Hi, we've been setting up our Watermate pro system and the firmware was updated last week. However, when we water zone 1, either by the control panel on my phone, or by the button on the control box, zone 2 is also watered. We can't get zone 1 to work on its own. When we water zone 2 by the same methods, then it does work independently to zone 1. Help would be appreciated, thank you.
Hi John
That could either be incorrect wiring on the valves, or potentially one valve leaking through into the other. Could you possibly send a photo of the wiring on the valves?
Chris
Hi JohnMcT
You could try carefully removing one of the push on terminals ( Not the red ) on one valve then try watering, only the connected side should water, replace it, then remove one terminal of the other valve ( Not the red ) and try watering, again only the connected side should water.
if both sides still water it might be the valves or a pipework issue?
Sorry, I've not been able to remove either of the push on terminals. I did note however, that the top value in the photo which is zone 2, is very hot to the touch, whilst the bottom valve is cold. Might that be a factor?
Hi JohnMcT
Looking at your photo the wires might be soldered on with heat shrink over, hence you can’t remove them, as for the hot valve coil I don’t know, but to me if you are only watering a short time I wouldn't have thought it should get that hot, is your battery holding okay or draining quickly? just wondered if the hot coil on the valve is energised all the time.
We're using mains power and the battery does feel very slightly warm to the touch. The valve is however very hot - you can only touch it for a couple of seconds it's that hot. We only watered for 30 secs this morning so it does seem like the valve is energised all the time, which isn't good.
Hi JohnMcT
Try turning off both watering zones to see if the hot valve coil cools down, it sounds like zone 2 is permanently on so when you select zone 2 the pump starts and supply water to zone 2 and when you try zone 1 the pump starts & zone 1 valve open with zone 2 also open you get both zones watered,
Do your mains control unit have heater & lights option?
I turned off both watering zones and it hasn't made any difference, the valve is still really hot. I therefore assume that the valve unit is faulty and needs replacing.
We only received our Watermate pro kit last week and when we first installed it, the control unit had firmware that related to a Sprout greenhouse and therefore showed heater and light options, but we couldn't get it to water. After a firmware update, we now just have the watering options.
Hi JohnMcT
I wouldn't say the valve is faulty, when the watering zones are turned off there shouldn't be any power going to the valves, hence they should both be cold, Zone 2 is getting power from somewhere and it shouldn't be, this also appears to be constant supply, if everytime you touch it, its hot.
How many sockets are there on your control unit?
When you log in to the control unit ( like when you set the wifi etc ) see if there are port settings, or take a screen shot with your phone.
Hi JohnMcT
You could check the Aux 1, 2 & 3 settings,
Mine read,
Aux 1 use output "Pump zone 1"
Aux 2 use output "Pump zone 2"
Aux 3 use output 3
Regards Paul
Hi Paul
We have 3 auxiliary sockets with nothing plugged into them. The temperature probe is plugged into its socket on the right.
I've attached screenshots of Aux 1,2 &3 settings which we haven't altered at all.
Hi JohnMcT
Thanks for the screen shots, ( not really what I was expecting to see ) they look more like the ones from the web App, I was hoping you were going to be able to log in the control unit itself by using the wake button and the 192.168.4.1 ( you have to be near to the control unit to do this ) I have upload a copy from my control as an example, my gut feeling it is a software setting wrong or a faulty control unit, might be a firmware issue, but as it was updated recently I dont think so, drawn more to the settings ( but could be wrong )
Regards Paul
Hi JohnMcT
On the first photo with Zone 1, 2, Aux 1, Aux 2, Aux 3 just click on the aux buttons and compare to my example.
On one of the photos yesterday it says turn on below 35°, just wondering if you changed them all to turn on above 50° or 60° as it should never reach that temperature to see if that might de-energize that zone 2 circuit.
I still can't work out why the zone 2 solenoid coil is energized all the time making that coil hot, where’s the power coming from?
This might be one for Chris T at Harvst.
