal block, controller is toast and best solution is to replace it.
> 
> You mentioned that the screen continues to work no matter what you're doing with it. For that controller, if the screen still works that means it's getting power and the zones wires are not shorted.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Set your voltmeter to read AC volts in a range reasonable for 24 volts. Probe across the two left-most wires (the black wire and the gray wire in your photo). That is the low voltage AC input. You should read somewhere around 24 volts. If you don't and the screen is working, you are doing something wrong.

Set zone 1 to run manually. Measure across the white wire and the blue wire. You should read around 24 volts. If no voltage and the screen is working, controller is toast. If you see 24 volts there, the problem isn't your controller.

Set zone 2 to run manually. Measure across the white wire and the yellow wire. Same as above.

Let me know what you find. Now I'm curious what's wrong with it.


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

I'm having trouble just getting the 24 volts reading. Do you know how I go about placing the leads on the wires?



Delmarva Keith said:


> Set your voltmeter to read AC volts in a range reasonable for 24 volts. Probe across the two left-most wires (the black wire and the gray wire in your photo). That is the low voltage AC input. You should read somewhere around 24 volts. If you don't and the screen is working, you are doing something wrong.
> 
> Set zone 1 to run manually. Measure across the white wire and the blue wire. You should read around 24 volts. If no voltage and the screen is working, controller is toast. If you see 24 volts there, the problem isn't your controller.
> 
> ...


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Well everyone starts somewhere so if you want to learn how to do this, no time like the present. One lead touches one screw and the other lead touches the other screw. You are measuring the voltage across the leads. The impedance of the meter is many times that of the circuit you are measuring, so when we say measure the voltage across two points, you are measuring the potential difference from one to the other with a lead on each and the meter not affecting the measurement.

It might make sense to pay a pro to show you what's involved in a diagnosis. Most guys in the trade I come across are very generous with knowledge and if you're respectful, happy to teach the basics.

A base of know how from ground zero can take many months or even years of watching and learning lots of things. It's all simple enough but you need to know a little bit about a lot of different things. My guess is you don't have that kind of time. I would bet it's a simple enough problem (it worked before, right?) and paying someone to figure out what's wrong and fixing it may be money well spent.

There's another approach too. My guess is either the controller is toast or your common wire (or all the wires) got broken between the controller and the two valves that are no longer working. If diagnosing with a meter isn't your strong suit, replace the controller and if that doesn't fix it, replace the wire from the controller to the valves. It's a brute force approach but very likely to work.


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi there. Thank you again for your patience and assistance. I did what you said. When I use the Voltmeter on the black and grey wires it read 26.3 V. When I ran the controller manually, The voltmeter said 25.7 V for the white and blue wires and the same for the white and yellow wires when i ran each zone separately. So it's doesn't seem to be a problem with the controller. I guess I need to look at other reasons why my zones aren't irrigating.



Delmarva Keith said:


> Set your voltmeter to read AC volts in a range reasonable for 24 volts. Probe across the two left-most wires (the black wire and the gray wire in your photo). That is the low voltage AC input. You should read somewhere around 24 volts. If you don't and the screen is working, you are doing something wrong.
> 
> Set zone 1 to run manually. Measure across the white wire and the blue wire. You should read around 24 volts. If no voltage and the screen is working, controller is toast. If you see 24 volts there, the problem isn't your controller.
> 
> ...


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

lostjeff said:


> Hi there. Thank you again for your patience and assistance. I did what you said. When I use the Volt metre on the black and grey wires it's read 26.3 V. When I ran the controller manually, The voltmeter said 25.7 V for the white and blue wires and the same for the white and yellow wires when i ran each zone separately. So it's doesn't seem to be a problem with the controller. I guess I need to look at other reasons why my zones aren't irrigating.


That's a good test. Progress! Next step is see if you have 24 volts AC at a zone valve. Go to the zone 1 valve and remove he wire nuts or whatever the installer used to cap the connections. Measure across the blue and the white when zone 1 is run manually. It should read 24 volts AC if the wire is intact. If it doesn't, the wire is no good. As a second check, make sure the wires are connected properly at the zone valve and disconnect the blue and white wires at the controller and measure the resistance across them. It should read some relatively low resistance (say around 20 to 50 ohms). If it reads open (infinite or out of range), you know for sure the wires at the controller aren't making it to the zone valve.

Was any excavation or plantings done just before it all stopped working? It would be weird (but not impossible) for both zone vales to fail at the exact same time. Sounds like the common or all the wires got cut somewhere.


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi there,

Are you saying I need to take the caps off of these valves and use the voltmeter to see if there is a current when I manually turn the zones on? It looks like they are part of the solenoid.

To answer your question, no there has been no excavation or other event that I know of that would cause this.

Thanks for all your help.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ol25Cs-XlpP7uiZB3fpwyQWAuDNktrKO/view?usp=sharing



Delmarva Keith said:


> That's a good test. Progress! Next step is see if you have 24 volts AC at a zone valve. Go to the zone 1 valve and remove he wire nuts or whatever the installer used to cap the connections. Measure across the blue and the white when zone 1 is run manually. It should read 24 volts AC if the wire is intact. If it doesn't, the wire is no good. As a second check, make sure the wires are connected properly at the zone valve and disconnect the blue and white wires at the controller and measure the resistance across them. It should read some relatively low resistance (say around 20 to 50 ohms). If it reads open (infinite or out of range), you know for sure the wires at the controller aren't making it to the zone valve.
> 
> Was any excavation or plantings done just before it all stopped working? It would be weird (but not impossible) for both zone vales to fail at the exact same time. Sounds like the common or all the wires got cut somewhere.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Something a little odd there. The wire colors don't seem to match what you have inside (but it's hard to see) and you have three zone valves. Two of them must be connected, likely in parallel. Looks like you have two zones plus a drip irrigation zone.

