Using existing 24V bare wire source with Rachio 3

Getting Started
1

I have an 8-zone X-Core controller and would like to replace it with a Rachio 3 and have some questions because of how the X-Core was installed. When the builder constructed the home, he put the 24V converter in the attic, tapping into the junction box which provides power to the garage door opener. He then ran a 24V power line over to the corner when the irrigation controller was mounted and brought the line down to the controller for a connection. The result is that I have a 24V power line exactly where I need it, but bringing a 120V power supply would be a major PITA involving lots of attic work. Bottom line: I want to connect that 24V line into the Rachio 3.

I see two possible alternatives:

(A) Find out the specs on the power plug jack the Rachio 3 uses, buy one just like it, and place it onto the existing 24V line. Unknown: what the specs are and who can give them to me.

(B) On the right hand side of the Rachio 3, there’s a place for bare wire connection labeled as “24V”. This suggest to me there’s a direct connection between that connection and the power jack, meaning that (in effect) the bare wire connection could in fact be used to bring power to the Rachio, (The only thing I can think of to prevent that might be if there’s a diode which prevents current from flowing both ways.) Has anyone tried bringing power to a Rachio this way and if it worked? Is there any reason this approach wouldn’t work?

Thanks in advance for help and if anyone has an alternative approach, please pipe in!

2

@weathervane -

STOP - don’t do option B as those terminals are designed to source current, not sink enough current to run the entire Rachio device. There are a couple of posts here in the community where users have connected a power supply to those terminals and Rachio quit working because a component on those ports got overloaded and blown out.

Best option is to cut the Rachio supplied power supply cord and splice the plug end into the wire. Best option would be to use the Rachio transformer in the attic, splice to the existing wire and then splice to the Rachio plug end in the garage. This will work if there is a normal 120 V plug in the attic. The reason I suggest using the Rachio transformer is to make sure there is enough, but not too much amps provided from the transformer. I have done this on one of my Rachio installs.

1 Like
3

DLane, thank you very much for keeping me from making a serious error!

I was working in the garage today and quite by accident found the 24K X-Core transformer. I was mounted onto a power strip right above the garage door opener. That makes the situation a whole lot easier to deal with than I first thought (that the transformer was under sheathing in the attic. Now all I have to do is cut the carrier wire on each end and splice in the respective parts of the Rachio power cord. RELIEF!!