toro

[Kathryn]

has anyone got any ideas on why a toro TMC-212 might be holding a program for say a few weeks and then losing it? i've got to check it tomorrow as it's stopped working again . the dials all read ok. theres nothing in the manual troubleshooting page covering this. all the stations run on maual so it cant be the solenoids. maybe the controller is just knackered?

[DavidS]

You may have to delete all programs and reprogram. I have had to do this on a Hunter unit, could not get it to keep programs. I deleted all programs turned it off for 24 hrs and then reprogrammed the lot back in, this worked as the controller has not played up since.

[courty]

Stripes....... where are you Stripes

[Stripes]

Stripes....... where are you Stripes

Didnt see this earlier!

Not sure if it has a non volatile memory or not. Does the controller have a back up battery? The backup battery will store the program if there is a blackout. If it is losing the program it is either the backup battery is flat or non existent so it loses the program, or the transformer is playing up or has loose connections. If you put a new battery in it and it still plays up, I would put a new one in.

How many stations is it? I'm not a big fan of Toro controllers btw. Bit of a pita to program and run manually.

Edit:
I just read the manual. It has a non volatile memory and should store the program. Try clearing it-scroll down to page 36 for how to do it. If it doesn't work I would put a new one in.
http://www.toro.com.au/files//TMC-212_user_eng.pdf

[Kathryn]

stripes you are a bloody legend. not only for the advice ( which we will have to see if it works) but for putting the link to the manual on here too. i had been silly yesterday morning and left my printed copy at home. i read you message on my smart phone at this clients house and was about to drive back and and get it when i saw the link.

memory was cleared and then i reset the programme. pinkies crossed this works.

you should branch out to covering this area. the mob from toowoomba that put in this system were total cowboys. hunter pop ups with their heads above the lawn height, no pipe around them either.

[Stripes]

stripes you are a bloody legend. not only for the advice ( which we will have to see if it works) but for putting the link to the manual on here too. i had been silly yesterday morning and left my printed copy at home. i read you message on my smart phone at this clients house and was about to drive back and and get it when i saw the link.

memory was cleared and then i reset the programme. pinkies crossed this works.

you should branch out to covering this area. the mob from toowoomba that put in this system were total cowboys. hunter pop ups with their heads above the lawn height, no pipe around them either.

No Probs Kathryn.

Sounds like a dodgy system in general, but Chinchilla is a little too far for me to go to from Sydney! I come across heaps of dodgy systems in my travels. It amazes me what some people get away with.

Let me know how it goes and I can let you know which controller is best suited if it needs replacing. Feel free to call me if need be.

[Kathryn]

Cheers stripes. I could be taking you up on that. Ive possibly got a few medium sized jobs coming up. Ive done bigger ones but as the labourer not the organiser.. Ill let you know how this controller goes. Ta muchly

[courty]

Bry
Thanks for the help this morning with the Hunter system mate. To me thats a big part of what this place is about,helping each other out when we can.

Sorry for the Hijack Kathryn.

[Stripes]

No Worries Courty. Sorry for not knowing who it was at first haha. Some random at my supplier was talking to me and when the phone rang I said I'll just grab this but he kept talking so I was only half listening!

Any time you need to know something just buzz me.

[Kathryn]

Hijack away courty:welcome

[DavidS]

Just a quick comment, most of the Irrigation operation manuals are available from the manufacturer via PDF Document, so once you know the controller make and model just go to website and search for the correct manual and download and print or just print the pages you need and off you go. It always looks good if you know what you are doing and have a manual to boot, I get heaps of programming work this way.

[topnug]

Sorry to hijack as well, but cowboys??? woa i think i found their masterpiece today!!!

Control box - all stations in yellow!
master valve - twisted wires
one station 9 yes 9 joins over a span of 10m with 3 different guages of wire and all yup you guessed it - just twisted
all wiring fromt the 2 solonoids i could actually finde were individual wires just loosely placed less than 5cm below the surface of the soil, no insulation no taping under piping
oh speaking of piping going from PVC to 19mm PE!

the list goes on and on and on.........

topnug - master of taking on jobs i should run from!

