Master pump control software bug
When using the delay feature between zone times, the master pump is NOT turning off during the delay even though the pump settings are set to 00:00 for both before and after each cycle/program.
I originally thought it was just a software display glitch when I saw "Master Valve Open" during the delay, but I went outside to the pump and it was running. Essentially, if you have a delay of 20 minutes between zones (which I do), and you have 9 zones (each running for 5 minutes), 1. The pump doesn't shut off for almost 4 hours, and 2. For most of that time its trying to pump into a closed line, potentially causing future line issues.
Can you please address ASAP?
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I'm not sure what post are you referring. The delay between zones was designed to allow tank filling/pressure building between zones, the pre/post Master Valve setting is to fill before and after a program/cycle run. I'm not sure about the duplicate setting. I'm not sure, at this moment, how can we satisfy both cases with an easy to understand setting.
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We have 4 requests logged for Master Valve being linked to zone settings. Since it's a pretty low requested feature is not in the priority list, at least for the next 2 updates.
We have discussed this, and there are multiple benefits on having master valve setting on a per zone configuration but on the other hand the UI team thinks that this will confuse users and make it prone to errors. So it's more a UI thing now to get it passed to development list than other reasons.
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Hi Nicholas,
Thank You for the response.
To avoid confusion on the UI, you can create a new working mode: Indexing Valve. When this is selected in the zone settings, the UI will enable the functionality to link the Master Valve/Pump with the zones.
This way the product will have 3 working modes :
1) Default ( Zone 1 )
2) Pump ( Master Valve )
3) Index Valve ( NEW!!!)
Using this approach, the product will be more attractive to additional users, specially here in Florida, where you have most of the lawn sprinklers systems based on Index Valves than Solenoid Valves. You probably don't have this functionality in demand because today who has a system based on Index Valve will not buy the Rain Machine. If you take a look on Rachio 3, you will see they support the Index Valves mode and pause the pump during the zone delay.
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Hello, Consider this another request for adding a button to delay the Pump/Master Valve when a delay between zones is enabled. You can default it to leave the pump on between for those with tanks to fill, but there are quite a few systems that I have put in that could use this feature. I have put booster pumps on some home systems that should not run during a delay. Also, valves often get stuck when constant pressure is applied to them and then you get two zones running with low pressure and brown spots in the customer's lawn.
Thus, to decrease any confusion, add a button to deactivate the pump/master valve during delay should be all that's needed.
Thank You.
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I want to express my strong interest in a feature that would turn off the Master Valve before each Zone opens, or otherwise have a provision that would allow for using an index control valve. Creating a program for each zone is very cumbersome for such a sophisticated unit. I am in Florida, where index control valves are quite common.
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My rain machine stopped cycling between zones over the last month or so, possibly due to an automatic update?
I too live in Florida and have an old sprinkler system. There are 4 zones that can only cycle based on the master value shutting off for at least 5~ seconds, then back on.
i've tried nearly every combination of settings for "delay between zones" and "master pump delay" but nothing happens, the controller thinks its cycling to the next zone but the water flow never stops and it just drenches one zone for the full program.
@Nicholas- you say having a master valve delay between zones might " confuse the users" in the UI, but how about having a sprinkler system that is totally screwed up instead...
i tried creating individual programs per zone, but that doesn't seem to work either.
How do i fix this?
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I had issue last month where the master valve didn't stop at the end of my 3 cycles, breaking my sprinkler line. The line broke just above the pump connection. At the end of the third zone cycle, the rainmachine closed the zone valve, but kept the well pump working. My cycle starts at 5AM and I just notice the damage hours after. Is there any double check in the software to avoid this happen ? ( If the last zone valve is closed it must turn off the master valve, and recheck the status some seconds later to make sure the master valve is off )
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