Question
Hi Jim,

I just replaced the diaphragm and solenoid on zone 2 of my system because of a low flow of water from the sprinkler heads. Now, nothing comes on either manually or by program in any of my 4 zones. If I loosen the bleed screw, then the sprinklers come on but the water also sprays out from the screw. When I tighten the screw back up the sprinkler stops. This method works for all 4 zones. I'm not sure what's going on.

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hey Derek, the screw you are referring to is a manual bleed screw on the valve. This is designed to be able to turn the valve on in case the controller is not working. The first thing you need to check, is your controller. Turn on a station (lets say #1), and with a volt/ohm meter, touch the negative lead to the terminal marked C (common) and the positive lead to the terminal marked 1. You should have between 22 to 26 volts, if you do not have a good reading, then the controller is bad and you need to replace it. If you are getting the right voltage at the controller, then you need to take the volt/ohm meter to the wires out at the valves, and check your voltage at the valves. If you are not getting the proper voltage at the valve wires, then the wire is damaged and you need to replace or repair the wires. If you are getting the proper voltage, make sure the wires are hooked up properly to the valve solenoids, one to the common wire, and one to the hot wire. If you have voltage to the solenoids, and the solenoids are hooked up properly, and valve still does not operate, then either the diaphragm was put in wrong, or the diaphragm is faulty. Re- install or replace the diaphragm. Good luck and have a great day.