K-Rain 3208-WRFS Operating instructions

RainSensor
SuspendsAutomaticIrrigationSystem
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Savewaterandhelptheenvironment,suspendingyourirrigationsystemonrainydayswithanyofthe
K‐Rainrainsensors.
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Owner’sManualandInstallationInstructions
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3208‐WRFSWirelessRainFreezeSensor
3208‐HRFSRainFreezeSensor
3208‐HRSRainSensor
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Introduction
ThankyouforselectingaK‐Rain®RainSensor.Thissensorwilldohispartforagreenerfutureon
generationstocomebyefficientuseofwater,providingwaterconservation,easeofuse,andflexibility
toyourprogrammablewateringsystem.Savewaterandhelptheenvironmentsuspendingyour
irrigationsystemonrainydays.Afterasetamountofrainhasfallenand/orfreezingtemperaturesexist,
thesensorwilltriggerpreventingthecontrollerfromstartirrigation.Forunitswithfreezesensor,they
providepeaceofmind(whentemperaturedropsbelow37°F[3°C])byinterruptingyoursprinklersand
reducethehazardsofstandingwaterfreezingonyourdriveway,sidewalks,andpatios.Oncetherain
sensorhasdriedsufficiently,thesensorallowsnormalsprinkleroperation.Workswithmostnewand
existingsprinklersystems.ThisrainsensorwillNOTworkwithopencircuittimers.
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Thesesensorsaredesignedtooperatewith24VACpoweronly.Connecting
anyoftheserainsensorsto120or240VACpowermayresultinsevereequipmentdamage.
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TableofContents
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Features ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
RainSensorComponents ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Installation ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
AdjustmentsandOperation ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Specifications ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
FCCNotice ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
FCCDeclarationofConformity ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Notes ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
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Features
Weatherresistant.EngineeredwithUVresistantpolymerforoutdoorexposure.
MaintenanceFree.Nobatteriestoreplace.Peaceofmindforuptotenyears
Note:Undernormalconditions.
UnlikeotherRainSensorsinthemarket,ourmodel3208‐WRFS(K‐Rainwirelessrain‐freeze
sensor)canbepairedwithmultipleK‐RainProEXControllerswithinrange,providingadditional
valuefortheenduser.
2in1Mounting.Providesflexibleinstallationtotheuserwithstandardflatandguttermounting.
Themodels3208‐WRFSand3208‐HRFSincludeafreezesensor,thatpreventstheirrigation
systemfromstartingwhentemperaturesdropto37Fofbelow.
QuickInstallation.Simple,easyandhasslefreeinallofourmodels.
a. TheWirelessRain‐FreezeSensor3208‐WRFSprovidestheadvantageofextremelyquick
installationandeliminatesunsightlywiresasnowiresinstallationisneeded.
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RainSensorComponents
1‐ManualTestPin.Pressandholdthemanualtestpintoconfirmproperoperation.
2‐VentAdjustmentTab.Usedtoadjustthedryouttimeforthesensor.
3‐MountingArm.Metalextensionarmformountingthesensor.
4‐RainfalladjustmentCap.Therainsensorcapcanbeadjustedtosuspendwatering,when
rainfallamountsof1/8"(minimumsetting)and1/2"ormorehasfallen.
5‐FreezeSensor(formodels3208‐WRFSand3208‐HRFSonly).Preventstheirrigationsystem
fromstartingwhentemperaturesdropto37Fofbelow.Whentemperaturesriseabove
37F,thesensorwillenableautomaticwatering.
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AdditionalComponentsoftheWirelessRain‐FreezeSensormodel3208‐WRFS:
6‐RadioAntenna.Transmitsawirelesssignaltothereceiver,upto500feet.
Note:Unitneedstobemounted,havingtheradioantennaonverticalposition.
7‐Battery/TransferSignalLED.PressingtheManualTestPin,allowstheusertoseetheLED
flashingON/Off;indicatingthatthebatteryisstillalivealsothatisstilltransmittingthe
signaltoreceiver.
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Installation

Formodel3208‐WRFSWirelessRainFreezeSensor
1. InstalltheRFMreceiver(Model3206)intoyourProEXController.
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2. Pairyour3208WirelessRain‐FreezeSensorwiththeProEXController.
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Placedialonpinposition.PressUPbuttonuntiltheword“LEARN”isdisplayedintotheLCD.
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PresstheSTARTbutton,anduserwillseetheword“LEARN”flashing.
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Pressthemanualtestpin(FOR3SECONDS)forthewirelessrainsensortotransmitthesignal.

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Thecontrollerwilldisplay“LEARNED”oncethewirelessrainsensorhasbeenpaired.
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PresstheDOWNbuttontocompletetheprocess.MovethedialbacktoAUTO.
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Installation
WIRING‐Formodel3208‐HRFS(RainFreezeSensor)or3208‐HRS(RainSensor)
IMPORTANT:Therainsensorissoldanddesignedfor24‐VACirrigationcontrollersonly.Allwiringmust

