I Need To Find Someone Who Can Hook Up A Sprinkler Timer

[Dean1953]

Last August, I had an underground sprinkler system put in at my house in Bosong. The first person hired didn't know what he was doing, so I got the plummer who did my house to put in pvc pipe and I had my sister send rainbird sprinklers. I didn't have time to find a sprinkler controller/timer before I moved back to the U.S. for a few years, so it was set up to operate manually. I have bought a Hunter sprinkler timer while in the U.S. (that runs on 240 voltage) and will bring it back with me next month. I would prefer this time to find someone to install it that has experience doing this. Last August, when I was trying to find someone to do the sprinkler system, I went by the Tesco Lotus which has the retail nursery next to it and there are some shops that do sprinkler systems but they were out harvesting in August. Does anyone know someone that they can recommend to hook up a timer to a manual sprinkler system/ Thanks!

[TJAN]

Last August, I had an underground sprinkler system put in at my house in Bosong. The first person hired didn't know what he was doing, so I got the plummer who did my house to put in pvc pipe and I had my sister send rainbird sprinklers. I didn't have time to find a sprinkler controller/timer before I moved back to the U.S. for a few years, so it was set up to operate manually. I have bought a Hunter sprinkler timer while in the U.S. (that runs on 240 voltage) and will bring it back with me next month. I would prefer this time to find someone to install it that has experience doing this. Last August, when I was trying to find someone to do the sprinkler system, I went by the Tesco Lotus which has the retail nursery next to it and there are some shops that do sprinkler systems but they were out harvesting in August. Does anyone know someone that they can recommend to hook up a timer to a manual sprinkler system/ Thanks!

After reading your story it appears to me that you are not technical because everything you want is done for you by other people,but a sprinkler timer all it is ,is a solenoid operated valve and a timer,the best thing to do is have a wire installed with the solenoid you can do that in the states with a socket on the end,the lenght of the wire you should know.

When you back in changmai have the plumber install the sprinkler valve in your main water supply line to the sprinkler system and set the timer and plug in the socket in a socket outlet.

When the time is there a relay closed in your timer and activate the solenoid which open the valve and let the water trough to your sprinklersystem,on the end of the cycle the relay opens and de-activate the solenoid and the springpressure will close the valve and shuts off the water till the next day same time.

[Dean1953]

You are right about my technical prowess. I never touch anything electrical or plumming, unless it it simple, like putting in a toilet or changing a wall socket. Since I won't be there, I want to make sure that it is installed properly and no prolems arise weeks after I go back to the states (I'm only in C.M. this time for 4-5 days). Not that itis technical but I did dig the trenches for the pvc pipe, which took me a week at 4 hours a day. Thanks again for the information.

[Dean1953]

Fast forwarding a few months, I did have a plumber/electrician install an enclosed Hunter timer box (probably overkill for 4 runs ), a Hunter rain sensor and the valves just below the runs which are controlled by the timer. The problem that I have is translating the instructions to him in English (he doesn't speak English and I don't speak Thai but I did have a Thai friend there that helped). Everything was done in March, when I was there for a week. The only thing that doesn't work is the timer. There are 4 wires, two ground and two hot wires. I thought the instructions called for, in Thailand, to hook up the 2 ground wires and one of the hot wires. Thi only gives 110 voltage. The electrician gave up and I came home (I turned the breaker to the timer off). I called customer service at Hunter and they told me to hook both hot wires up. I needed to get 240 voltage for the timer to work. Now, my wife is at our house and said the electrician did not want to work on the timer. I just need to get an electrician to finish hooking up the timer and setting the 4 runs for a 45 minute per run operation each night. There are 2 electricians listed in the stickeys. If anyone else can recommend an electrician, I would appreciate it.

[Maejo Man]

Definite overkill in this instance, and I think they might have sold you a NASA command module instead of a simple lawn sprinkler.....

