Why Does My Solenoid Stay Open?

If you have a solenoid that stays on with all of the other stations then 9 times out of 10 it is your diaphragm that is playing up. First check that you haven’t accidentally placed it in the ‘on’ position, then check that the small screw for flushing is done up tight. If these are all ok and there are no visible leaks then its usually the diaphragm.

This is the rubber piece in the middle of the solenoid and allows water to flow or blocks its flow. For some solenoids eg Richdel you can probably head down to your local retic shop, grab a new diaphragm and change it over. Other solenoids aren’t quite so easy and you may need to replace the whole unit.

If you are buying a solenoid then I recommend the jar top variety which you can screw on and off rather than the solenoids where stainless screws are used to join the two halves together. In my experience the solenoids that are screwed together are harder to separate and rejoin. Bits of dirt can get in between the surfaces, the gasket can break and it can just be  messier getting it all to line up again.

 

 

Why Does My Solenoid Stay Open?

4 thoughts on “Why Does My Solenoid Stay Open?

  • October 29, 2011 at 1:01 am
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    I have a station that comes on when any other station is on, or even if either of our neighbours retic is on! (We share a bore)
    Would this still be the diaphragm? I have bought a replacement solenoid but haven’t wired it up yet, and the problem is still there. I’ll wire it up today and see how we go.

  • October 29, 2011 at 7:57 am
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    Hi Chris

    Yep – I reckon that’s exactly the problem. I have a friend with the same issue at the moment so will be interested to see what develops there too

  • October 30, 2011 at 6:45 am
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    I’m giving in. What do you guys charge for a call out? Do you come to Duncraig?
    Cheers

  • October 19, 2017 at 10:09 am
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    Hi There, a client reported they had an issue on their Rain Bird controller showing a short circuit in station 9. I located the solenoid and saw that all the words were frayed and had pretty much broken off. I replaced the solenoid with a new one and re-wires in the exact same way. I tested station 9, solenoid made buzzing noise and turned off when stopped. The problem now is that whenever I run any other station, station 9 stays on dropping the pressure on all other stations… I’m not experienced with valves and need to get it sorted. Are you able to give advise? Thanks! Tim

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