Hey all,

I am trying to move my sprinkler controller (an Orbit digital job
about 4 years old) to a more convenient spot in the garage. It has
very thick, I would guess 12 gauge wire going from the valves to the
controller box. Is that the required thickness? I was thinking if I
used cat5e, there's 4 twisted pair so I can get a unique colored wire
for each of my 8 zones which would make reconnecting after I spliced
in 25' or so of cat5e, to the timer quite simple since I know which
wire would be which zone. I googled all over and it looks like
minimum 14 gauge for underground use. Since I am above ground and in
a garage, can I use the cat5e even though it's 24 gauge?

TIA

genius wrote:
Hey all,

I am trying to move my sprinkler controller (an Orbit digital job
about 4 years old) to a more convenient spot in the garage. It has
very thick, I would guess 12 gauge wire going from the valves to the
controller box. Is that the required thickness? I was thinking if I
used cat5e, there's 4 twisted pair so I can get a unique colored wire
for each of my 8 zones which would make reconnecting after I spliced
in 25' or so of cat5e, to the timer quite simple since I know which
wire would be which zone. I googled all over and it looks like
minimum 14 gauge for underground use. Since I am above ground and in
a garage, can I use the cat5e even though it's 24 gauge?


Go to the hardware store and look at "sprinkler wire".

On May 3, 10:56*pm, "Bob F" wrote:
genius wrote:
Hey all,

I am trying to move my sprinkler controller (an Orbit digital job
about 4 years old) to a more convenient spot in the garage. *It has
very thick, I would guess 12 gauge wire going from the valves to the
controller box. *Is that the required thickness? *I was thinking if I
used cat5e, there's 4 twisted pair so I can get a unique colored wire
for each of my 8 zones which would make reconnecting after I spliced
in 25' or so of cat5e, to the timer quite simple since I know which
wire would be which zone. *I googled all over and it looks like
minimum 14 gauge for underground use. *Since I am above ground and in
a garage, can I use the cat5e even though it's 24 gauge?

Go to the hardware store and look at "sprinkler wire".

Just google it online. 18 gauge is pretty much standard.
I've never seen 14 gauge used on a residential system.
14 gauge would support 15 amp AC circuits in a house.
Must be a real pain to work with, connect to terminals, etc.
Whoever used that must be a real knucklehead.
The sprinkler system probably uses less than 100miliamps to work the
valves. Look at the rating on
the wall transformer.