Question
QUESTION: Hi Jim,
My 12 year old Hardie 12 valve controller is giving me a "short" error message. After reading some of your other suggestions, I'm stumped. I tried disconnecting each of the valve terminals in the controller, one at a time, and I still am getting the "short" message. Could it be the circuit board?  I am running 7 of the 12 valve positions, and have been having some intermittent shut off problems with valve #6; probably a solenoid issue and possibly unrelated to this error message. Thanks.

ANSWER: Hey Dennis, I hope this helps. Are you getting a "short" error message no matter what valve you turn on? If you are, do you have a wire hooked to either the MV (master valve) or pump start terminal? If you could let me know, it would eliminate a lot of work for you. Thanks and let me know.

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QUESTION: Hi Jim,
Thanks for the speedy response. The Hardie controller is called "Total Control." The short error message applies to ALL valves. No wires are hooked up to the MV and there is no "pump start" terminal. Also no fuses. I checked the back of the PC board and there is no visible evidence of a short.
I tried to restart it by putting it into the single station mode and pressing off, but it didn't do anything.

ANSWER: Hey Dennis, thanks for the info. Try this, take out the battery from the panel(if there is one installed) and un-hook the power to the controller for about 1 minute. After 1 minute re-connect the power, but leave the battery out. Now put the dial over to the "manual" "single station" section. Start with valve/zone #1 and turn it on manually. Does it work, or does it give you a "short" message? If it gives you a "short" message, take the wire off of the terminal marked #1, and start over.  Disconnect power, hook power back up, turn on valve/zone #1 again. Does it still give you the "short" message? If it still gives you a "short" message with the wire un-hooked, then the controller is bad. If it doesn't give you a "short" message with the wire un-hooked, then you either have a short in the wires going out to the valve, or the solenoid is shorting out. Dennis, just turn each valve on one at a time, and see which valve/zone gives you a "short" message, and this will be the wire or valve solenoid you will want to repair or replace. I suspect it could be with valve #6. Let me know if I can be of further help or if you have anymore questions. Thanks and have a great day.

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QUESTION: Jim,
I tried as you suggested and it read "short" on the first attempt. Looks like a bad controller. I suspect that there is also a problem with the #6 solenoid, so I guess I'll have to replace the controller and see what happens.
While I'm at it, here is the #6 problem that occurred:
When the time was up for that station, the water continued to run forever!
If unnoticed, it ran for hours.  Only when I shut off the water supply did it stop.  Sometimes upon turning the water supply back on it still ran. I'd shut it off again overnight and it was usually ok in the morning. Sound the the solenoid?
Thanks,
Dennis

Answer
Hey Dennis, Did you take the wire off of terminal #1 when you turned it on manually? If you did and it said "short" then you are correct it is probably the controller. As far as the valve goes, it actually sounds like the diaphram in the valve might be bad, and not the solenoid. I would replace the solenoid first because this is very simple to do, but if the valve(#6) still acts the same way with the new solenoid, then it is probably your diaphram. A good website to show how to replace a solenoid or diaphram is www.irrigationtutorials.com. Good luck and let me know if I can be of further assistance.