Everything You Need to Know About Your Sprinkler Wiring
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Welcome back to The Sprinkler Channel where we learn about all the aspects of sprinkler systems. Check out our other videos as well. Subscribe, Like, Comment and do a little dance too. Ok, ok, getting back on track. This video goes through everything! Starting with figuring out the number of strands of sprinkler wire (yes there are many options) (wires in wires) depending on how many sprinkler stations (and other landscape features) you have and what else you might be planning on doing in the future with your landscape, add-ons, new features, etc. (planning pays off & saves a lot of work and frustration). Then onto how to actually unsheathe the wires the easiest way so you don't damage the sprinkler wires. Then onto how to wire up a sprinkler clock correctly! Yes, all clocks have a little different setup but the principles are the same. In this one we use a Hunter Pro-C clock for demonstration. Follow the same thing for other clocks whether they be Rain Bird or Orbit or whatever else you are dealing with. After we have the sprinkler clock wired on to wiring up the sprinkler valves correctly. Every valve has two wires coming out of the solenoid that controls when it is turned on and turned off. These wires are important that they don't get damaged and they don't get corroded otherwise guess what... it won't work like you expect. Also if you don't wire it correctly it won't work. So.... watch and wire it correctly. You will have the common wire twisted together with one of each of the valve wires (doesn't matter which one). The other one is the specific wire that will determine which station it is. It is easier to switch wires in the clock than in the valve box. So if you want a station or zone to be a different zone or station on the clock just swap out the wires to which terminal it goes to in the clock as seen in this video then test. Watch how I wire up the sprinkler clock so you can easily do it yourself. There is probably plenty more details I could have added but just leave your questions in the comments and I will do my best to get to them. Thanks for watching and hope this answers all the questions your heart might have regarding sprinkler wiring and how to wire up your sprinkler clock and sprinkler valves! Have a great summer!
Outstanding! Very clearly done, and no obnoxious music or useless introductory talk.
RUclips is great because of people like you who are kind enough to post such incredibly valuable content to help those of us who are clueless! THANK YOU SO MUCH Sprinkler Channel!!❤❤❤❤❤
Pro tip: wire your zones alphabetically… black(1) blue (2) brown (3) green(4) red (5) yellow (6). Makes it’s easy to remember in the field and also for the professional that has to come fix problems in the future.
Smart
Does one red wire from each valve connect to the same common wire? We have multiple valves in different areas of the property. Do we split the common wire?
@@jenniferkeraghan3543one of the red wires connect to the one white common wire. White is common, meaning one wire from each sprinkler must conncect to it. The second red wire connects to your zone wire.
@jenniferkeraghan3543 I believe you add a common wire between each solenoid that'd make them all hook back to the common wire off one.
@@jenniferkeraghan3543 Correct. One wire from each solenoid connects to the one common wire back to the box. If you have four zones, then there would be four wires connected to the white wire. Twist them together with one waterproof wire nut -- don't split anything.
Excellent! Clear and like mentioned before no disturbing music or useless intro. Thanks!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to explain irrigation wiring so clearly and professionally. This was enjoyable and educational so it is much appreciated. And thanks for no background music.
Thank you for taking your time in explaining this irrigation wiring clear and precise with no obstructions.
The discussion here was literally perfect and not annoying w no lame music all right to the point
Thank you so much. You helped me figure out something that would have cost me god knows how much.
Excellent!
A life saver for me.
I had no clue, how to reconnect 2 sprinkler valves, I had to replace, after mixing up the wire connections, during the old sprinkler valve removal.
Thank you, very much! 😊😊
Very clear instructions. I'll be making my own repairs to wiring that I unintentionally cut while digging up a damaged sprinkler.
I agree. Outstanding. This video was exactly what I was looking for save the fact that I have a Redbird but that is even better because his comments were applicable as he said to any model. He made his talk on a level that was easy for me to understand, but certainly not boring. The horsehair at the beginning was great to know as well. Terrific video. I have it bookmarked for future use as well. Thank you for this one! Loved it.
Man, you are very clear and easy to follow.Thank you so much for your help.
Very helpful for a non-electrician. I am trying to fix an existing system and your explanation on wiring was helpful
Great intructional video on how to properly set up wiring for spriklers. Awesome job in explaining for DIY
Good video very instructional and super easy to understand. You touched on everything everyone should know. Ty
Thank you very much, this video the way you explained everything was perfect. I wish all the videos I go to could be so basic and easy.
