Reticulation Smart Controller Rebates

Posted on December 29, 2022 by reticcontrollerman

As they have done for a few years now, the Water Corp are trying to help households make the switch to smart controllers.

These devices are a massive step up from your standard retic box in that they are able to configure your irrigation based on up to the minute weather info from your local weather station. So now you don’t have to trust your rain sensor to pick up moisture and activate. These devices tune in to local weather and respond immediately.

As they are a little more expensive to buy the Water Corp are offering an incentive of $300 rebate on future water bills for those who make the switch. That’s a massive saving!

So if you would like a smart controller installed and you are keen to save the $$ give me a call. I have an electrical license so can change it for you within a few days.

For full info on the offer go here.

Weigh My Caravan – Our ‘Off Season’ Business

Posted on September 26, 2021 by reticcontrollerman

Winter is a very quiet time for reticulation repairers so we have started a new business to keep us busy when the down times hit.

Caravan weight is a very important issue and it is easy to be overweight, dangerous and illegal. Our business involves coming to your home, using our heavy duty scales to weigh your caravan and tow vehicle and then give you a report on what needs your attention.

We then take the time to talk you through what changes – if any – need to be made.

We are looking forward to being busy all year round!

Why Doesn’t My Retic Come On?!

Posted on August 11, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

If your retic doesn’t come on then it will usually be one of a few common problems.

1. The controller is faulty. If there is a display on the controller then it is less likely that this is the issue, but it could be a faulty terminal or circuit board.

2. The master solenoid has seized. It has got stuck shut and needs replacing.

3. There is a broken wire to the master solenoid or a broken common wire. If you have done some digging in the yard then you may have accidentally struck wires. They are only 24v so you won’t notice any ‘shock’, but it will stop the system working.

4. If you get an MV error then this let’s you know the coil on the master valve has problems and needs replacing.

What Does the Fuse Message on an Irritrol Kwikdial Controller Mean?

Posted on August 8, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

Ok – possibly the single most common issue I hit each year is this problem.

First up – there is no fuse and no battery in the controller! Silly I know – to have a ‘fuse’ message and a battery symbol at the same time.

The average DIY would look for a dodgy fuse or a faulty battery.

What the message actually means is that there is either a fault in the controller or a fault in a solenoid.

The way to determine the issue is simply to remove wires and keep resetting the controller and testing it. If it operates perfect with one of the wires out then it’s more than likely a solenoid coil sending a ‘fault’ message.

However if the controller display is flickering or if the fuse message only appears intermittently then chances are very high that the box itself is at fault and will need replacing.

Reticulation Repairs in Perth Northern Suburbs

Posted on September 13, 2017 by reticcontrollerman

Its that time of year when you check your irrigation system only to discover all is not well. We can fix anything that is broken so give us a call and we will be there promptly. We offer excellent service, competitive prices and genuine warranties on all our work. If you would like to see our 5 star client satisfaction ratings then you can check out google reviews here.

Look forward to hearing from you this spring!

Now’s a Good Time For a New Lawn!

Posted on March 10, 2016 by reticcontrollerman

We do lots of work in the Yanchep, Quinns Rocks, and Alkimos areas and autumn is a great time to lay a new lawn.

If you have been waiting for the heat to break before installing a new lawn then we are pretty much there.

We supply and lay all types of lawn and can give you advice on what will work best for you.

You can check out a few samples below:

Sir Walter Buffalo in Alkimos

Empire Zoyzia after one year in Iluka

Wintergreen in Two Rocks

Velveteen in Iluka

Velvet Buffalo in Yanchep

Kikuyu in Jindalee

A Reticulation Controller for The Tap?

Posted on July 9, 2012 by reticcontrollerman

Reticulation off the tap can be done, but always with significantly less pressure than off the mains. If you are going this route then it makes sense to get both a ‘double adaptor’ for your tap and a good quality digital controller that will allow the reticulation to function as if it were off the mains.

Personally I favour the Holman controllers as they are cheaper, easily programmable and haven’t let me down yet. You can also use a Galcon but these tend to be a little more expensive for the same functionality.

Either way they are battery powered and you can get a year out of a good set of batteries before needing to change things over.

With either controller you can add a ‘two way alternating valve’ that will allow you to run two stations off the one tap controller. You simply screw on the alternating valve and then set two start times on the controller. For example set start 1 at 5.00am and start 2 at 5.15am. Each time a new start kicks in the valve adjust to allow water flow through a different pipe

That’s the basic set up and the rest is plumbing!

If I had one tip for people setting up tap irrigation it would be to use plumbing tape and heaps of it and check your seals as you go. There is nothing worse than discovering a small leak in the first join after you have put it all together!

Can I Repair a Faulty Retic Control Box?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by reticcontrollerman

The short answer is probably ‘yes’. You can repair anything if you want to, but it isn’t good economics.

The last time I checked the cost of repairing a control panel for a retic box it was around $150.00 at an electronics specialist. Then there is the removal and replacement – allow another $150.00 and you are already close to replacement cost, but with no warranty.

So in short – like most things these days a retic control box is a disposable item, so my advice is to get one with a decent warranty.