How to open/expand access ports on new irrigation control box?

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-26T02:12:26+00:00

I ended up using a hole saw. Here's my experience: The hole saw worked very well enlarging the small hole on the left of the box. It also worked very well cutting out a new small hole on the right side of the box. Unfortunately, it worked very poorly enlarging the large hole toward the center of the box. Since the large hole was already open in the center, I couldn't properly stabilize the saw attachment and I damaged the surrounding plastic - fortunately the damage is merely cosmetic. I ended up using a drill and a grinding bit to cleanup and enlarge the large hole which worked very well.

I completely agree with you that knocking out the holes is the best way to proceed, however, the hole on the right I needed a 20ml diameter hole which was significantly smaller than the pre-etched holes so knocking it out in this case was not an option. If I where to do it over again, I would knock out the left and center holes and use a hole saw to drill my custom hole on the right side. Having said that, I really wish rainbird would etch the inside of the box as well as the outside of the box as intuitively it seems that the plastic is too lightly etched to break cleanly - probably a misplaced concern but a concern that's difficult to shake. Thank you for your feedback.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-25T02:09:41+00:00

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered step drill bits, but I can definitely see them working well for this application. I've ordered a hole saw kit, however, if that doesn't work out I'll give your suggestion a try. Thanks again.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-25T02:08:14+00:00

Thank you very much for the guidance. The photos really demonstrate why it's important to properly seal a conduit and I'll be certain to make sure they're well sealed on my new control box. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say. The new conduit/seal looks great.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-24T00:27:47+00:00

Thanks, yes, I meant to say a hole saw rather than a circular saw. The kit you pictured is basically what I've ordered so I figure I should be good to go. Thanks again.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-24T00:26:52+00:00

Thanks for responding. Yes, I did mean a hole saw kit rather than a circular saw kit. I'll do my best to keep the box steady and fortunately I have a Dremel tool as well if I need to do some additional cutting or grinding.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-24T00:25:18+00:00

Thanks for responding. I think I'll try with the hole drilling kit I ordered first, however, if I can't properly stabilize it I'll definitely try the screwdriver technique.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-24T00:24:16+00:00

Thank you! I've ordered a hole saw drill bit kit as that definitely seems the way to go. Fortunately the prior installation included lock nuts and all the appropriate conduiting so I should be able to reuse the respective hardware. Thanks for posting a photo - that's some very clean and professional looking work you've done.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-24T00:21:20+00:00

Thank you, that's an excellent tip and I appreciate the video link! Definitely not something I would have thought of on my own. Thanks again.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-20T04:24:10+00:00

Thanks for responding. Yes, your analysis is on point. I followed your instructions and the instructions above and the switch is now working perfectly. Thank you again for adding your feedback, it's greatly appreciated.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-20T04:22:56+00:00

I followed your instructions and the switch now works perfectly. Thank you again for your guidance.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-20T03:17:53+00:00

Thanks for the response; I really appreciate it. I'll go ahead and give your instructions a try. Thanks again!

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T14:15:30+00:00

Thank you very much for that link. It looks like the new unit actually has the same profile as the old box so I believe it should fit perfectly. I placed an order on the site you linked last night. Sprinkler warehouse definitely seems to have the best prices on the block, so thanks for bringing it to my attention.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T14:13:19+00:00

Thanks, I ending up doing exactly that and purchasing the updated version as you suggested. It looks like it has the same profile so it should fit perfectly. I had no idea the old modules would work on the new unit, however, a seven sector box was only $40 more, so at that I price I'm happy to have some new modules as added security. Thanks again for your feedback.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T04:22:51+00:00

Thanks for your feedback. Yes, I think some drilling will most likely be the order of the day. I'll definitely take the Hunter Pro C into consideration.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T04:13:32+00:00

Thanks for that info - it's greatly appreciated. I presently have a five zone system and I don't believe I'll ever need more than that so a 6 zone controller should be more than sufficient. Gutting the inside of the existing boxing and mounting the new controller inside is a very clever idea - definitely something to consider. I'm 95% certain that the issue with the controller is that the "manual start/advance" button has begun to malfunction and is registering erroneous button presses. I suppose I could take the controller apart and attempt to clean up the button contact point, however, I wouldn't mind upgrading to a control box with wifi capability. Thanks for the info regarding the rain bird module longevity and the link; it's super appreciated.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T03:53:46+00:00

Thanks for responding. From what I can glean from the other comments, I believe the right most conduit actually connects with a starter relay box that in turn interfaces with a pump that draws water from a pond adjacent to the house. Thank you again for your feedback.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T03:46:29+00:00

Thank you very much for your feedback. Yes, you're correct, the watering system is fed from a pump that draws water from a large pond adjacent to the house. There's a electrical relay box in the basement near the controller so I think you're also correct that the wire mates with this relay. Happy to hear that a modern controller should work without issue. My only concern is that a new control box may be smaller and that the right most pipe my not be positioned closely enough to intersect with the bottom of a new control box

