Question
I'm getting a "FUSE" error message on my Richdel 446PR controller.  It happens on every one of the 6 zones that I try.  Can you help?  Thanks!

Answer
Hey Ron, I hope this helps. When the controller gives you a"fuse" message, it means that either the solenoid for this valve is bad, or the field wiring going to the valve is shorting out. If all the valves are giving you this message, I would suspect you might have severed wiring. The controller might also be getting old, and the circuit board might be shorting out. This particular controller has not been manufactured for 10 plus years. The first thing I would try doing, is take the field wire off of the terminal marked #1. Now turn on zone/valve #1, and see if it gives you the same message. If it gives you the "fuse" message, with the wire un-hooked from the #1 terminal, then the problem is probably in the controller, and you need to replace the controller. If it seems to function okay with the wire being un-hooked from zone/valve #1, then you need to check your solenoid on valve #1, or trace the wires out, and see if you have a short in the wire. Likewise, to check your other valves, you can un-hook the wires one at a time from the terminal strip, to determine if the problem is in the controller, or in the valves or wires themselves. Normally not all the solenoids would go out at the same time, that is why it is leading me to believe that the problem is either in the controller, or in your field wiring. Let me know if I can help you anymore, thanks and have a great day.