Wiring an Orbit 57071 Wireless Rain Sensor to an Imperial Valet Controller

How to Install a Wireless Rain Sensor on a Legacy Imperial Valet Timer

A 1988 Imperial Valet 24V controller (6 zones) needs an Orbit 57071 wireless rain sensor added. The user sees a 24V transformer with 4 wires, 6 zone wires, plus extra black/white common wires.

Wiring Steps

1. Identify 24VAC transformer output: Two wires carry 110VAC input; the other two are 24VAC output. Use a multimeter to confirm which pair reads 24VAC.
2. Ignore unused extra wires: Disregard the spare black/white pair not connected to anything.
3. Interrupt the common wire: Disconnect the field common (white) from the controller common (white). Connect one sensor wire to the controller common terminal, the other sensor wire to the field common wire. The sensor acts as a switch that breaks the common circuit when rain is detected.

Notes

• The sensor does not connect to 24VAC power; it's a dry contact switch.
• Ensure the sensor's receiver is powered per its instructions (usually batteries or a separate 24VAC tap).