{"id":180,"date":"2021-06-30T19:41:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T19:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wplawinc.com\/?page_id=180"},"modified":"2022-03-02T09:29:24","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T14:29:24","slug":"troubleshooting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wplawinc.com\/resources\/troubleshooting","title":{"rendered":"Troubleshooting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n pumps<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Centrifugal Pump Troubleshooting Check List<\/h3>\r\n \n

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No Water Delivered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Priming - casing and suction pipe not completely filled with liquid.
2    Speed to low.
3    Discharge head too high.
4    Suction lift too high. The suction pipe may be too small or long, causing excessive friction loss.
5    Impeller completely plugged.
6    Intake strainer or suction pipe completely plugged.
7    Wrong direction of rotation.
8    Air pockets in the suction line.
9    Air leaks in the suction line and\/or stuffing box (shaft seal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Enough Water Delivered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Priming - casing and suction pipe not completely filled with liquid.
2    Speed to low.
3    Discharge head higher than anticipated. Check friction loss in piping
4    Suction lift too high. The suction pipe may be too small or long, causing excessive friction loss.
5    Impeller partially plugged.
6    Intake strainer or suction pipe partially plugged.
7    Wrong direction of rotation.
8    Air pockets in the suction line.
9    Air leaks in the suction line and\/or stuffing box (shaft seal).
10    Foot valve is too small.
11    Suction not immersed deep enough.
12    Mechanical defects:
a)    Wear rings worn.
b)    Impeller damaged.
c)    Packing of shaft seal damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Enough Pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Speed to low.
2    Air in water.
3    Wrong impeller diameter.
4    Mechanical defects:
     a)    Wear rings worn.
     b)    Impeller damaged.
     c)    Packing of shaft seal damaged.
5    Wrong direction of rotation.
6    Pressure gauge in the wrong location.
7    Pressure gauge off calibration, broken or stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pump works for a while and then quits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Leaking suction line.
2    Stuffing box packing worn or water seal plugged allowing leakage of air into pump casing.
3    Air pockets in the suction line.
4    Not enough suction head for hot water or volatile liquids.
5    Air or gases in liquid.
6    Suction lift too high.
7    Grass or trash sticking to strainer then floating off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pump takes too much power.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Speed too high.
2    Head lower than rating, pumps too much water.
3    Wrong direction of rotation.
4    Mechanical defects.
     a)    Shaft bent.
    b)    Rotating element binds.
     c)    Stuffing box too tight.
     d)    Wear rings worn.
     e)    Bearings are worn.
     f)    Casing packing defective.
     g)    Pump and drive unit misaligned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pump leaks excessively at the <\/strong>stuffing box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Packing worn or not properly lubricated.
2    Packing incorrectly inserted or not properly run-in.
3    Packing is not the right kind for liquid handling.
4    Shaft scored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pump is noisy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1    Hydraulic noise - cavitation, suction lift too high. Check with vacuum gauge.
2    Mechanical defects.
     a)    Shaft bent.
     b)    Rotating element binds.
     c)    Bearings are worn.
     d)    Pump and drive unit misaligned. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

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\r\n valves<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Valves<\/h3>\r\n \n

When troubleshooting any irrigation component,<\/strong>\u00a0it is best to have a fundamental understanding of how the component operates.\u00a0Electronic solenoid valves are no exception.\u00a0The following is a quick lesson on how electronic solenoid valves operate.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When troubleshooting an electronic solenoid valve, it is important to quickly isolate the problem as either electrical or hydraulic.\u00a0Since electrical problems are more quickly identifiable, you should start here when troubleshooting the valve. There are several easy steps that can be taken by utilizing a volt\/ohm multimeter to accurately determine if the valve is functioning properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electric solenoid valves are powered by 24 volts AC (VAC) from the irrigation controller.\u00a0<\/strong>Whenever the controller turns a valve on, it sends 24 VAC to the solenoid.\u00a0The solenoid is the electronic portion of the valve.\u00a0It is essentially a coil of wires that when energized, become magnetized and lift a small plunger inside the solenoid.\u00a0The solenoid has two wire leads extending from it.\u00a0One of the wires attaches to the \u201chot wire\u201d that receives the 24 VAC from the irrigation controller.\u00a0The other wire attaches to a \u201ccommon wire\u201d that acts as a neutral or return wire.\u00a0The \u201ccommon wire\u201d is run in series and is connected to all the valves in the system, whereas the \u201chot wires\u201d are run from each zone at the irrigation controller to each valve in the field.\u00a0This is how each zone is operated independently from the irrigation controller<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common symptoms of electrical problems are valves failing to turn on.<\/strong>\u00a0If a valve fails to turn on, first check to see if the valve is getting the proper voltage from the irrigation controller.\u00a0To perform this test, you will need a volt\/ohm or multimeter.\u00a0These handy devices will help you diagnose any electrical problem and are mostly electronic these days so you can read the results on a screen.\u00a0Start by turning on the voltmeter and selecting the VAC setting, turn the zone on at the controller and touch one lead to the common terminal (COM) and the other lead to the zone terminal that is in question.\u00a0You should receive a reading in the 24-28VAC range.\u00a0If you do not record any voltage output for the station, then you may have a controller problem.\u00a0If you do record the proper voltage, then the next step will be checking the resistance or ohms of the circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Checking the ohms or resistance of the zone is also referred to as checking for continuity.<\/strong> To do this you will again be using your voltmeter but will need to turn it to the ohms setting.\u00a0Sometimes it is identified as the symbol on the voltmeter (\u03a9) or (~).\u00a0This simple test will let you identify if there is a shorted solenoid or a cut wire going to the valve.\u00a0 In either case, the valve will fail to open when the proper voltage is sent to it from the irrigation controller.\u00a0 You will be able to perform this test at the irrigation controller with your voltmeter.\u00a0First, turn off the controller! NEVER CHECK RESISTANCE THROUGH A LIVE CIRCUIT.\u00a0Place one lead on the common terminal (COM) and one lead on the zone terminal in question.\u00a0You should get a reading from 20-60 \u03a9; every manufacture\u2019s valves will have a slightly different reading.\u00a0Any reading that is lower than the acceptable range is indicative of a shorted solenoid.\u00a0 Conversely, any reading above 60 is indicative of a wiring problem. This usually occurs due to the age of the valve, electrical surge, or cut wire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you get a reading of zero or OL (offline<\/strong>),\u00a0this usually indicates a wire has been cut between the irrigation controller and the valve.\u00a0If you receive the same OL (offline) reading for all the valves, this may indicate the common wire has been cut, since all the valves share this wire.\u00a0Not just cut anywhere by the way, but the common has been cut between the controller and the first valve!\u00a0To make repairs in this situation you may need to run a new common or track down the break with a fault locator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find the solenoid is defective follow these steps to replace it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n