[Kathryn]

There some bigtime irrigation cowboys out there. Im fixing up a heap of lawn sprinklers on friday. Hunter pop ups just plonked in the lawn too high with no pipearound them. What the mower hasnt killed is blocked with dirt.

[Stripes]

There are some dodgy systems out there and it blows me away what people get away with.
Kathryn do the high sprinklers have swing arms on them? That is 3 elbows and a 150mm or 200mm riser so you can drop the height of the sprinkler down without having to drop the whole pipe down. That is one of the most common things missing from dodgy systems that ****s me to tears.

[Kathryn]

no. they are hunter popups. if someone had used 3/4inch t's rather than 1/2" ts with a reducer to get to 3/4" i would nt be not looking forward to digging a lot of holes next week and replacing the t pieces. that should bring them down to safe from the mower height. the other option was to try to dig below the pipe and get the sprinkler to sit lower but with no slack in the line i think they would slowly rise back up again as a result of the stretched pipe.it's going to be a prick of a job but i should get to a decent invoice as a result. anybody want to come to chinchilla for a few hours of frustration with your arms in a holes?????????????????

[Stripes]

You should be able to dig a 20cm x 10cm rectangle next to the pipe where it screws in, and then screw these in. The single elbow end goes into the tee, and the two elbows go into the sprinkler. This allows the height to be moved up and down easily, and also if it gets hit by a mower or gets driven over, the elbow will take the jolt and snap rather than the sprinkler.

http://www.duralirrigation.com.au/onlinestore/index.cfm?NavigationID=873

Just unscrew the riser from the single elbow, screw in the single elbow into the tee, then screw the riser back into the elbow while the elbow is facing up so it's easy to get in, then the sprinkler into the double elbow at the right height and backfill! I use a spade to dig a nice clean section of turf out and then dig it down with a crowbar to get to the right depth. Just use a 20mm x 15mm bush where the two elbows join the sprinkler. They sound like Hunter PGP sprinklers if they have a 20mm thread.

[Kathryn]

thats the ones. but would i be able to get the the riser to angle lower into the dirt so that i can get these sprinlers sitting below ground level. they shouldnt ever be on t's i know but they are

[Stripes]

thats the ones. but would i be able to get the the riser to angle lower into the dirt so that i can get these sprinlers sitting below ground level. they shouldnt ever be on t's i know but they are

Just spin the tee so its facing sideways. Oh is it male tee? If so you will also need a 15mm female threaded socket so you can screw the elbow into it.
This is a 20mm swing arm with a similar sprinkler. You can just angle the riser down and turn the elbows so the sprinkler is nice and straight and at the right height.
5371
5372

[Kathryn]

:dance:clap:stripes you are a bloody genius. i am so happy that i dont haveto try to change the t's over. i was really dreading it. i should be able to rotate the existing fitting onto its side. they are male . im thinking i could just get a bush to join a riser onto the t and then just use an elbow at the other end? ill wait till monday and see what the local shop has. and then each pop up will be on its own branch rather than inline. better again. im happy now:cheer:

[Kathryn]

54395440as ive already said i think stripes is a great bloke. it took me 6 hours yesterday to get all this sprinklers fixed but without his advice i would still be elbow deep in the ground. i would love to tell the person who originally installed this irrigation what i think of their work, so much for landscaping companies from toowoomba.54375438

[Darcmate]

Sorry to hijack as well, but cowboys??? woa i think i found their masterpiece today!!!

Control box - all stations in yellow!
master valve - twisted wires
one station 9 yes 9 joins over a span of 10m with 3 different guages of wire and all yup you guessed it - just twisted
all wiring fromt the 2 solonoids i could actually finde were individual wires just loosely placed less than 5cm below the surface of the soil, no insulation no taping under piping
oh speaking of piping going from PVC to 19mm PE!

this made me cringe...