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Rain Bird rain Sensor, only one wire

#1

`Just installed a new Rachio after using a Hunter SRC. I also have a rain bird rain sensor. The irrigation guy who originally installed my system spliced the rain bird wiring so that the black cable is connected to the white common cable, back near my valves. The red wire was connected to a separate yellow wire to my controller.

So at the controller end I only have a yellow wire from the rain sensor and the main white common wire.

I presume this is not enough to wire the rain sensor to Ranchio?

I’ve tried it by putting the yellow wire in to S1 but I get a continual activated and then deactivated every minute.

(Note the white is connected to the main C for the zones and all zones water correctly)

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#2

Bump. Rachio support any idea?

#3

I suspect that the rain sensor is closer to the valve box than the controller and therefore the connections are being made in the valve box and not the controller box. Look at the wiring diagram below and compare it to your picture above. In your photo the yellow and white wires are taking the RS & C connections to the valve box where the connections to the rain sensor are being made. I don’t think you can leave the rain sensor where it is located when the Rachio is connected since the yellow wire will be the only return wire to the controller from the valve box. Here is the Rachio basic rain sensor wiring diagram Basic Rain Sensor. When wiring the Rachio the white wire will be your common and needs to be connected to all your valves in the valve box. The other 3 zone wires will connect to their appropriate valve. The yellow wire will not be used.

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#4

Yup. As I mentioned, one of the two wires from the sensor is being spliced in to the main (white) common wire back near the valve box. The other is connected to the yellow wire. So at the controller I only have a yellow and the white/common wire plus the zone wires. I’ve got all my zones working with Rachio but not the sensor. I checked the wiring loom going to the controller and there’s only 5 wires inside it, so with the yellow, white and 3 zone wires that’s it. Which is probably why the irrigation guy spliced the 2nd wire in to the white common wire.

Looks like I’m out of luck getting the sensor to work without running another wire from the sensor to the Rachio.

#5

Can you move the sensor near the Rachio? You can then direct wire it.