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Irritrol Rain Dial RD-600 Battery Drain and Unstable Station Voltage

RD-600 drains batteries monthly. Incoming 24VAC good, but station voltage reads 5-18V (unstable) when valves should get 24-30V.

Diagnosis

Battery drains only during power outages. Stable 24VAC input but unstable output indicates controller circuit board failure—output stage not regulating voltage properly.

Contributing Factor

Check for nightly power interruptions (even brief). Controller needs continuous power.

Resolution

If under warranty: claim replacement
If not: replace controller (known issue with Rain Dial series)
Modern equivalent: Irritrol Rain Dial RD-600-INT or Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Irrigation: Rain Dial RD‑1200 Drains 9 V Battery Monthly – Panel Fault; Rain Dial 600 Shows "16F" - Won't Reset or Run Manual; Resetting a Rain Dial Hardie Controller (Model P/NHHA11272); Rain Dial RD-1200 Replacement: Flashing Time & OF1 Error; Rain Dial RD-900: Zones 1 & 2 Low Voltage — Check for Short; Hardie Rain Dial 1993: Zones 6 & 7 Run Together—Crossed Wire or Controller; Rain Dial Programmed But Won't Water: Check for Short or Bad Processor; Rain Dial Transformer Test After Power Outage; Rain Dial RD-600 Multi-Function Dial Won’t Advance Clockwise After Power Outage; Hardie Rain Dial RD-600 Blank Screen After Power Outage: Likely Lightning Damage

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