Cheers Sir
Thank you for this easy to understand explanation! My husband was out of town. And I needed to troubleshoot a valve issue myself. You helped tremendously!
Thank you for this excellent instruction video! You are very thorough on how you present this solid instructions which shows that you have excellent professional knowledge in the field! Thanks again and God Bless you!
Thanks immensely for this video! I am working on an old RainBird System, about 10 years old!! This is a great starting point.
Thank you so very much for putting this video out. Very helpful. Thanks
Great explanation. This is what a RUclips video should look like. 👍
If there's ever a must watch video, this is it lol! Thanks I learned how to rewire my new valve install.
Very well demonstrated and explained, thank you so much. Changing out my timer and looks like previous owner used extension cord wires.
Thank You for the help. I am a hvac contractor curious how my sprinkler system works. Pretty simple.
awesome explanation for the lay person - well done..!
Thank you for your easy to understand explanation. Excellent video!!
Excellent video! The instructions included with the Rainbird CP100 were probably correct, but the layman usually needs a little more help than a confusing schematic. Thanks again for making this video.
Your video was very helpful to a newbie like me. Much appreciated.
Thanks for this! Nice and clear presentation. I'm a newbie, and this makes perfect sense.
Thank you so much for this explanation, I was doing some yard work that required for me to open and move a boy the sprinklers box on the ground has 2 valves for my 2 zones and whoever installed this was a lazy careless person, what a mess and no caps for the connections, when I pulled the cables I pulled one off and not sure where it was, so I ended up connecting to the wrong place as I run one zone and 2 work at the same time. I will go back and fix. Again, thanks, very through with your explanation!!!
Subscribed & liked, very helpful information. Thank you
Excellent Job and explanation!!! I'm ready to change my broken valves.
Thanks!
Thank you so much Sean for the Super Thanks! Your donation will go to helping make more of these videos that will in-turn help many others.
straight to the point! excellent!!!
Easy to follow. Nicely done.
To the point! Great video presentation and Thank you.
Thank you so much for this complete Tutorial video.!! It is perfect
Really great job, excellent video!
Excellent video, explained perfectly
Thank you
Excellent presentation, thank you.
Man you explained it real good thank you I feel like its simple I use to see all the different colors and thought it was a lot of wiring thank u again
Just what I needed for seeing how to strip the outer sheathing. Thanks.
Thanks for teaching us 🙏!!!!
Thank you very much. This video helped me sort a already I stalled system.
Great informational video! Thanks!
Thanks for the clear info. Question: how long of a run can I make from my valve box to my clock?
18AWG should go up to 850 ft
@@thesprinklerchannel thank you!
Excellent. Just excellent. Many thanks!
Euan Reakky good explanation and simple to follow. Managed to fix my electrical problem myself and I'm not young.
Awesome!
Excellent information
Excellent Instructions very helpful video.
Just about to do my sprinkler wire. Thank you!
We’ll worth the time. Thank you
excellent explanation......
Thank you for this video! It is simple and easy to follow! I have one question, the other wire that comes from the box, where does it connect to?
I’m guessing when you say “other wire” you are meaning the white common wire that does to each of the valves. If so, this wire gets connected to the terminal title “c”. It’s crucial to have any and all valves working. Let me know if this isn’t what you meant.
@@thesprinklerchannel I think what they were asking about the multi-strand sprinkler wire on the lefthand side of the valve control box. The one with three strands connected to "Ground, AC1, AC2." Guessing that connects to a 3-prong power plug or a hardwire connection to power.
Similar question on a system I inherited: I have 3 of those multi-strand wires coming from my valve control box(?!). I'm thinking my electrician rewired the valve control box and just left the old wire connected too. Been having issues with multiple zones going on at once and I think it might be cross wired from the old/new connection. There should just be a multi-strand going to power and a multi-strand going to the valves, correct?
Did I explain that well or does it sound like gibberish? Haha. Thanks for your video, very helpful.
Good instructions...Thanks
I would add to use more strands then just zones + 1 . common. As over time a wire can get shorted out and it is so much easier to just rewire zone to a spare then to have to run a new wire . We typicaly run 2 spares per wire run . So if we need a 4 wire from furthest zone box to next valve box we will run a 6 wire
Thanks for this great suggestion.
Thank you so much, very clear.
Great explanation thank you 🙏
Thank you! thank you! thank youuuu! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Thank you for also explaining the different wire knots bc I bought the wrong ones lol 😅
bro is saving lives
Thanks for the video.
great explanation!