Regards Paul
I think it's a hardware problem in the control unit, could you possibly send it to us at
Harvt, Teifi Warehouse, Cardigan, SA43 1DF and I will look at it for you?
Chris
That could either be incorrect wiring on the valves, or potentially one valve leaking through into the other. Could you possibly send a photo of the wiring on the valves?
Chris
You could try carefully removing one of the push on terminals ( Not the red ) on one valve then try watering, only the connected side should water, replace it, then remove one terminal of the other valve ( Not the red ) and try watering, again only the connected side should water.
if both sides still water it might be the valves or a pipework issue?
Regards Paul
Sorry, I've not been able to remove either of the push on terminals. I did note however, that the top value in the photo which is zone 2, is very hot to the touch, whilst the bottom valve is cold. Might that be a factor?
Regards
John
Looking at your photo the wires might be soldered on with heat shrink over, hence you can’t remove them, as for the hot valve coil I don’t know, but to me if you are only watering a short time I wouldn't have thought it should get that hot, is your battery holding okay or draining quickly? just wondered if the hot coil on the valve is energised all the time.
Regards Paul
We're using mains power and the battery does feel very slightly warm to the touch. The valve is however very hot - you can only touch it for a couple of seconds it's that hot. We only watered for 30 secs this morning so it does seem like the valve is energised all the time, which isn't good.
Regards
John
Try turning off both watering zones to see if the hot valve coil cools down, it sounds like zone 2 is permanently on so when you select zone 2 the pump starts and supply water to zone 2 and when you try zone 1 the pump starts & zone 1 valve open with zone 2 also open you get both zones watered,
Do your mains control unit have heater & lights option?
Regards Paul
I turned off both watering zones and it hasn't made any difference, the valve is still really hot. I therefore assume that the valve unit is faulty and needs replacing.
We only received our Watermate pro kit last week and when we first installed it, the control unit had firmware that related to a Sprout greenhouse and therefore showed heater and light options, but we couldn't get it to water. After a firmware update, we now just have the watering options.
Regards
John
I wouldn't say the valve is faulty, when the watering zones are turned off there shouldn't be any power going to the valves, hence they should both be cold, Zone 2 is getting power from somewhere and it shouldn't be, this also appears to be constant supply, if everytime you touch it, its hot.
How many sockets are there on your control unit?
When you log in to the control unit ( like when you set the wifi etc ) see if there are port settings, or take a screen shot with your phone.
Regards Paul
You could check the Aux 1, 2 & 3 settings,
Mine read,
Aux 1 use output "Pump zone 1"
Aux 2 use output "Pump zone 2"
Aux 3 use output 3
Regards Paul
We have 3 auxiliary sockets with nothing plugged into them. The temperature probe is plugged into its socket on the right.
I've attached screenshots of Aux 1,2 &3 settings which we haven't altered at all.
Regards
John
Thanks for the screen shots, ( not really what I was expecting to see ) they look more like the ones from the web App, I was hoping you were going to be able to log in the control unit itself by using the wake button and the 192.168.4.1 ( you have to be near to the control unit to do this ) I have upload a copy from my control as an example, my gut feeling it is a software setting wrong or a faulty control unit, might be a firmware issue, but as it was updated recently I dont think so, drawn more to the settings ( but could be wrong )
Regards Paul
Do you have any other options on the magenta circled area instead of temperature 1.
Regards Paul
Our control panel on the phone doesn't look like that. I've attached copies for you to see.
Regards
John
On the first photo with Zone 1, 2, Aux 1, Aux 2, Aux 3 just click on the aux buttons and compare to my example.
On one of the photos yesterday it says turn on below 35°, just wondering if you changed them all to turn on above 50° or 60° as it should never reach that temperature to see if that might de-energize that zone 2 circuit.
I still can't work out why the zone 2 solenoid coil is energized all the time making that coil hot, where’s the power coming from?
This might be one for Chris T at Harvst.
Regards Paul
Harvt, Teifi Warehouse, Cardigan, SA43 1DF and I will look at it for you?
Chris