I am looking for a way to delay closure of zone valves (would really just need to be the last zone of the schedule) by a few seconds after the master valve closes to depressurize my supply line to the backyard (it’s 1" blu-lock tubing). My master valve is connected to the copper supply line by PVC, but after that, Blu lock tubing and fittings are used for everything (except in the manifolds). My front yard manifold is immediately after the master valve, then there’s about 150’ of 1" Blu lock tubing leading to a second manifold in the backyard; it’s this run of tubing I want to depressurize (my supply line is 85 psi which I’ve reduced to 55psi).
The only way I can think of doing this is modifying valve closure timing, or running the master valve as a zone valve and running two zones concurrently with the master valve zone ending just before the last zone.
I’m new to rachio and in ground sprinklers, but I haven’t found compatibility for any of these options which to me seems like very poor usability. Hopefully I won’t need to buy a different controller.
@natesch2005 Currently Rachio doesn’t support a per zone master valve setting. If there is an unused zone in your controller I think this functionality could be done with two relay switches.
I would put a Single Pole Single Throw relay switch on the Master Zone line, with the Pole contact connected to the Rachio Master valve terminal and the Normally Closed contact going to the Master valve. I would wire one side of the coil wire to the unused zone terminal on the Rachio and then the other side of the coil wire to the Rachio Common terminal. This would prevent the master valve from running only when this zone is activated.
For the second relay, again connect one side of the coil contact to the Rachio same terminal as the previous relay and the other side of the coil contact to the Rachio Common terminal. For the Pole contact, I would connect the wire going to the zone valve that you want to activate. For the Normally Closed contact I would connect to this zone’s Rachio zone terminal. For the Normally Open connection, I would connect to the coil contact that is coming from the Rachio zone terminal. This will power the selected valve. You will need to make sure this zone runs after every other zone has run, which may require a separate schedule if zones in the schedule have cycle and soak options set.
