You may receive an alert indicating a Start Failure, or you may notice a schedule irrigation failed to track flow in Flow Vision. If so, find the troubleshooting steps below.
Step 1: Make sure all the irrigation scheduling details are correct
View your schedule and verify:
Is the start time of the irrigation correct?
AM vs PM?
Right day?
Correct block assignment?
Step 2: Check that your pump is on and water is flowing
Two common causes of an irrigation failing to start are:
Your pump or VFD is turned off
A manual valve is closed and preventing water from flowing through your system
If your pump is on, all manual valves are open, and your irrigation scheduling details are correct, continue with the steps below.
Step 3: Check the Battery Level
If a smart valve has a battery level below 30%, it won’t open. This is a built-in failsafe to ensure that the valve has enough battery to close at the end of a scheduled irrigation.
Step 4: Check the Spring Tension Nut
The spring tension nut controls downward pressure on the diaphragm via an internal spring, which helps the valve close. If the tension is too high (the spring tension nut is tightened clockwise all the way), then the spring pressure will be too high for the diaphragm to open.
Remove the black cap from the dome using a Lumo Wrench or pliers
The spring tension nut is a black plastic nut secured with a small screw that sits underneath the cap
If the nut is deep into the dome, you’ll need to use the Lumo wrench and turn it counterclockwise to loosen it until the nut sits just below the ridge line. That should relieve the tension enough for the diaphragm to open and close properly.
If the nut is near the top of the dome (within 1/2 inch), then the nut hasn’t been overtightened and is not the cause of the problem. Go to Step 5.
Step 5: Check the actuator in the dome
The actuator is a small electric motor responsible for changing the path of water through the diverter to open or close the valve. If the actuator is malfunctioning, the valve will not open or close.
To test the actuator:
If an irrigation is scheduled to run, cancel it.
Open the valve in Manual Mode
Listen for a click to come from the dome
If you do not hear a click, there may be an issue with the actuator. Replace the dome or contact Lumo Support.
If you do hear a click, but still no water is flowing, replace the dome or contact Lumo Support.
Step 6: Check inlet vs outlet pressure
Diaphragm valves require differential pressure to open and close. To open the valve, the pressure on the inlet side must be greater than the pressure on the outlet side. This greater pressure from the inlet side will then be able to push the diaphragm open once it’s actuated.
Check the manifold pressure upstream and downstream of the smart valve if possible.
The inlet pressure (upstream of the valve) should be greater than 17 PSI
If less than 17 PSI, the valve may not open. If this is the case, you’ll need to find a way to increase the pressure to more than 17 PSI.
The outlet pressure (downstream of the valve) should be less than the inlet pressure