[puk0205]

I have a hunter pro-c system with 6 stations. Nothing fancy, start time is 5:30am every other day, run time 5 mins each station. Everything worked great up till a week ago. When I manually start all stations, station 1 will not start( everything runs normal on controller, just no water coming out of sprinkler heads) all other stations operate normal. When I turn pump 1 on then off then on again than manually start all stations it works fine! I have to cycle pump 1 on and off than back on every time to get station 1 to operate.

 

[user1007]

My guess is that the solenoid actuator at the valve has failed. This is fairly common and the good news is a new one will not be expensive and will be easy to replace assuming you can find the correct part. To diagnose.

First to clarify. When you say you are starting manually you mean you are temporarily bypassing the timer and switching on each station by toggling the switch at the controller right? You do not mean you are using the thumb screw at the valve to turn the circuits on correct?

Assuming the problem is electrical. First check to make sure the wires from the wire connection at the controller have not wiggled loose. Retighten them if need be. Check the connections at the solenoid actuator on the valve too.

If you have a multi-tester (and even an inexpensive analog one for $10 will be handy for this sort of thing) check to make sure you have power coming out of the controller when the switch is on? The fact you can get it to work some of the time suggests the possibility of a failing switch for that station, in the controller. If it is going, you will have to replace that switch if you can find the part.

If the switch is allowing power through the wiring to the valve check that it is making it to the solenoid actuator. If it is? If it is not, something has chewed or otherwise damaged the wire run.

Make sure the valve is clean and that nothing is clogging the actuator to keep it from opening. You may have to use the manual thumbscrew to bypass the solenoid to flush out the valve.

If that does not fix the problem and all else is working, it has to be the solenoid. Easy to replace. Just be sure not to over tighten.

 

[puk0205]

I have an option on the controller switch to manually run a single station or manually run all stations. Found out this morning though that station 1 does not operate regardless of controller switch setting until I turn pump1 off than on....soon as I do that and restart station 1 it works as it should.

 

[user1007]

Does this system have a pump integrated into it to boost flow rate or pressure? If it does, or if it thinks it does, the system would try to turn it on prior to opening a valve.