5 valves on 4 zone controller

Other Devices & Integrations Water, Pool & Irrigation
#1

I recently installed a 4 zone irrigation system and I have the Orbit 4 zone controller. This weekend I decided to build some raised garden boxes and connect it to my existing irrigation. My question is whether or not I can add another valve to my 4 zones by doubling up the wiring on one zone? ie., can I have two valves connected to one zone?

The model is orbit 57894 and the user manual says it can handle 500mA and that each valve is 250mA to operate. However, when I spoke to customer service on the phone they said that you can’t and that the timer won’t handle it. It’s conflicting information, thoughts?

#2

It will work just fine. I currently have 2 of my zones doubled up…

#3

You can double up the zones as long as the total current stays at or below the limit.

The controller supports 500 ma and each zone uses 250 ma … so you should be OK.

The other issues is water pressure … if you open two zones will you have enough water pressure to provide the coverage you need when two zones are open at the same time.

You might need to experiment to see what zones you can double up successfully.