Rainbird Wiring Diagram (2024)

FAQs

How many sprinkler wires do I need? ›

Your sprinkler wire needs to have at least one more wire than the number of zones being installed. This extra wire is the neutral or common wire that completes the circuit allowing your system to work properly.

Every valve has a solenoid with two wires; one common wire, and one zone wire. The common wire is usually white but can be any color as long as it's hooked to the common slot in the sprinkler timer. It's important for the common wire to be connected to every zone.

When using a wire-tracking tool you can hear the signal strength as well as follow the null meter. The signal will be stronger on either side of the current being sent through the wire from the wire tracking tool. After you have located the break, it is helpful to cross the path to narrow down the hot spot.

The common wire is usually white in color and runs from your controller to your master cylinder and then to each of the other valves on your irrigation system in turn. If something happens to cut your common wire, then every valve after the cut will fail to turn on when activated.

A 2-wire controller is always sending voltage (usually 24-30 volts AC) down the 2-wire path in order to communicate with the components in the irrigation system. In order for the controller to talk to each device, there needs to be a decoder between the 2-wire path and its respective device.

Sprinkler lines should be buried below the grass roots, and deep enough the sprinkler heads sit flush with the soil surface or slightly above grade. The depth varies depending on factors but typically ranges from eight to 12 inches.

Q: Does A Sprinkler System Operate On AC Or DC Voltage? A: It's a common mistake to assume sprinkler valves work with DC voltage. While most valves indeed can be powered by DC voltage, they are designed to work with AC voltage in the range of 22 to 28 volts.

Risers connect pipes to the sprinkler heads. Fittings or couplings, such as tees and elbows, connect and redirect pipe. A manual control system should allow you to maintain several areas with different needs. A backflow preventer is an anti-siphon device that's required in most areas.

NFPA 13R is a residential sprinkler design standard focused on low-rise residential occupancies. The Standard's intent is to provide a sprinkler system that aids in the control of residential fires and provides improved protection against injury and life loss in multi-family dwellings.

How do you test irrigation wiring with a multimeter? ›

Place the multimeter in resistance and connect one lead to the zone wire (disconnected from the clock) and the other lead to the common wire for that zone (also disconnected). If the multimeter shows a reading of between 20 and 60 Ohms, the wire and the solenoid at the far end are probably good.

Without digging, it is possible to find sprinkler lines by getting a design map from the company that installed the system. If this is not possible, one could go to the valve box and follow a line back to each of the head sprinklers in a circuit. Or one could utilize an electronic water-detection device.