Need to identify long wires

[xclaim]

guys i have a multi-meter and need to identify sprinkler wires in the field and match them to wires at the clock.

since i cannot connect both ends i can't check continuity right ?

any ideas ?

 

[Retired]

Hi,

I bought one of these a few years ago for cable tracing in our bungalow; they are brilliant. Power must be switched off at supply.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[PatagualFixer]

guys i have a multi-meter and need to identify sprinkler wires in the field and match them to wires at the clock.

since i cannot connect both ends i can't check continuity right ?

any ideas ?

I had a similar problem some years back when we needed to identify which solenoid opened for which sprinkler zone.
They were 24v ac units. Simply disconnected each solenoid, in turn, connected the wires together and checked which two gave continuity at the timer with the multimeter. Any pair which did not respond would have obviously been faulty.
If I recall, there were nine solenoids, so nine wires connected to the Common terminal, then 1-9 over the rest. So kept nine wires bundled but isolated from each other from the Common terminal......& thus identified each pair in turn.
Hope that helps

 

[piglet11]

If the ground was wet enough, you could bang some metal stakes in at each end, connect one end of your wires to one stake and try the multi-meter connected to the other stake and each wire in turn. Better still stick 500-volts from an insulation tester in at one end instead of the multi-meter and see what you get.
If you do identify them, make sure you put some cable markers on the wires.
As Colin suggests, you could inject a tone up each wire, much the same way as Openreach do.
Or you could use the existing wires as a common return, but the maths is a bit complex at this time of night.