The next troubleshooting step is to untangle the wires (remove whatever that thing is wrapping them up in a bundle) and see what you have there.

I can see the white wire (the common) connected to multiple zone valves. The blue caplike things are wirenuts. Remove the wirenut from that leaving the solenoid wires connected; just remove the wirenut (twist counterclockwise and it will unscrew just like a machine nut). Remove the wirenut from another of the set of wires (there should be a yellow and another will be the blue wire - pick one). Turn on the corresponding zone. Measure the voltage across the white wire and the wire you chose. It should read 24 volts AC. If it doesn't, the voltage you measured at the controller isn't making it to the zone valve. If it measures 24 volts AC and the zone doesn't run, there must be a problem with the valve itself.


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## dj80d (Nov 15, 2020)

first off one thing i would do is twist the solenod. to see if you have water coming out of each valve. if you do you can also take the wires apart from the incoming from the controller. grab a 9v battery and tap the leads from the soleniod to the battery and see if it pops. you can hear a snap sound if it dose and you can feel it.
also try putting the volt meter in the ohms symbol the upside down horse shoe. touch the to wires and see if what the reading is. you can to this at the controller or at the valve. one on the common wire the other on the hot. if it is below 10 it is a dead short if its above 100 ohms its a bad connection. it could be split in wire or just really old as it looks like in the picture.
common is almost white wire
hot is the color wires/ station wires

an ohm test will probly tell you most. if need be message me and i can help more


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hi Keith,

I took off the caps and tested the voltage for both zones like you instructed. They both read about 25 volts when the zone was on. So I think the problem is with the valve itself?

Also, I still don't understand why there are three valves on the side of my house when I know I just have two zones (the blue and yellow wires). Do you know what the third valve is for? Could that valve be the problem?

Thanks.



Delmarva Keith said:


> Something a little odd there. The wire colors don't seem to match what you have inside (but it's hard to see) and you have three zone valves. Two of them must be connected, likely in parallel. Looks like you have two zones plus a drip irrigation zone.
> 
> The next troubleshooting step is to untangle the wires (remove whatever that thing is wrapping them up in a bundle) and see what you have there.
> 
> I can see the white wire (the common) connected to multiple zone valves. The blue caplike things are wirenuts. Remove the wirenut from that leaving the solenoid wires connected; just remove the wirenut (twist counterclockwise and it will unscrew just like a machine nut). Remove the wirenut from another of the set of wires (there should be a yellow and another will be the blue wire - pick one). Turn on the corresponding zone. Measure the voltage across the white wire and the wire you chose. It should read 24 volts AC. If it doesn't, the voltage you measured at the controller isn't making it to the zone valve. If it measures 24 volts AC and the zone doesn't run, there must be a problem with the valve itself.


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## dj80d (Nov 15, 2020)

looks like you have two lawn valves and a drip valve. the one with the black filter is your drip. the other two should be your lawn or spray valves. you need to test the ohms (the funny upside down horse shoe symbol) on all the wires and see what is the resitents. one on the hot and one on the common. try moving the wires at the clock to other stations and running them. and try moving wires at the vavles to see what happens.



lostjeff said:


> Hi Keith,
> 
> I took off the caps and tested the voltage for both zones like you instructed. They both read about 25 volts when the zone was on. So I think the problem is with the valve itself?
> 
> ...


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## lostjeff (Oct 31, 2020)

Hey dj,

Thanks. What do you think is the value of checking the Ohms? I checked the voltage and verified the current.

Also, can you tell me what the drip valve is for? That's something I don't understand.

Thanks.



dj80d said:


> looks like you have two lawn valves and a drip valve. the one with the black filter is your drip. the other two should be your lawn or spray valves. you need to test the ohms (the funny upside down horse shoe symbol) on all the wires and see what is the resitents. one on the hot and one on the common. try moving the wires at the clock to other stations and running them. and try moving wires at the vavles to see what happens.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## dj80d (Nov 15, 2020)

OHMS will very per solenoid. but a range test will help. use the upside down horse
0-6 short
6-18 slow burn
18-60 good solenoid
60-200 partiaallly open
200+ possible break

once you test each valve then you can see what might be the issues to look for. also dont turn on a valve when testing the ohms. remove the white wire the common. and touch the probe to the common and the station wire.

the drip vavle is for plants almost always. with that filter on the bottom part of the vavle its screening the deprie from getting to the drip emiters.

where do you live? if you get a chance you should swing by a landscape distroubutor and ask them they can show you in person most times which might also help understand some of the parts of your system.

if you need direct messege me for more


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## dj80d (Nov 15, 2020)

OHMS will very per solenoid. but a range test will help. use the upside down horse shoe
0-6 short
6-18 slow burn
18-60 good solenoid
60-200 partiaallly open
200+ possible break

once you test each valve then you can see what might be the issues to look for. also dont turn on a valve when testing the ohms. remove the white wire the common. and touch the probe to the common and the station wire.

the drip vavle is for plants almost always. with that filter on the bottom part of the vavle its screening the deprie from getting to the drip emiters.

where do you live? if you get a chance you should swing by a landscape distroubutor and ask them they can show you in person most times which might also help understand some of the parts of your system.

if you need direct messege me for more


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