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[email protected][_2_] trader4@optonline.net[_2_] is offline
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Default Sprinkler wire question

On May 4, 10:14*pm, DD_BobK wrote:
On May 4, 5:56*pm, Steve Barker wrote:

On 5/4/2012 3:40 PM, genius wrote:

SNIP

it all boils down to how much current do the remote valves require or
pull? *You should be able to find the specs on the mfgr website. *24ga
won't carry much current. *But i can't imagine it needing to be 14.
Most the rainbird installations i've seen have used 18ga or so. *Some
18/8 thermostat cable may do the trick.


--
Steve Barker


+1

I originally wired up my front & back yard sprinker valves using a 14
gage wire.
I had a bunch of nearly used up 500' rolls and wanted to make sure
there was no voltage drop.

The each run was about 35' to controller location......basement, which
was a really dumb idea I had back in 1980.
Some time later I moved the controller to a more sensible location
(back yard patio).

In 2008 I redid some of the sprinkler system and was doing some
crawlspace work as part of the job.
I decided to run the properly sized wire, in the proper way and
settled on 18-8 thermostat cable.

I didn't find 18-8 thermostat cable at Home Depot so I bought it
online.
After the fact I discovered that Home Depot sells burial-able
sprinkler wire in all sorts of flavors.......
but they stock it in the plumbing dept (sprinklers) not in
electrical.....doh!

I installed a run of a cable to each valve manifold (35', 40' &
55').
The valve actuators are Champion CL-100-B's
The solenoid current:
In rush .59 amp
Hold * * .33 amp

I think I calc'd voltage drop at in-rush for the 55' run at about .5
volt (2%)

Everything has been working fine since 2008.

cheers
Bob


Thermostat wire does not have insulation rated for
burial. Sprinkler wire which is readily available at HD,
hardware stores, online, etc does. It's 18 gauge
which is all that's needed for that Orbit sprinkler
system. Whoever put 12 gauge, which could handle
12 amps, in a sprinkler system is a real chowder
head. The thing is powered off a wall wart for God's
sake.