Golden FE Ranger wrote:Thanks, GFG. I cut the 4 conductor wire going to the main ground box. After splicing the wires, I could not get the system to start, either by programming or manual. The rain sensor was over riding the start option. I go that reset, and now things are working. I spliced the 4 conductors using the silicone filled wire nuts, then coated it all with liquid tape. I then wrapped the whole mess w/ electric tape. I would rather not add a new ground box where the splice is because it is a higher traffic spot on the lawn. I know it would probably be better to add one to protect the splice. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Usually just wire nuts are good enough to protect the splice. The boxes are basically just to make things easier to fix if they break because you don't have to dig it up and you know exactly where it is. If your controller stops turning on the sprinklers it's most certainly because of the splice, so as long as you know where you did the splice you should be just fine. Chances are though, that if it's working now it should be good to go.
We usually always put boxes in. The only time we don't is, just like you said, when it would be in a high traffic spot on the lawn.
Composer wrote:Do the rain collectors that are supposed to keep the systems from running when there has been adequate rain really work? What, typically, are the parameters? How do they work? Do they collect rain and let it evaporate? Do they actively drain it?
Yes the rain sensors do work. Usually we set them to turn the system off at either 1/8" or 1/4" of rain. They have little discs in them that expand when they get wet, and when they get wet enough to reach that amount of rain it will flip a switch inside the sensor that will basically shut the electronic current to valves off so the controller can't turn them on. After that it keeps the system off until the discs dry out, which is usually half a day or so.