When You Break the Tap off the Water Meter

Posted on September 22, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

Have you ever found a water meter that either won’t turn on or off? Like the tap is just stuck?

This week it happened again – about the third time in 11 years but I knew what to expect.

The water meter was on but the tap timer I had installed was leaking a little and I went to turn it off and fix the seal.

But it wouldn’t budge – and I knew that taking the grandpa wrench to it was most likely going to snap it.

So I called the homeowner out, explained the situation (the water had to be turned off) and then began to gently crank the wrench.

And it snapped…

Bugger…

No major drama – just a call to water Corp to come and fix. Meantime I went around the back to try and tighten up the leaking tap timer but as I did it can’t apart and water gushed EVERYWHERE!

Ok ‘call now!’ I said.

After a few minutes I managed to get a poly fitting screwed on and sealed the leak. I headed off to lunch and came back to see Anton changing the tap over. He did it ‘live’ which I thought was pretty clever.

Disconnect the water on the house side, create a way for the water to divert and then remove and replace the tap. Then turn it off…

Fixed… and I can go back this week and carry on!

Why Does My Retic Just Keep on Running?

Posted on September 9, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

This is a common question.

And the answer is usually very simple. Generally speaking this happens when more than one start time is set.

Unless there is a watering exemption in place you are only allowed to water once a day which means you only need one start time.

Often people get ‘start times’ and ‘run times’ mixed up. So get this :

YOU ONLY NEED 1 START TIME!

Most errors are made when people set 5.00am as a start time, then 5.15, 5.30 and so on.

So when you set your controller make note of which function you are operating in the dial and just set the one start time.

If you get stuck then just give me a call!

Irrigation and Turf Upgrades in Butler

Posted on September 6, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

I have had a call each year for the last two years to come and replace the turf at this small backyard in Butler. A combination of young dogs and a shaded area means it has been tough for the lawn to survive.

It starts with a dig out of the old turf. Only 12m so not too much hard work. You can see the patchy old lawn below.

Then it’s time to screed and update the sprinklers with some mp rotators. The regular Toro nozzles were getting blown around in the wind and dirtying the pool fence.

And from here it was a case of laying the Sir Walter slabs and making it look good again.

Hopefully he won’t need to call next year!

Time to Turn Your Reticulation Back On?

Posted on September 4, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

It’s pretty miserable outside today but Sunday and Monday are looking very nice!

Call us to ensure you’re retic Controller is working and set correctly.

How Long Should I Run My Reticulation?

Posted on August 31, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

A common misconception is that retic should run for 10 minutes.

NOT SO!

You are allowed to apply 10mls of water on your watering day. This is where the confusion comes from.

10ml not 10min!

So different nozzles require different run times.

Normal Toro – 10-15 minutes

MP Rotators – 45-60 minutes

Gear drives – 20-40 minutes

(The difference is related to the spacing between the sprinklers.)

But don’t buy the 10 minutes thing!

Will Changing the Battery Fix My Retic?

Posted on August 31, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

Nope…

If your reticulation isn’t working then changing the battery will just be $9 down the drain.

The battery is not responsible for the operation of the sprinklers. It simply helps to retain the settings when the power goes off.

Your retic needs 24v if power to open the solenoids so changing a battery wont do the job.

If it’s not working then it could be any one of a number of issues – but it won’t be the battery!

Locating and Replacing a Faulty Solenoid in Yanchep

Posted on August 30, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

If you see water running down your street like this from the sprinkler at the bottom of the hill then it means you have at least one leaky solenoid.

The next step is to locate the correct solenoid and change it over. We can do this quickly with our solenoid detector and we can generally get the location perfect which minimises the digging in your lawn.

Here you can see we have been able to pinpoint the faulty valve.

Then once the valve is exchanges we test it and make sure all is working as it should be.

And just for good measure we go back to the sprinkler that was causing the problem and ensure it is no longer weeping.

Problem solved!

The Purpose of the Common Wire in an Irrigation System

Posted on August 23, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

Every irrigation has a common wire that connects all of the solenoids together and in most cases it is a black wire, as this is the colour most commonly used.

The common wire is found in the ‘c’ terminal and is vital to the systems operation.

If a common wire gets cut then all of the solenoids that it connects together will be out of action.

Its usual to have one strand of multi core wire serving the front of a house and another strand serving the rear, so if you find that all of your rear solenoids have stopped working then chances are your common wire will have been cut or broken.

From there it just a matter of tracking it and repairing it.

Common Causes of Sprinklers Not Working

Posted on August 16, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

If your sprinklers are barely spraying then it will be one of a few issues.

The most likely is that the system has a leak and pressure is getting released at a point other than the nozzles. Most likely is that a riser has broken and needs replacing.

Another possibility is that all nozzles are blocked. Rather than trying to unblock them you’re probably better off just replacing them.

Another possibility is that the solenoid has seized and is partially shut. This is the least likely option.

a) check for leaks around the base of sprinklers.

b) remove a nozzle and check to see if there is good water pressure.

c) if neither of the above resolve the issue then you may need to check out the solenoid.

By a process of deduction you should be able to find the problem!

How to Use an Add a Station

Posted on August 15, 2019 by reticcontrollerman

If you ever find yourself in a situation where one of the wires to your solenoids has broken and you either can’t be bothered or are unable to find the break then ‘add a station’ is your friend!

By using this device you can make one power wire serve two solenoids, meaning you can either add a solenoid in a space where there is no access for new wires, or you can keep a solenoid operational by using the add a station on the functioning wire.

It’s saved a lot of people over the years and is one of the most useful retic devices I have come across.