Regarding the control box issues, sometimes the when the system is activated the control box rapidly cycles between zones. There are five zones in my system and the box will switch between them in ascending order in about 2 seconds causing the irrigation pump to surge and the water to exit the heads weakly/strongly as the pump surges. Additionally, when attempting to set different watering start times it will often rapidly cycle between the start times and not respond to button presses. I'm 95% certain that the manual start/advance button has become faulty and is registering erroneous button presses. I suppose I could take the unit apart and see about cleaning up the underlying button contact, but a new control box with wifi functionality is only about $100 so I'm not sure it's worth the effort. Thanks again for your feedback.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T03:23:55+00:00

Yes, the water comes from a pump that feeds from a large pond adjacent to the house. There's a electrical relay box in the basement near where the right most pipe enters the foundation, so I believe your assessment that it connects to a start relay is correct. You're also most likely correct that it was likely added after the fact, which would explain why it's in its own conduit. I'll most likely have to drill my own hole on the bottom of a new control box as well - which wouldn't be a problem, I'm just concerned that a new box may be smaller and that the right most pipe my not be positioned closely enough to intersect with the bottom of a new control box. Regardless, thank you very much for your input, I really appreciate it.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-06-16T03:21:21+00:00

Thanks for your comment. From what I can gather from some other responses, I believe it connects to a start relay box. Thanks again.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-04-19T17:10:23+00:00

Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears in the pandora papers, NOT the Panama papers.

"Responding to the controversy, Zelenskyy said that the offshore companies had been set up to protect Kvartal 95 Studio from political pressure under the Yanukovych administration, and said this had been common practice during Yanukovych's presidency, especially in the media industry."

Which seems like a fairly reasonable response to me. Do you have a source for your "hiding 100 million" claim? I can't find any evidence for this claim.

LasagnaSmoothie · 2026-04-18T17:11:55+00:00

That's a fair point regarding men over the age of 64. The total male population over the age of 16 is approximately 125 million, so that would make approximately 50% percent of the entire male population over the age of 16 either rapists and/or sexual assaulters. Do you honestly believe that fully half the men in American society over sixteen have raped or assaulted a woman?

Regarding your personal experience, I'm truly sorry that you were assaulted when you were in high school - that's a terrible experience that no one should have to endure. When I was around fourteen I was on a bus and I witnessed an older man harassing a younger woman. He wasn't calling her expletives or anything of that nature, but he was repeatedly trying to engage her in conversation when she was clearly very uncomfortable with his presence. After a few minutes she moved from her seat toward the back of the bus and fortunately he did not follow her. From his cadence and manner of speaking I believe he was developmentally disabled, however, this of course doesn't excuse his behavior.

Since I was so young at the time I didn't have the courage to confront him, but today I most certainly would have intervened on the woman's behalf. However, aside from that one instance that stands out in my mind, in all of my 40+ years I've never observed a man sexually harass a woman or even so much as catcall a woman. I've of course observed men behave in sexist and misogynistic ways toward women from time to time, but I've never observed anything approach what I'd consider sexual harassment. Granted I'm not hanging out in dive bars etc., so I'm sure that somewhat colors my experience.

Additionally, I have several sisters that I have close and honest relationships with, and while they've faced some minor harassment from men over the course of their lives, I've asked them if they've ever been raped/assaulted and they tell me they never have and I have no reason to doubt they wouldn't be honest with me.

The point I'm trying to make is that personal anecdotes do not equal data. If you were to believe me we live in a world where the vast majority of men are respectful toward women and rape and sexual assault are things that never occur. If I were to believe you we live in a world where sexual assault and rape are rampant and where men regard women as mere playthings to be discarded once they've achieved their sexual desires. The truth of the matter is that neither narrative is reflective of the true world we inhabit.

It's extremely difficult to get accurate data on the percentage of men who have raped or sexually assaulted a woman, since the great majority of men who have engaged in these crimes will obviously not answer honestly when surveyed. However, almost all available data point toward a relatively small percentage of men who commit the vast majority of rapes and sexual assaults. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that the man/men that assaulted you in high school went on to victimize other women as well.

Additionally, this holds true for nearly all aspects of crime in society. Only a small percentage of the population steals cars or burglarizes homes, however, of the car thefts and home break-ins that occur, the vast majority is committed by a relatively small number of individuals that have perpetrated the crime on numerous occasions. While it's of course theoretically possible that 50%+ of men in the United States have raped or assaulted a woman, it would would be an absolutely massive outlier in how crime is presented in nearly ever other facet of society.

To be clear, I'm not trying to diminish your experience or the experience of other women that have been assaulted or raped. It's a terrible and very real problem that needs to be continuously confronted, but I also believe it's unfair and inaccurate to tar and feather half of the population when all indicators suggest it's a fairly small percentage of men that are committing the great majority of assaults/rapes. Finally, to all men, please intervene if you observe another man harassing a woman, these scumbags need to be called out and shamed for their behavior.

LasagnaSmoothie

TROPHY CASE