Installation: Figuring Out the Wires?

I’ve done one previous Rachio installation, which was fairly simple and turned out great.

But, for my second installation, I’m faced with a whole bunch of spliced wires, and am finding it difficult to identify which wire is the common, and whether there is a master valve wire.

I’d appreciate anyone being able to help with this, used on this photo:

From the looks of it, you are seeing a standard analog timer, which is controlling one AC (master) water valve, which is in turn connects to an indexing valve. See more about how to set it up with rachio here (link). The only active wires appear to be Red and White, their polarity does not matter (one wire goes to common, the other to master valve port on your Rachio). In order to get a full flexibility of Rachio system, you may need to replace the indexing valve with an independent zone valves (which would require new wiring and plumbing).

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Thanks very much, Gene. You’re exactly right.

We’re changing out the serial valve with individual ones today.

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Glad to be of service, good luck with the project, been there done that :slight_smile: I don’t have photo of my original timer, but it was an interesting 2 day project.

Works like a charm :wink:

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Looks great! Thanks for sharing.

:cheers:

Thanks for the information Gene. I plan on replacing my INtermatic mechanical timer with a Rachio 2. Not sure I will individualize the zones during this part of the install. Can you share the wiring information or will that be available with the manual?

Hi Manny,

Without individualizing the zones, you will need to connect the single valve you have to the master valve (M) output of your new controller.

In order to continue using the index valve you have now, you will need to introduce a delay between zones as this allows the index valve to cycle between zones. Such a delay can be configured if your M terminal is set to the Well / Pump relay (don’t worry about nomenclature, setting your unit to this setting will not actually negatively effect your setup). Here is more info on this setting and how to gain access to the delay between zones setting.

Setting the delay between zones to about 5 minutes, should allow your index valve to cycle as needed.

Your current schedule treats all of your zones the same, unfortunately you will have to continue doing so. While the old setup seems to have watered each zone for 20 minutes twice a week, you can make some use of the flex daily schedule for added water savings (which is a big point of a smart irrigation controller). Alas you will have to set all of your zones to be clones of the thirstiest zone, meaning that when everr the controller should decide to water one of your zones, it should determine that the other three zones should be watered as well. If you want to maximize the savings, and individualize the zone settings, than you will have to individualize the vales as I’ve done in the post above.

Be sure to match all of the settings, including the sprinkler head types, slope, sun exposure, etc. You will still gain additional benefits compared to your old controller from the weather forecasts and moisture tracking.

Let us know if you run into any issues. If you notice that zones got of sync with eachother (wanting to be watered on different days), you may want to check the settings and let us know. :wink:

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Great! Thanks for the detailed info. Happy Holidays!

Gene hello. I am looking to take this on as a weekend project I currently have a 5 Zone indexing the bell and intermec manual timer. I purchases the rachio 3 and outdoor box for it and if possible I’d like help and guidance as to which relay and valves I should buy to convert everything so I can do Zone watering.
Also which cover box to put in the ground for a 5 zone system. I noticed you put rocks down first do you suggest that?
Also what is that valve where the red shutoff and the cables run to?
I’m in Parkland so we r close. If you want hcae something like an itemized list for a conversion like this I would much appreciate it. Ty!!

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Had I’ve done it a second time, I’d do it differently. Berrying the valves, like I’ve done, is simply asking for a flooded, dirty, well in Florida. The stones are there for drainage / filtration to try keeping the box dry and clean, but give it a year and you’ll be hard pressed to find any sign of them.
If you do end up using a valve box to burry the valves, then you can use a four valve box in addition to a single valve, small box, for the firth valve. That being said, why not stay above ground and install all of your valves as a vac release above ground version? That would be my approach the second time since it gives a much easier access for service & keeps the valves clean and dry.
The above ground valve you’ve asked above (right past the shutoff valve) is the original valve from the index system. I’ve kept it as a master valve to reduce the chance of a leak and retain the back flow preventer as per code. My suggestion is in lieu of underground valves, you add five more similar above ground valves and keep your digging to a minimum (much easier to dig a trench for a pipe vs a hole for a valve box).

Not sure what a vac release above ground version is. Lol can you point me in the right direction with materials for the setup you are speaking about?

You’d be looking for something like this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-1-in-FPT-Anti-Siphon-Valve-with-3-4-in-Reducer-57604/203757013

As you can see, it’s designed to be installed above ground.

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OK so I would need 5 of those?
Currently my index valve has 5 pipes coming up out of the ground. Would I need to repipe or just use the same ones?

If you can fit the 5 valves in place of your old index valve, then you can simply swap your index valve, otherwise some pipe rerouting would need to take place. In any place you’ll likely need to dig a big down to expose where straight pipes from the index valve make a turn to the end zones. See the first photo on my original reply to see what I’m talking about.

Gotcha. With these valves they work the same as the ones you did in ground with the rachio? Zone specific watering etc.
I noticed the 1 valve has 2 pipes but I only have 1 pipe coming out of the ground. How would I pipe 5 of these together?
Also my sprinkler system is fed via a well and not regular city water. Can i still use those antisiphon valves with it?

You’ll need to use T junctions to route the fresh water to the input port of each valve (follow the arrows on the valve body or ask once you have physical valves in hand). Output port will go to the individual zone pipes which will be available after you cut off your old index valve.


here are some pictures of my current setup.
are you saying to pipe the line comoing out of the pump (and into the inddex valve) into 5 valves that are all connected Td off via t connectors?

would the new plumbing look something like this? (yes its a very crude ipad drawing sorry! lol) but the plumbing for the valves would sit in a more circular/squared off fashion

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@Roy, I’ll let @Gene confirm as he is the master on these conversions - but it looks correct to me. I don’t think you need a master valve like Gene’s case as the pump will serve as the master valve - when it isn’t running there won’t be any water pressure to leak out through an open valve. I think I’ve seen on some indexing valves an idle port where the indexing valve can stop and not water anything. Do you know if you have five different watering zones or four (it will only impact how many valves need to be bought)?

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5 zones. the indexing valve i have is for 6 but one is capped off. these are what size pipes you think? will that siphon valve gene mention above be the correct one?
i found this diy on the valves and ithinkt his is what it will look like. sucks it has to be in a straight line, and going to have to do some rearranging of the pipes going to the sprinkler zones since they all end up at the index valve now.