I recently replaced my Hunter Pro with the Rachio. I’m not a wiring guy and it seems like i missed something so I have a couple questions:
I previosuly had 12 zones that were all working on the Hunter. I count 17 screws in my photo of the old system but there are only 13 numbers. What are the other screws for?
It looks like the previous system doesn’t have a wire in zone 12 but i know this zone was running. Do these just not line up correctly?
With the Rachio installed the zones seem to work but i have a zone in my front yard (Zone 1) that always comes on when the other zones are running (i.e. I run zone 8 and zone 8 and 1 run). What am i missing with the wiring?
Here is a photo of the old system. I didnt move the sensor wires over yet just the valves.
@ChrisY - the bottom terminal on the Hunter is for a Pump Start Relay or Master Valve. Can a picture be posted of the Rachio wiring?
Is zone 1’s wire in the Rachio M (Master Valve) terminal right next to zone 1? If so that will explain that zone running every time.
I think the numbers on the Hunter case don’t match up with the modules used.
It looks like there is a wireless rain sensor. Check the installation directions to correctly hook it up - 24 VAC + and -, not the C(ommon) terminals along with the S1 terminal.
I thought this was working but I am still having an issue with one of the zones. If I have the red wire in Zone 13 (shown in picture of Rachio) then zone 13 runs whenever any other zone runs. If I pull the red wire out then all of the zones except for zone 13 will run fine. Zone 13 will not run. If I put that red wire in Zone 1 I see the same issue. I think I am missing something obvious but why am I having an issue with this one zone? See photos for current and previous wiring.
I didn’t see where this wire was connected on the Hunter Pro configuration. I’m guessing it was in port 1 behind the black wire bundle.
Do you have access to a multi-meter AKA Volt/Ohm meter?
Was Hunter Pro system run right before the conversion and every zone worked properly?
The system doesn’t appear to have a master valve or a pump start relay, so there should always be pressure on the inlet side of the valve - so the valve isn’t stuck open.
Is the “Reduce Water Hammer” option enabled in the app? If so, the prior zone will be on for a few seconds when switching to the next zone - could this be what is occurring?
You might want to check the solenoid in zone 13 and double/check or confirm that the solenoid is a 24 VAC version (not a DC version).
What happens when the Red wire is moved to an unconfigured zone (e.g. 14, 15 or 16)?
Yeah, that was my bad. Didn’t realize the red wire was blocked before I took them all out. I tried this wire in port 1 and when I do this zone 1 comes on when the other zones are running.
Not at the moment.
Yes, every zone worked properly before changing over.
Minimize Water Hammer is ‘Off’.
I haven’t checked this but everything was working with the Hunter as stated above. Let me know if this is something I should look at.
If I hook this up to any zone (14, 15, 16) then zone 13 runs.
I may just start over and connect and test each wire one by one. I’ll report back after that (may take me a day or two to test).
It is possible that the valve for station 13 has failed. A pressure drop of another zone starting up on the system can cause the diagram to lose pressure and begin to run.
So the red wire in station 13 currently, was station 1 of the Hunter?
Honestly, unless there was something strange with the wiring of the sensor no longer in use, I don’t see anything blatantly obvious in the wiring…because the issue moves no mater which zone you use on the Rachio, I’m leaning towards a failed valve, or a short in the wiring on that zone.
One quick question. Do the colors of the wires matter at all for the zones? If the blue wire was in zone 1 for the Hunter does it have to be in zone 1 for Rachio? Just curious if the color of the wires is important.
