Hi…currently have Rachio 3 - 16 station…using a Tempest Weather Station and wired EveryDrop flow meter…that system was working awesome. Due to several high bills from blown diaphragms…I decided to install a Master Valve…from an older forum I went with the recommended 2 wire auto return with standard port ( I went with 1" full versus restricted standard port of 3/4" ) …tested it before installation worked great wired to the C and M locations on the controller…well…installed it in the line ahead of the PCV…ran first 2 times great during the normal watering cycle…3rd time…Zone Fault email and no flow notification…Master valve did not open…stopped the cycle and went to manual and then it opened…it does this regularly…runs a few times then fails…is it a power problem as in too much for the controller ? It must be wired correctly for it to work sometimes…
I am thinking possible solutions…separate power supply for the master valve that gets activated through a relay when command comes from Rachio controller OR getting Rachio to introduce a delay in their software…first to activate the Master Valve …then with 5 second delay… power to solenoid to open thus less power required initially ( as master valve once open uses very little power to stay open )…
No idea what kind of relay to use…or did I purchase the wrong Master Valve …forum also mentioned a 2 wire reverse polarity…but the same post also recommended the one I use with auto return …closed when no power thus saving water in the event of a burst diaphragm.
Have not seen any current posts on this…hopefully there is someone knowledgeable out there.
Thanx in advance.