Question
QUESTION: In 1983 we had a Toro sprinkler system put in our yard.  It has worked great for years until about a month ago, zone 3 will not come on.  We have already replaced our pump as the well people told us it was froze up, we also have replaced the solenoid on zone three and still won't come on.  The valve is a Toro 1" electric and from looking at the picture supplied with our system it is a male thread valve. We also have replaced the breaker in the electrical box as it keep breaking off.  Any suggestions on what else to do or do we need an irrigation contractor to come over.  Help and thank you Tom

ANSWER: Hey Thomas, more than likely, the diaphram in the valve has gone bad, and needs to be replaced. It is a fairly easy job, basically you will take the screws off the top of the valve, and you can access the diaphram. A good website is www.irrigationtutorials.com this will show you how to replace a diaphram. Good luck and have a great day.

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QUESTION: Thank you for the answer, however we made a 27 volt out of 3 9 volt batteries and tested the valve, it works on the battery. it will not work by turning on zone 3.  could it be our controller or something in the relay box or a bad wire underground?

Answer
Hey Thomas, the first thing to check would be the controller. In the back of the unit you will notice a terminal strip. When you turn on zone #3, check your voltage with a volt/ohm meter and touch the negative  lead to the strip marked C (common) and the positive lead to the terminal strip marked #3 (for valve #3). If you are getting between 22 to 26 volts, then the problem is not in the controller, it is in either the wire running to the valve, or the connections at the controller or at the solenoid. If your not getting a reading at the terminal strip, the the problem is with the controller, and it might need to be replaced. Good luck and have a great day.