Outdoor models, 120VAC transformer with internal junction box <LI>Indoor model, 120VAC three prong plug-in transformer

<LI>Station output 24VAC .56 Amps

<LI>Transformer output 24VAC 1.0 Amps

<LI>Capable of operating equivalent of 3 solenoids simultaneously

<LI>NEMA rated outdoor cabinet

<LI>CE/UL Listed

<LI>4 start times per program for repeat watering needs

<LI>Up to six hours run time on each station

<LI>Automated chronological ordering of start times/start time stacking

<LI>365-day calendar with leap year intelligence

<LI>Programmable event day off allows specific day(s) to be designated as always “off”

<LI>Rain Sensor bypass switch compatible with microswitch based sensors, displays when sensor is active

<LI>Programmable delay between stations of zero seconds to 4 hours for well recovery or slow-closing valves

<LI>Programmable rain delay for 1 to 7 days

<LI>Compatible with Hunter’s SRR and ICR remote control system

<LI>Programmable pump/master valve circuit by station

<LI>Hunter Quick Check™ helps troubleshoot field wiring problems

<LI>Test program feature allows for quick system checks

<LI>Central control compatible with Hunter IMMS™ system

<LI>Automatic module recognition; automatically identifies stations when modules are installed or removed

<LI>Non-volatile memory backs up watering programs and current date and time

<LI>Electronic short circuit protection; detects and skips shorted stations, no fuse to replace

Hunter do not seem to mention a 240 volt model, and this is probobly the main problem. Did they in fact sell you a model with a 220/240 volt transformer?

If you have not had the unit set in concrete yet, I would suggest taking it to one of Chiangmai's better electrical shops with your wife when you are here, and getting them to check the operating voltage for you. You could well find that you need a 220/115 volt transformer for it to function.

[Maejo Man]

On further inspection it appears they do sell an "international" model.....

There is also a brilliant online manual here...http://sprinklertalk.com/manuals/hunter/pro_c__manual.pdf

Good luck

[Bill97]

Chiang Mai Intertrade on Wualai Road sells electrical stuff and has in their employ a good electrician who does installation and repair. Does a lot of factory work involving complicated electrical equipment.

[drtreelove]

Fast forwarding a few months, I did have a plumber/electrician install an enclosed Hunter timer box (probably overkill for 4 runs ), a Hunter rain sensor and the valves just below the runs which are controlled by the timer. The problem that I have is translating the instructions to him in English (he doesn't speak English and I don't speak Thai but I did have a Thai friend there that helped). Everything was done in March, when I was there for a week. The only thing that doesn't work is the timer. There are 4 wires, two ground and two hot wires. I thought the instructions called for, in Thailand, to hook up the 2 ground wires and one of the hot wires. Thi only gives 110 voltage. The electrician gave up and I came home (I turned the breaker to the timer off). I called customer service at Hunter and they told me to hook both hot wires up. I needed to get 240 voltage for the timer to work. Now, my wife is at our house and said the electrician did not want to work on the timer. I just need to get an electrician to finish hooking up the timer and setting the 4 runs for a 45 minute per run operation each night. There are 2 electricians listed in the stickeys. If anyone else can recommend an electrician, I would appreciate it.

Khun Pin at Thamalangka is a landscape architect and she designs and installs sprinkler systems and she speaks English. 081 5941132 or 089 7590988

http://www.freewebs.com/thamalangka/

An excellent electrician who did wiring for us (I forgot his name) but we have his number down as

089 8382457 or 082 0337262. Thai only. He works full time for a construction company so was only available for our job on a Sunday. He showed up on time, worked a long day, very efficiently and professionally for 800 baht (I think he had to give a cut to the builder who referred him). And he has a very pleasant personality. don

[Dean1953]

The one positive thing I did in the U. S. before buying the Hunter model is confirm that it can be run on either 110 or 240 voltage. The only reason I bought it was that it was $200 in the U.S. versus $310-320 to buy a smaller Hunter timer from the Thai supplyer in Bangkok. That model cost $80 in U. S. but there is no way to get one in the U.S. that can run on 240 voltage. I really think that the firt electrician did the hard part and all I should have to do is have the other unused wire connected to a hot wire. Thanks for the suggestion for an electrician. I'll call him Monday.

[Dean1953]

I'm not having any luck at finding either an electrician (Prathom's 2 numbers don't work), the lady that runs a landscape design business doesn't answer and the elcetrician that drtreelove mentioned isn't available. Anyone else know of an electrician that can come by next Monday?

[Dean1953]

After calling (or having my Thai wife call) several listed or recommended electricians, we were able to contact Khun Chai (listed in the T.V. recommended chiang Mai listing). Because I had bought the timer in America and the writing on the timer and the instructions were in english, it took him longer to get the timer to work. It does work now and I am very happy with Khun Chai's work and response time. Thanks to everyone else and their recomendations.