OpenSprinkler Forums Hardware Questions 24VAC solenoid won’t turn on opensprinkler only reports 20mA

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  • #65012

    nvdbleek
    Participant

    Hi,

    I installed an opensprinkler 3.0 at a friend. And the solenoids won’t turn on when I turn them on in the app. It are rainbird 100DV 24 VAC. I connected a 24VAC adapter with can deliver 1000mA. In the app and on the opensprinkler 3.0 it shows that only 20mA is sent to the solenoid. This looks really low. And suspect this is the root problem, but I don’t understand why.

    I personally have an older version of opensprinkler and there the same type of solenoids use 500mA.

    Can anybody help me how I can test/determine what what the problem is?

    Regards,

    Nick

    #65014

    Ray
    Keymaster

    The first thing to check is whether the solenoid is connected between COM (common) and a zone port (e.g. zone 1). A common mistake is that some users connected the solenoid between GND and a zone port, which is incorrect. GND is not meant for common wire.

    #65020

    zenfortech
    Participant

    ok thanks

    #66308

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    Hello
    I just receivied my all integrated box with 24VAC and Opensprinkler 3 to manage 4 Rain Bird DV 75. I did some tests and it doesn’t work. I tested the output tension directly on the green connection domino with a multimeter and results are variable. I mean for the 2 first slots tension is the same ~20V even if I enable the slot by the app. I’m not an expert but I should expect something like ~V when off and 24V when the slot is enabled. Do I need to check something on the app ? thank you in advance for your help

    #66339

    Ray
    Keymaster

    – Voltage should be measured as AC (not DC) voltage between COM terminal and any zone port.
    – When a zone is off, the AC voltage measured is stray voltage and doesn’t matter (it may or may not be 0, but it doesn’t matter).
    – When a zone is on, the AC voltage measured should be close to the power supply voltage (about 24VAC).

    #66351

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    Thank you Ray for your answer.
    I did some tests please find in attached files the results :
    – photo 1) Test with slot 1 activated : around 17VAC
    – photo 2) Test with slot 2 activated : around 28VAC
    – photo 3) Test with slot 5 activated : around 28VAC but also slot 4
    – photo 4) global installation with the 4 new rain bird sprinklers DV75. I thought the solenoid was not ok and tested with ohmmeter : 40 which seems to be quite good.
    Whatever the voltage, I expected my sprinkler in off position to enable the flow when I activate the slot where the sprinkler is wired, and nothing happens.
    I admit I spent 2 days to try to understand what is going wrong without success and am tempted to stop everything and send it back for refund but I can spend 2 more days if you can help to make it working. Thank you in advance

    #66357

    Ray
    Keymaster

    I really cannot explain why it doesn’t work. Two things that are strange:
    1. You measured about 28VAC on slot 2 with the zone wire connected, so that means at the time of your measurement, 28VAC is present between COM and slot 2. I don’t understand how that can’t activate your solenoid — it’s like saying 28VAC is applied on the two wires of the solenoid, and it doesn’t open. This does not make sense.
    2. The screen shows the current draw is 3532mA — this is also very wrong, the current draw is usually about 200 to 300mA when a solenoid is active. 3532mA is way beyond the limit.

    Something is apparently quite wrong but I don’t know what.

    #66359

    Ray
    Keymaster

    You last photo, which shows the solenoid writing: what type of plugs are you using at the end of the gray cable? The image resolution is pretty low so I can’t tell. It seems I can only see two solenoid wires that go to the plug, I can’t see where the other solenoid wires went. Did you try to connect the two wire from a solenoid directly to the 24VAC transformer wires, and see if that activates the solenoid? As I said, if you measure 28VAC between COM and zone 2, and you have a solenoid connected between COM and zone 2, it doesn’t make sense to me that the solenoid doesn’t activate. That almost certainly suggests there is a wiring problem.

    #66364

    question: WTF is this:

    Attachments:
    #66363

    Hi Nick, please unscrew a solenoid from a valve and connect it directly to the OpenSprinkler COM and Zone 1, remove the other cables beforehand. Activate the zone and you should hear a click and hum. The display should show approx. 200-300mA. If everything is ok, test the other valves in the same way. If everything works, then there must be a cable problem, possibly a short circuit.
    If the solenoid does not work, then either the solenoid is broken or the OpenSprinkler is broken.

    Check the french version of the handbook:
    https://opensprinklershop.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/os-manual_2.1.9-FR.pdf
    and look at page 5 “Schémas de connexion des fils de zone”

    Best regards,
    Stefan

    #66381

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    Hi
    Thank you Stefan for your advise. I thought the issue was the same than Nick and attached my issue to it but it appears to be an other issue at the end.
    The WTF thing is a plug a use to disconnect easily the system. I disconnected the system this morning and continue to see 3600mA when I enable the slot as seen on the photo
    Alexandre

    #66384

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    Yes I do confirm the sprinkler works fine if I plug the wires directly to the 24V output.
    The impedance seems also fine for the solenoid cf photo
    And it doesn’t work when I apply the wires directly to the slot 2 on the OpenSprinkler box cf photo

    Is there nothing I can do by resetting or is it an hardware issue ?

    #66388

    I think it’s a hardware problem. The triacs, that control the output, have blown up?
    Have you tried zone ports 5,6,7,8 ?

    #66389

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    I just tested on port 5,6,7 it still doesnt work cf photo.
    About the triacs, how can I see it on the controller ? On the outside, everything seem ok.
    Anyway how can I proceed for the repair ? Could you please send to me the process and the associated delay ?thanks

    #66394

    Ray
    Keymaster

    As I said, there is one thing I am puzzled about: you measured 28VAC between COM and zone 2, and you have the solenoid wires plugged into COM and zone 2 when you did the measurement, and you said it doesn’t activate the solenoid. This I really cannot explain — whether triacs inside are burned or not, or whether the controller is working or not, 28VAC was clearly present between COM and zone 2 when you measured it, why does it not activate the solenoid? I cannot explain. This is like saying: I measured 28VAC across a resistor, but there is no current detected in resistor. How is this possible? I don’t know. This defies physics.

    #66399

    Alexandre Jesson
    Participant

    Hi Ray
    I was doing a video for you to show you the behavior and I saw an electric arc and the fuse broke. I replaced the damaged fuse on the 24v output but the controller doesn’t want to come back to life. https://share.icloud.com/photos/0oAYYe3l9VXCVSVYI9140hppw#Vouzon
    I don’t feel lucky at this time :(What can I do now ? Thank you in advance

    #66401

    Ray
    Keymaster

    Honestly, I have no idea. It looks like you were trying to plugging and unplugging wires when the controller was powered on. I highly recommend against it — any wiring or rewiring should be done when the controller is powered off, because you never know when you may insert wires into the wrong port.

    #66404

    Alexandre, I will send you a replacement OpenSprinkler, when you got them, please send the old back so we can analyse whats wrong.
    Then please report here.

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OpenSprinkler Forums Hardware Questions 24VAC solenoid won’t turn on opensprinkler only reports 20mA