What Is By Pass Switch On Defalco Controller

Nearly whatsoever major maintenance trouble in an irrigation organisation will cause a unusual pressure level or menstruum level in your irrigation organisation. Therefore force per unit area and/or menstruum monitoring is a good way to detect issues. About of the time the response to a aberrant force per unit area or flow level would be to shut down the arrangement, or perhaps to shut downwards the current valve zone and effort another i. Irrigation systems are typically shut downward using what is called a principal valve. A main valve is a single valve located at the water source that can close off all the flow of water into the irrigation organisation. For more than details see my commodity on principal valves. On systems with a pump yous volition probably want to shut off the pump. Sometimes, as with booster pumps, y'all will need to both shut down the pump and shut a master valve.

So what issues might an aberrant pressure or flow indicate? A very low pressure may indicate that perhaps the pump is broken (if you take a pump), an intake screen is clogged, a filter is dirty, a valve failed to open, or a piping has cleaved. Abnormally high pressure could exist the result of a valve not opening when it should, a dirty filter (if the force per unit area is measured upstream of the filter rather than downstream) or some obstruction in the pipes. Low menstruum could indicate a valve failed to open, a filter is dingy, or that a pump isn't working as information technology should. High catamenia could indicate a broken pipe, a broken sprinkler, or a valve that is stuck open. In most cases monitoring either flow or pressure is sufficient as opposed to monitoring both.

How to Monitor Your Irrigation Organization

There are a number of different ways to detect and answer to aberrant pressure or flows. Post-obit are a few or these. If you would like to suggest other methods, delight contact me. I realize this is non an exhaustive listing.

The image below shows the Hunter Pro-C Modular 4 Station Indoor Controller which makes automating your irrigation easy and user-friendly.

An image of the Hunter Pro-C Modular 4 Station Indoor Controller

If yous need to irrigate a larger holding, or crave more than specialty zones, cheque out the Hunter PCC 12 Station Indoor Controller.

Apply a Smart Irrigation Controller that has a Sensor Input and Response Feature:
This is probably the easiest way to add together force per unit area detection and response. It is besides what I consider to exist the preferred method, every bit information technology is reliable and gives you the nearly control. Some high-stop irrigation controllers can use an electronic sensor hooked upward to the mainline pipe to monitor the water in the irrigation system. Some of these controllers use flow sensors, some employ pressure sensors, some can use both types. These controllers with avant-garde features are typically sold as Smart Controllers and are expensive compared to ones typically found on a residential irrigation organisation. Prices for these controllers typically start around $300.00 and go upward into the thousands for ones that handle dozens of stations. Some controllers can increment the number of zones with an irrigation controller expansion module. But and so you get a lot more with them too. They are sold through professional person irrigation supply stores, both online and locally.

WARNING: Be sure the controller will practise exactly what you want Earlier you buy information technology! Not all controllers marketed as "Smart Controllers" have these sensor input features, many merely work with specific types or even models of sensors, and some controllers may non provide the response options you want or need. You need to inquiry the controller carefully. Don't rely on a elementary bank check list of features! "Sensor input" can mean nigh anything, yous need details! I have seen controller feature lists where the unit of measurement sounded fantastic and ultra flexible, only to find after closer examination that the actual response features don't exercise what I need or desire. Read the actual owner'south manual (most controller manufacturer'due south accept them available on their websites) to run into what the true capability of the controller is. Read the sections of the manual on how to hook up the sensor, so in that location volition also be a divide section on how to program the sensor you should look through. Some controllers allow for time delayed responses, some don't. If you lot take a pump y'all will virtually always need a time delay feature to bypass the sensor when the pump is starting upwards. Even those controllers that do allow y'all to add delay times may non allow as much or trivial fourth dimension as you lot need. Information technology is critical that you do as much inquiry every bit possible earlier you go to the expense and endeavour of purchasing, installing and programming the controller.

For example, I accept a Rainmaster Eagle Smart Controller on my own irrigation system, as well as using it on the majority of the commercial systems I pattern. This particular Smart Controller has catamenia sensing capabilities, but it does not have congenital-in force per unit area sensing adequacy. Information technology does take a delayed response allowing delays of 1-6 minutes, but only in one infinitesimal intervals. It will also permit the apply of one additional simple on/off type sensor (about controllers have a excursion for this type of very simple sensors. A simple rain switch is an example of this type of sensor.) It has an audible "chirp" alarm that alerts you that a sensor response has been activated. While this particular controller meets my needs, it certainly volition not run into everyone's. Virtually every major irrigation company makes a Smart Controller, and each has different features and capabilities. Be sure you are using up-to-date resources when checking out models. Smart Controller models are introduced each year, and often the capabilities of existing models alter from year to yr, so it is hard to go on up with them.

When using a controller with a pressure level and/or flow sensor you kickoff by installing the actual sensor on the mainline pipe. The method varies with the brand and model of sensor, near are pretty easily installed. The sensor is wired to a special concluding on the irrigation controller. Typically the wire used must exist a special shielded communications cable, rather than standard irrigation valve wire. Consider installing communications cablevision in PVC conduit to protect information technology, every bit it is very sensitive to even the smallest nicks from shovels, animals earthworks it upward, or rodents chewing on information technology. Most pressure sensors work by sending a reading of the electric current pressure to the controller every few seconds. A typical flow sensor has a small-scale paddle that turns as the water flows through the pipe. Menstruum sensors normally send a signal based on the corporeality of flow, for case they might send a signal each time 5 gallons of water has flowed past the sensor. The controller and then interprets that data from the sensor and responds. In most cases you volition pre-decide what the response will exist when you set upwardly the controller. For example; if you have a arrangement with a pump, you could plan the controller to shut down the irrigation organization if the pressure level was beneath x PSI for more so 2 minutes during the set irrigation menses. The 2 minute qualifier (filibuster) for shut down would allow the pump time to pressurize the system during kickoff upwards and also avoid "false alarms" acquired by brief dips in pressure.

