Valve alerts are viewed in the Alerts menu. If you have an alert, you will see a two-letter abbreviation: SH, OC, or NC. A double dash (--) means that there is not an alert for the station you are viewing.
1. To view valve alerts, turn the Main knob to the Alerts menu.
2. Turn the UPPER KNOB until VIEW VALVE STATUS displays.
3. Turn the LOWER KNOB to view the alert.
4. Turn the UPPER KNOB to view any station valve no connects, shorts, or over currents. If an alert exists, it will be displayed on this View Valve Status screen. A double dash -- means there are no valve issues.
5. To see where additional valve alert may have occurred, turn the UPPER KNOB to view subsequent stations.
Types of Valve Alerts
There are three types of valve alerts in the WeatherTRAK ET Pro 2. These are:
- Short (SH)
- Over Current (OC)
- No Connect (NC)
Short (SH)
This type of alert can happen when the current draw for a single valve solenoid has exceeded 3.0 amps. Some of the possible causes:
- A failing solenoid
- A nicked or broken wire exposed to wet soil
When shorts occur, the controller will stop irrigation for the specific valve and raise a Vale Short Alert. If the valve is on the Master Valve all irrigation stops. If it is the pump start valve, irrigation stops unless the program has Pump Start Excluded.
Possible Fixes
1. Disconnect the solenoid from the field wire and conduct an Ohms test to see if the solenoid is defective. If Ohms reading is less than 10 Ohms, replace the solenoid.
2. Use a wire tracker to locate the field wire. Splice and replace.
3. Look for obvious signs of site disruption that could have led to mechanical damage to field wire. Replace the field wire.
To clear a Short (SH)
From the controller:
1. Turn the MAIN KNOB to the ALERTS menu.
2. Turn the UPPER KNOB to view valve status.
3. Press the * button to clear all valve alerts.
Remotely:
1. Go to Manage Controller page in WeatherTRAK.net
2. Select Clear Flow and Electrical Alerts.
Over current (OC)
This type of alert can happen when the current draw for a single valve solenoid has exceeded the station electrical threshold. Some of the possible causes:
- A failing solenoid
- A nicked wire that is being exposed to wet soil
- Two stations bridged into one station output and the current draw I too high
- The Threshold of 1000 milliamps has been exceeded
When an over current occurs, the controller stops irrigation for the specific valve and raises a Valve over current alert on the valve. If the valve is the Master Valve, all irrigation stops. If it is the Pump Start Valve, irrigation stops unless the program has Pump Start Excluded.
Possible Fixes
1. Disconnect the solenoid from the field wire and conduct an Ohms test to see if the solenoid is defective. If Ohms reading is less than 10 Ohms, replace the solenoid.
2. Use a wire tracker to locate the field wire. Splice and replace.
3. Remove one of two bridged stations.
To clear an Over Current (OC)
From the controller:
1. Turn the MAIN KNOB to the ALERTS menu.
2. Turn the UPPER KNOB to view valve status.
3. Press the * button to clear all valve alerts.
Remotely:
1. Go to Manage Controller page in WeatherTRAK.net
2. Select Clear Flow and Electrical alerts.
No Connect (NC)
This type of alert can happen when the current draw for the valve solenoid is below 75 milliamps. When the threshold is not met, an alert will occur. Some of the possible causes:
- The number of Max Active Stations exceeds the number of stations physically connected to the controller
- A ribbon cable between station PCB’s is partially disconnected or station keys are missing
- No field wire is connected to a specific station output
- The field wire terminated in the station output is not making proper contact
- The field wire is broken or there is a corroded or failed splice
When a No Connect occurs, the controller cannot operate this valve and will raise a No Connect Alert on the valve. If the valve is a Normally Closed Master Valve, no irrigation will occur.
Possible Fixes
1. Reduce the number of Max Active stations in the SETUP menu.
2. Re-insert or repair the ribbon cable and verify sufficient station keys.
3. Conduct an Ohms test on a field wire while the solenoid remains disconnected. If Ohms value is higher than 10 Ohms, a field wire or bad splice exists. If Ohms reading on solenoid is greater than 100, replace the solenoid.
To Clear a No Connect (NC)
From the controller:
1. Turn the MAIN KNOB to the ALERTS menu.
2. Turn the UPPER KNOB to view valve status.
3. Press the * button to clear all valve alerts.
Remotely:
1. Go to Manage Controller page in WeatherTRAK.net
2. Select Clear Flow and Electrical Alerts.