Irrigation issue/EZFlora Failure

[jmed999]

I have two EXFlora 8 zone sprinkler controllers which control 9 zones total.  I also have a Davis weather station and the irrigation module.

 

Both EXFloras have failed and will not turn on.  I read the reviews on Smarthome and lots of folks saying they have failed so I expect this to be a recurring issue.

 

Are you guys having the same issue?  Is the EZFlora our only option in this case...ie. using the ISY to irrigate your lawn?

 

Thanks for your help!

[paulbates]

Did they fail at the same time and the zone on ezflora 2 is out as well? That seems unusual.

 

Can you describe what the ezflora does? LEDs on, off or flashing? 

 

Can you hear "clicking" from them when activate the zones from ISY?

 

Its possible that maybe a master valve, transformer or some other sprinkler, component may have failed.

[jmed999]

The first EZFlora started having com issues a month or so ago.  I could unplug it and replug it in and it would fix the comm issue.  Then the green light stopped working a couple weeks ago so it finally failed.  I noticed the 2nd EZFlora light not working last night.  I have unplugged them and replugged them and I get no light from the EZFloras.  On the ISY admin control it's like the EZFLoras are just not there.  This is the same thing others are saying in the reviews on Smarthome.

[paulbates]

Hmmm, fair enough.  That does sound like end of life.

 

There have been a few posts in the last few months around the advantages of ezfloras. The benefits are the features like zone "dead man" switches, previous zones are turned off when the next one is. And because they are SmartenIT devices and use their own insteon command structure, they are immune to the "all on".  I think it would be a lot of work, programming wise and mounting, to switch to something like the EZIO8SA.  

 

I know the short life of some of these insteon devices is annoying, and they are expensive. However my plan is two replace mine (I have 2 as well) if / when they die.

 

I put mine in in 2011, they continue (knock on wood) to work ok. Just getting ready to start them up for this season.

[Brian H]

As LeeG pointed out in your other thread.

The EZFlora is built on the same base PLM board as the 2413S/U or older ones the 2412S/U main board. With their daughter board.

If yours are on the 2413 main board with the EZFlora daughter board. It will have the same issues as the 2413S and poor quality capacitors.

There are some post on the Smartenit forums indicating the PLM base board is usually the problem.

 

If they are now getting the base hardware version 2 PLM boards. It should then have the updated power supply components.