Hi everyone,
I’ve been debating on whether to upgrade my old Intermatic timer to the Rachio 3, and finally decided to pull the trigger. I didn’t do much other research on my system before buying the Rachio 3, and now it looks like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
After opening up the timer box, installation of the Rachio 3 doesn’t look as simple as I thought it would be. I live in south Florida, so I have a pump (well water) and index valve. One little problem as well, I don’t have an outlet anywhere nearby!!
Can anyone help me out with what to do? Trying not to get electrocuted, but also would LOVE to get my new Rachio set up asap!
@Golfngator - did you buy the external enclosure for the Rachio from Rachio? If so there is a plug internal to the enclosure that one hard wires to the electric source. Is the pump wired for 120 VAC or 220 VAC as that will make a difference on the wiring? With all the wires heading back to the disconnect box being red (both carrying current), I’m guessing 220 VAC. If that is the case, you’ll need to find a neutral wire to connect the Rachio enclosure plug to - hopefully there would be one in the disconnect box. Do you have access to a volt meter?
I think you will also need a pump start relay box to start the pump.
Another option is to mount the Rachio inside near an outlet and run the low voltage (24VAC) pump start wire and common wire out to the pump start relay.
Eventually, you should consider putting in a manifold in place of the index valve to get all the benefit out of the Rachio. There are several posts that show the process and it is not that difficult (compared to the electrical part).