Great video. I have one problem though. I have a total of seven zones. One on side of the house the ither on the other side. I replaced three valves on one side. I got two of them to work manually and from the sprinkler box. The third will turn on manually, but will not turn on at the sprinkler box. I have gone through every wire to see if it will work, nothing. Ive connected it to the common wire and the other wire from the solenoid to the correct corresponding color in the sprinkler box too. Still not working. Plus, the other four on the opposite side of my house do not turn on from the sprinkler box. Sorry, long question, but i appreciate any guidance.
Make sure the common wire is continuous from clock to both boxes. Then test with multimeter or if water is off you can just look at bottom of solenoid when uninstalled and you will see it retract when power goes to that zone if (1) clock is working correctly (2) no breaks in wiring -open fault- and (3) if they are wired up correctly and (4) solenoid is good.
@thesprinklerchannel Thank you for your time!
Thanks so much for this video
Hi, thanks for the tutorial 👍 this is great if all your valves are in the one put. If you don’t answering this, what is the best way to wire up the common wire if you have valve pits that are 20 meters apart and I want you to run these valves from the same controller? Really appreciate any help. Thanks again!
Run line either valve box to valve box and back to controller using same common wire. Or you can run two separate ones if easier then just put two commons wires in the c terminal at controller.
@@thesprinklerchannel Brilliant, sounds good. I may need to jam six common cables from the six valves which are located at different locations into the common on the controller. Hope they fit!
If you want to wire two different valves that are say 10' apart do you have to run a separate wire or is there a way to continue on the same wire from the first valve to the second?
Can use same wire if enough strands to have unique/different wires for each zone. Just continue common wire via wire nut.
Well explained easy to understand thanks
Excellent. Thank you!
this was awesome. Thanks so much. I have an older system that - in addition to the large, 8-stranded wire -- has an additional red and white wire running separately. Any idea what that extra red and white wire is for?
Perhaps needed more wires for more valves or water feature or maybe even some lighting. If you have more than 7 valves / stations / zones then prob for the additional valves.
Excellent video. One question. Does the common wire also get connected to the other zones? Thanks!
Yes they do
Great vid. 1 question.
You have hooked the common wire to the valve. So now that wire is taken up. How do you connect the second station to common if common wire has already been used?
Take one wire from each valve in the valve box with tip stripped and take the common one in same condition (if continues onto another box then take both ends of the cut common wire running in and out of box and wire nut them all together - big enough silicon wire nut. That is how you have the common connected to each valve but continue onto other valve boxes and back to clock. Hope this makes sense
Super clear explanation. Thank you.
Nice video!!! Do you think bulb grease could coat the wires and then use standard wire nuts?
Sounds like it could work. Definitely better than not doing it.
Great Video!
Can we use any wire from solenoid (as it has 2 same black wires) as common wire or only 1 will work
Correct either solenoid with work for common
@@thesprinklerchannel cool thanks for the reply 😊👍
VERY Nice !!! What do you use to connect the COMMON wire across the 4 valves since they share one WHITE wire coming from the controller ? Pigtail ? How do you make it waterproof ? Thanks.
Larger silicon wire nut
Thank so much for this video. One point is not clear to me. That is one cable from the timer going to the valves. You connected the yellow and white to first station. How the other stations will be connected the white one (common wire)? Will you extend a coonection from white wire for station one to the other stations? Thank you
white wire should not go to station 1 but to the terminal on the clock that has a "c" above for common. Then that wires is wired to one of the wires from each station - ex: 4 valves in the box, 4 wires plus the white wire (possibly two ends of white wire if common continues onto the next valve box) would get wire-nutted together. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much👍
What do you do with the remaining wires that you don’t need on the solenoid end. Tape it with electrical tape or leave open?
Electrical Tape or wire nut if exported loose ends or simply fold back to let me know unused wire strands.
Thanks needed to know about this one
Ok if you have 8 valve then you need an additional wire? Correct? You will then have two more wires that are the same color, correct? The other wires will be capped off . Do you need to addd the white common wire from the second wire bunch to the common connection?
8 valves = 8+1 for common wire, so would want at least a 9 strand
Splice one from each valve in a valve box together with white wires since you’ll cut it to make the splice (white coming into wire nut, white going out to next valve box if needed)
@@thesprinklerchannel what if I already have two sets of wires already? I won’t need to splice will I?
I
This was great! Thank you for posting. I have two questions: 1) does it matter which of the two valve wires you use for each common and zone? And 2) if you have two boxes, what do you do with the 'extra' wire you're not running to the farther box? I get that I'd cut the wire shorter that I would use on the closer box, but then do I remove those bits to not run it to the farther box? Not sure if I'm explaining that well.