Using a Unproblematic Pressure Switch with a Pump Operated System:
This method is for those with pumps. What I am describing here is for emergency shut off but. I'm assuming you already accept something set to plow on or off the pump during normal irrigation operation. That might exist a standard pressure level tank with a pressure switch to command it. Or you may be using the pump start feature on the irrigation controller to actually first and finish the pump using a 120v relay. The new pressure switch we are talking installing in this case is used only to discover pressures that point a problem and turn off the pump. So if all is hooked upward properly, in the outcome of blockage or no h2o going into the irrigation system the pressure volition drop and the new pressure level switch will shut the pump off.

This method requires that your irrigation system is leak complimentary and can hold pressure level for days between irrigations. If the system is not leak gratuitous see #4 beneath.

1. Make sure you lot have a really good quality spring-loaded check valve on the irrigation mainline piping. The check valve goes someplace after the pump, merely before the pressure level switch. A good quality check valve is needed to go along the water from leaking backwards out of the system through the pump. Typically the self-priming feature of the pump is not good enough by itself to do this, you need a separate cheque valve.

two. You volition demand to use a pressure switch that works backwards from normal ones used for household h2o systems, since y'all want the switch to shut off the pump at low pressure level (standard switches used on household h2o systems turn on the pump at low pressure.) Some switches can be wired to piece of work either way, others can't. Go on in mind that the low end on many common pressure switches in around 25-30 PSI. That might be a fleck higher than you want for a low end shut off, especially if your organisation will be operating at less than 45 PSI. You don't want accidental "false" close offs since the just style to get the system back on will exist to manually first the pump and hold it on until the force per unit area is dorsum above the shut-off level.

3. At that place a problem to exist dealt with. The problem is that valves shut slowly, taking as much as a minute or two to close after the controller tells them to. At the end of the last irrigation cycle a typical controller closes the last valve and immediately shuts off the pump. But information technology takes the valve several seconds up to a minute or 2 to actually close. During this closing menstruation the system will depressurize. With no pressure in the system the pump will not restart for the next irrigation cycle, because the low pressure shut-off switch is detecting low pressure and shutting off the power to the pump. There are two means to deal with this.

A. Y'all can fool the controller into keeping the pump running after the concluding valve circuit has finished watering. Your controller needs to have the capacity for one extra valve on it to practise this, so if you have 10 valves you will need a controller with 11 stations. The last station on your controller needs to not have a valve fastened to it. Programme ane minute of time on that final station. Now the controller thinks information technology is operating one last valve, so it keeps the pump running. That will continue the system pressurized while the final valve closes. If one infinitesimal is not enough time for the final valve to close then add another minute of run time to that terminal empty station.

B. Some controllers have a built in delay feature that keeps the pump running later the concluding valve closes. This feature keeps the pump start circuit energized, which keeps the pump running for a minute or 2 subsequently the final valve is signaled to close. This gives the valve time to close earlier the pump is close off. Some less expensive controllers have this feature. But typically only loftier-end controllers have this characteristic, and so this method isn't very practical. If you lot are going to buy an expensive controller you might as well forget near using a pressure switch and use a Smart Controller and a sensor to close the system down, as described in the first section of this article.

4. Ofttimes a pocket-size leak will crusade the system to depressurize between irrigation runs. This tin can be a major problem. The pump will not start if the pressure is depression, the depression pressure switch is going to shut off the ability to it.

If the leak is very minor yous tin install a pressure tank, just like on a typical house h2o organization. Assuming a modest leak, the tank keeps the system pressurized. But that just works with a very small leak and it tin take a huge pressure tank to supply plenty water to keep the organization pressurized. If your system has a larger leak you will demand to find and repair the leak. If you lot tin can't get the system leak free, y'all will demand to accept a different approach, as described below.

You can use a timer to over-ride the depression force per unit area switch, and let the system to kickoff even with no force per unit area. Y'all will need a "Time Filibuster Relay". The fourth dimension filibuster relay needs to exist the blazon that allows the power to catamenia when energized, so shuts it off after a minute or two of delay. It needs to have an automatic reset. Yous and then install the relay on a bypass wire around the low pressure level switch. That way the pump can start even when the pressure level switch is "off" due to low pressure. You volition need to work with someone knowledgeable when ordering the time delay relay to exist sure you lot get the correct relay, equally they make many different kinds.

Using a Pump Controller with a Sensor:
This is essentially the same method as the Smart Controller method I described earlier. Simply the "smarts" are in the pump controller rather than in the irrigation controller. Some of the newer digital pump controllers (don't get dislocated here, nosotros're talking about a separate pump controller, not the sprinkler controller) are programmable, they are simply a small computer that operates a relay that starts and stops the pump. You hook them up to a pressure sensor, also to the irrigation controller, and to any other sensor you want (wind, rain, temperature, low-cal, flow, you name it.) So you can program them to exercise just nearly anything using that information input. They can turn off the pump if a low pressure occurs for more than x number of seconds, turn off the pump if a loftier pressure occurs for ten number of seconds, plow on the pump at a given time of day, etc. Pretty much any input y'all want can crusade the pump to turn on or off. The capability depends on the make and model of the pump controller. The downside is information technology takes electronics know-how to set up the affair up and someone tech savvy to programme information technology. Typically you hook upwardly a laptop to the pump controller to plan in the logic, then once it is programmed it runs by itself. The laptop just gives you an interface that is easier to work with. I really can't give you much more details beyond that, this type of pump command is beyond my expertise, I only take seen pump system experts use them to practice astonishing things.