conformtoapplicablelocalcodes.
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WiringthewiredrainsensorsintoControllerswithSensorTerminals,simply:
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Findthecontrollersensorterminals(generallymarked“SENSOR”,“SEN”or“S”)andattachthe
RainSensorcontrolwiresdirectlytotheseterminalsinanyorder.
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NOTE:
1. Theremaybeajumpertaborwirebetweenthesensorterminalsthatmustberemoved.
2. Ifarainsensorwillnotbeinstalled,thepreinstalledjumperwiremustremaininstalledonthe
SENSORterminals.
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Wiringthewiredrainsensors3208‐HRFS(RainFreezeSensor)or3208‐HRS(RainSensor)into
controllerswithnosensorterminalsandnopumpstart/mastervalve:.
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A. 24‐VACSolenoidValvesOnly(NoPumpStartRelaySeeFigure1).Withthetwowiresfromthe
rainsensoratthecontroller,locatethe“commonground”wireofthesolenoidvalves.Ifitis
connectedtothecommonterminalonthecontrollerdisconnectit.Attachonewireoftherain
sensortothe“common”terminal(usuallymarked“COM”)onthecontroller.Attachtheother
wireoftherainsensortothecommonwireleadingtothevalves.Note:Thecommonwiretothe
valvesdoesnothavetobeinterruptedatthecontroller.Therainsensormaybewired
anywherealongthecommonwireline.
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Oncetherainsensorismounted,runthewiretothecontroller,usingwireclipseveryfewfeetto
fastenit.Ifanextensiontothewireprovidedisneeded,usethefollowingtabletodeterminethe
minimumwiregaugeneeded:
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CHECKTOVERIFYCORRECTWIRING
Turnononezoneofthesprinklersystemthatisvisiblewhileyouareinreachoftherainsensor.
Manuallydepressthemanualtestpinatthetopoftherainsensoruntilyouheartheswitch“click”off.
Thesprinklerzoneshouldstopinstantly.Ifitdoesnot,checkwiringforcorrectinstallation.
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Wiringthewiredrainsensors3208‐HRFS(RainFreezeSensor)or3208‐HRS(RainSensor)into
controllerswithpumpstart/mastervalveterminal;andnosensorterminals:
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B.24‐VACSolenoidValveswithPumpStartRelay(SeeFigure2).Locatethecommonwiretothe
solenoidvalvesandthecommonwireleadtothecoiloftherelaythatstartsthepump.Ifthesetwo
wiresareconnectedtothe“common”terminalonthecontroller,disconnectbothofthem.Twistthese
twowirestogetheralongwithonewirefromtherainsensorandsecurewithawirenut.Attachthe
otherwireoftherainsensortothe“common”terminalonthecontroller.
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Oncetherainsensorismounted,runthewiretothecontroller,usingwireclipseveryfewfeetto
fastenit.Ifanextensiontothewireprovidedisneeded,usethefollowingtabletodeterminethe
minimumwiregaugeneeded:
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CHECKTOVERIFYCORRECTWIRING
Turnononezoneofthesprinklersystemthatisvisiblewhileyouareinreachoftherainsensor.
Manuallydepressthemanualtestpinatthetopoftherainsensoruntilyouheartheswitch“click”off.
Thesprinklerzoneshouldstopinstantly.Ifitdoesnot,checkwiringforcorrectinstallation.
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Note:Themanualactivationcycleofsomecontrollersbypassesthesensorinputs.IftheRainSensoris
connectedtothesensorterminals,youwillneedtorunanautomatic/timedwateringprogramforthese
typesofcontrollers.
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MountingtheRainSensor
StandardFlatMounting
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Mountthesensoronasurfacethatisunobstructedtorainfall.But
awayfromthepathofthesprinklerwaterspray.
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GutterMounting
 Allowstherainsensortobemounteddirectlytothesideofthe
gutter.Positiontheguttermountontheedgeofthegutterandtwistthethumbscrewtosecure
itinplace.
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Hintsformounting:
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a. When looking for a suitable location such as the side of a building or post, the
closer the Rain Sensor is to the controller the better.
i. For the wired models, This will cause the wire run to be shorter, which
minimizes the possibility of wire breaks
ii. For the wireless model, the signal transmission will be better avoiding
interference to the wireless signal.
b. Mount in the highest possible position where rain can fall directly upon the rain
sensor.
c. The rain sensor mounting location will affect the reset rate (amount of time it
takes the rain sensor to dry out sufficiently for the sprinkler system to reactivate).
For example, mounting the rain sensor on a very sunny, southeastern end of a
building may cause the rain sensor to dry out sooner than desired. Similarly,
mounting on the northern end of a building with constant shade may keep the
rain sensor from drying out at all. Some experimentation with the “vent
adjustment tab” will usually yield satisfactory results.

ADJUSTMENTSANDOPERATION
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WhentheRainSensoractivatesduetosufficientrainfall(afterrainfallquantitiesof1/8”thru½”or
more),thesprinklersystemwillbecomeinactiveuntilthemoisture‐absorbentdiscsinsidetheRain
Sensorhavedriedout.Toadjustittothedesiredquantityofrainfall,rotatethecapontherainsensor
housingtoadjusttherangedesired(SeeFigure3).
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Figure3
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Thetimethatittakestherainsensortoresetfornormalsprinkleroperationaftertherainhasstoppedis
determinedbyweatherconditions(wind,sunlight,humidity,etc.).Theseconditionswilldeterminehow
fastthehygroscopicdiscswilldryout,thesameconditionsyoursoilexperiences.

Notethatthereisanadjustmentcapabilityontherainsensorthatwillslowdowntheresetrate.By
turningthe“VentAdjustmentTab”(SeeFigure4)tocompletelyorpartiallycovertheventilationholes,
thehygroscopicdiscswilldrymoreslowly.Thisadjustmentcancompensateforan“overlysunny”
installationlocationorpeculiarsoilconditions.Experimentingwiththeventringwillbestdeterminethe
idealventsetting.

Figure4
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
BypassingtheRainSensor
TheRainSensorcanbetemporarilybypassedordeactivatedusinganyoneofthefollowingmethods:
•Usethecontroller’ssensorbypassswitch(ifequipped).
•TemporarilydisconnecttheRainSensorfromthecontroller’swiring.