Electric valve and lightning Cancel The title field is required!

1. Jeffrey Parker

   

   0 posts
   
   5/5/2012 7:05 AM

   Hi all,
   
   I need your help with an ongoing problem I am having at my golf course. When we have a lot of lightning from a thunderstorm, one of my greens turns on and runs all night flooding the green and fairway. All of my greens on my front nine are zone blocked with an electric valve. My irrigation system is Toro OSMAC. Has anybody else had this problem? If anybody has, please give me some suggestions on what to do to solve this problem.

   
   
   
   
2. Brian Powell

   

   0 posts
   
   5/6/2012 8:05 AM

   Have an electrictian check your grounding for the wires and controls leading to the valve. If they do not "meg" 10 ohms or better increase grounding at your controller.
   
   If your in a sandy area and are having difficulty getting to that number install the ground rod under a round valve box. When the ground starts to get very dry, fill it with water which will aid the grounding or assign it to the morning setup guy to do every 10 days during thunderstorm season.
   
   Your power surge is coming from your power supply (the electric company needs to have a peek on their end) or from the controller to the field (valve).
   
   If after all that you still can not get the grounding you need, remove the casing (insulation) from a 14 guage wire and bury it horizontally out in your rough in the top 18" of the ground.
   
   Best of luck.