Went to turn on my sprinklers today and three of my zones are not working. Upon inspection, the valves are working fine and it is clearly an electrical issue, so I'll need to replace those solenoids.

My question is, do these things just unscrew, or do I need to unscrew that large knurled "nut" first? How exactly do I get them out...and back in?

The whole solenoid turns approximately 180 degrees (and I do this by hand when I'm blowing them out) but there is a "stop" there when opening it counter-clockwise. I don't want to turn it too far and break the darn thing.

you will need to undo or cut the wires and unscrew them out. A plunger will probably fall out. You may find it difficult to buy replacements. They look like Richdel maybe
I would rule out a possible common wire issue first. I doubt you would have three bad solenoids.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I doubt you would have three bad solenoids.

The solenoids themselves are likely fine, it's the wiring going into them that is bad. Since it doesn't appear that I can just fix the wiring, I'll just replace the solenoids.

HA! I have just researched this as I have to replace the solenoid on one of my zones. At first I thought I had problems with several zones. I unplugged my sprinkler controller and plugged it back it and then saw I only had a problem with one.

First, make sure you shut off water to sprinkler system BEFORE you unscrew the solenoid or you will have water shooting out. I have done this yet so just saying what I saw in my research.

You then cut the wires and unscrew just the solenoid to remove it. Install the new one and make sure to use grease fittings to protect the new wiring connections you make.

The only reason to unscrew the big knurled nut would be to access the guts of the valve. If the valve is the problem, then it is easier to just replace the guts of the valve than to replace the whole valve.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I doubt you would have three bad solenoids.

The solenoids themselves are likely fine, it's the wiring going into them that is bad. Since it doesn't appear that I can just fix the wiring, I'll just replace the solenoids.

That was the first thing I did when I seemed to have several bad zones was to see if my controller was sending an electrical current to the zone when I selected that zone. You have to figure out if it is the controller, the solenoid, or the valve. If the controller is not sending electrical current to the solenoid, then the problem is the controller. If the controller is sending electrical current, then it is the solenoid or the valve. If you can manually turn on the sprinkler via the valve switch, then it is the solenoid.

Yeah, it's definitely the solenoid wiring, you can see it if you zoom in on the pic. I don't know if mice got in a chewed it up or what, but it's bad and too close to the solenoid to splice.

You can swap solenoids. Shut off water and power and bleed down the system a pressure. Looks like a Hydro Rain jar top unit from a quick search, you could probably find a replacement solenoid pretty easy.

I’d look, as I see solenoids listed at $12-15 and a whole valve unit at $25-30 so if it’s plumbed we’ll, might be worth changing the whole valve. By plumbed well I mean with unions etc. so you can just unscrew and install new without cutting pipe.

They are semi universal so if you took one in to a hardware store, you could probably match it to a Toro or Rain Bird bird.

Quick check looks like Toro would be closest to try. https://www.homedepot.com/p/To...noid-53803/202176134



https://hydrorain.com/products...viewer-1633759259788

Make sure to use the grease filled wire nuts or fill with grease to help prevent corrosion and leave slack.

Let us know.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Yeah, it's definitely the solenoid wiring, you can see it if you zoom in on the pic. I don't know if mice got in a chewed it up or what, but it's bad and too close to the solenoid to splice.

Yeah then just replace the solenoid. Everything I saw was you cut the wires, just unscrew the solenoid, screw a new one in, and re-wire. I almost did mine this weekend, but had other projects to do.

TURN OFF THE WATER TO THE SYSTEM FIRST.

If you turn a solenoid about a quarter turn it turns on that zone.

You can easily replace them, but you may have to buy the whole valve as most big box stores don’t have the electric part with the wires.

The wiring does look a bit damaged. I would still check continuity from your control panel to the solenoid though and make sure the wire isn't broken somewhere else.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
TURN OFF THE WATER TO THE SYSTEM FIRST.

You can easily replace them, but you may have to buy the whole valve as most big box stores don’t have the electric part with the wires.

I haven’t even tried to buy the solenoid for the one I need to replace, but as far as I have seen unless the valve was installed to be easily replaced, then replacing the valve can be a real PIA. I am fortunate that I have a few sprinkler supply companies around me that “only” sell to companies, but they have always sold things to me. I can get things I need at way cheaper than a big box store, they have exactly what I need, and I bet they will have the solenoid I need so I would suggest the OP look for a supply company in their area if a big box store doesn’t have it. Amazon might be a choice too, but I don’t know as I haven’t even looked yet for the solenoid I need.

For what its worth, and may not apply here as it can be just a bad solenoid, but I had solenoids that kept failing. About 1-2 per year. I finally decided to also replace the controller during a fix that had popped up sooner that usual. Never had another problem with bad solenoids after that.
Basically it was frying the solenoids for some reason.

You might find it's just as easy to buy the assembly with the solenoid attached, unscrew the big ring and move it to the old body. Just as easy, and about the same price, the big box Home Depot and Lowes will carry them.

Don't cut the wires follow them back they should have wire nuts in the circuit in that box, just undo them and then connect the new unit.

Finally got ahold of a HydroRain rep this morning. Apparently it's just an easy-peasy unscrew, screw a new one on, and rewire. Ordered up five of them (to have a few extras around) for $10 apiece and will give it a go.

I just replaced my solenoid today. My voltmeter was letting my know electricity was being sent to that solenoid when that zone turned on and I was getting a fault message, so that meant the controller was fine.

I then turned the manual switch on the valve the solenoid was on and the sprinkler heads turned on so that meant the valve was ok and most likely the solenoid was the problem. I first had to use a shop vac to suck out all kinds of debris, dirt, and about a thousand centipedes that were in the ground around inside that valve box.

I shut off the water valve to the whole sprinkler system, purged water by turning on the valve manual switch, cut the solenoid wires, screwed out the old one, screwed in new one, and re-wired. Make sure to use grease caps over the wire nuts on wire connections.

Tested it and worked fine, except then I saw I had a sprinkler shooting into the air like old faithful. No matter how many times I tell my neighbor, he mows about feet extra into MY yard and I hate it because he scalps his grass. He ran over the sprinkler head bad enough I had to dig the whole damn thing up to be able to replace it. Luckily I keep lots of spare parts on hand and didn’t have to go to the store.

I suspected the solenoids. It was the controller. Racchio controller solved the problem

Never did follow up on this thread. Yeah, mine was an easy five minute fix. Unscrew the old ones, screw in the new ones, grease caps, and good as new.

And yeah, I've hit a few of mine (that I didn't put in quite deep enough) with the mower as well when I tried to mow at a "4". Had to replace one of them and it was pretty easy to just unscrew the whole thing and screw in a new one, but I now mow at a "5" and all's good.