In reverse order, after the wires are cut / used for first box the rest of the way they are useless, make sure your white common wire continues onto all boxes. Alternatively you could run two set of wires so you don’t waste wire or you could run 9 strand to first box, wire up 4 valves, then run 5 strand wire (splice into unused wires, ideally match colors up onto next box to wire up another 4 valves, all common wires need to be connected together in all options.
No it does not matter which of the two valve wires go yo common or color.
Tyu sir ! A great explanation!!
does a new wiring line need to be ran off of each manifold or do you just run one line to all of them? When connecting multiple manifolds. What gauge are you using?
You can do either. Can’t remember what gauge it is but regular low voltage sprinkler wire.
thank you. great help. but what about the first screw for the main valve? I noticed mine uses it but not sure the purpose or if it's correct.
There is a few other videos on the channel perhaps addressing your question. Here is one of them. Hope they help and if they don’t let us know what specifically you are looking to understand and we’ll try to help.
Thanks you for teaching me I would like to know more
Check out all our videos on the channel, lots more!
Really excellent instructional video! My Toro box is already wired but I have one separate zone (zone 3) going to only 2 flower pots. Do you know whether I can rearrange the wires to combine zones 2 and 3? Can I just combine the zone 2 wire and the zone 3 wire on the same terminal, or is that not advisable? Thank you!!
Great tip on the horsehair, by the way. Never knew that. 🙂
Glad this helped. I think the answer is not advisable. Not sure if there would be enough voltage to open both solenoids at the same time. I am curious to know if it would work though. As for water, as long as there is enough water flow for both zones, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Yes
Excellent job. Just tell me in my wiring box common is white, but on for example station 4 valve the wires inside are black and red. How do I test which one is common?
Common wire will be on the common terminal at clock usually with a “c” above it and in the valve box will be the one going to each of the valves. Did that answer your question?
Very helpful. Thank You!
Thanks for the video! I have a question: I have two different 6 zone sprinkler systems and each operate off of its own Rainbird timer/system. I want to get one of the newer ones that can do 12 zones. I am seeing here how to wire things BUT what about the common wire. Should I take both of my wiring looms and tie the two white commons together and put it into the new controller? Can you do that?
Correct 👍🏼
@@thesprinklerchannel thanks!
So when I turn valve on at station, all sprinklers come on fine. But on my Main Rainbird system, it shows no sprinklers in that zone. Does this sound like bad wiring at the station or at the Main Rainbird system in garage?
I’d check corrosion on wirings in box and then at the clock.
Occasional a really old clock might give up the ghost 💀
Very clearly bro thanks
Did you say the white common wire needs to return to the irrigation controller? Does it go in the same port it came out of or how does that work? The pamphlet on my timer didn't mention that.
White wire will go from each valve (one wire from each valve connected to it) then back to controller connected at the terminal labeled C - meaning common.
One of my zones is not working and i changed the solenoid. Any video about how to troubleshoot shoot it?
Meaning it’s not turning on? What is exactly happening or not happening? Most common issues is typically corrosion on wires where they are wire-nutted together in valve box. But there’s a lot of different scenarios or culprits. Nothing that comprehensive yet.
@@thesprinklerchannel yes the zone is not turning on.
When you connect the valve, does it matter which strand connects to the common and the specific zone? Not sure if these solenoids are polarity sensitive
Does not matter which of the solenoid wires go to zone wire vs common wire.
If all my valves are in the basement do I need any outside wiring?
Only wiring is from controller to valves
Does it matter which wire goes to the on/off wires of the solenoid valve? It sounds like it doesn't matter from the video.
Correct, does NOT matter.
Hey mate what if I have different valve stations around the yard
12 all up 3 solarnoid In each of the 4 areas.
How do I run separate wires to different locations? or do I strip the sheeth and run the colours around using the same wire.
Thanks
s 16 AWG "marine wire" good for sprinklers? Wasn't sure if all 16 AWG wire are created equal. Thank you!
I cannot confirm, not familiar with that wire sorry
How does the white common wire work if your adding another valve box in a different location for extra zones?
White common goes to each valve box. Cut it (only white wire) then rejoin it / wire nut together with one from each valve to continue on until last box
With the extra unused wires, do you just cap them off?
Typically not, just bend them back and twist around the black sheathing so I know which ones are being used (or that might be available for future uses)