1.   Rain Gauge is Clogged
This is when the screen above the drain or the drain itself has clogged. Usually the bucket will be filled with water.

a)   Turn off the weather station power switch. First, check the bucket for standing water. If there is no standing water, look at the screen above the drain and, if there is debris on it clean it off This can be done with a small vacuum, moist paper towels, etc. If there is standing water, follow the steps below.

b)   Loosen the four screws around the perimeter of the base of the bucket.

c)   Once these screws are loose, turn the bucket counter-clockwise and lift it off the base. Now that the bucket is removed, the screen can be removed and the drain cleaned out.

d)   Remove the cotter-pin holding the screen in place by bending the legs at the bottom, straight and pushing it towards the top of the bucket. Once the cotter pin is removed you can pop out the screen. You may need a small tool such as a knife to help pop the screen out. Once the screen is removed you will be able to see  the drain hole.

f)   Make sure the legs of the cotter pin are bent back, tight up against the collector. If not, the cotter-pin will BLOCK the tipping arm from tipping as rain flows through the bucket drain hole. The cotter-pin MUST be bent back upwards, securely, as shown in the picture.

2.   Cotter Pin is Loose and Obstructing the Tipping Arm
This is not common, but it can happen. It may occur if the rain gauge drain is cleaned improperly.

a)   Turn off the weather station power switch. First, check the bucket for standing water. If there is no standing water, look at the screen above the drain and, if there is debris on it, clean it off. This can be done with a small vacuum, moist paper towels, etc. If there is standing water, follow the steps below.

c)   Once these screws are loose, turn the bucket counter-clockwise and lift it off the base.

d)   Make sure the legs of the cotter pin are bent back, tight up against the collector. If not, the cotter-pin will BLOCK the tipping arm from tipping as rain flows through the bucket drain hole. The cotter-pin MUST be bent back upwards, securely, as shown in the picture.

e)  Reassemble the rain gauge and switch the power back on. 
 

3.   Reed Switch is Faulty
It is recommended that you contact RainWise Technical Support for assistance with this.The reed switch assembly is a small circuit board below the tipping arm. These are inexpensive to replace and it may be a good idea to keep a spare on hand. To test it, the weather station needs to be switched on. 

a)   Remove the bucket from the base of the rain gauge (follow steps b-c above). Set the bucket aside and work on the base of the rain gauge.

b)   Remove the blue cap by lifting upwards. Look at the wire connection that attaches the reed switch assembly to the wire that goes to the motherboard of the station

c)   Remove the wire nuts from the connections. Touch the wires together multiple times (these will not arc). This procedure bypasses the reed switch. After touching the wires together, check for rainfall data on RainwiseNet, it should show within a few minutes. If rainfall data show up, the reed switch assembly is faulty and will need to be replaced. Contact RainWise Technical Support to describe the problem. If no rainfall data show up, the problem may be with the motherboard.

d)   After testing the reed switch, reassemble the weather station and switch the power back on. If needed, contact RainWise and NEWA, newa@cornell.edu, to delete the reed switch bypass test data from the weather database.

4.   Issue with the Motherboard 
It is recommended that you contact RainWise Technical Support for assistance with this.Before you begin working on the interior of your weather machine or handling the motherboard, make sure you discharge any electrostatic charge you may have and make sure that you are grounded.

a)   Remove the solar panel from the sensor assembly. This is done by loosening the four screws located in the corners of the solar panel. Once the solar panel and cover are free from the housing, disconnect the solar panel connection and TAKE NOTE of the way the connectors clip together so you can reconnect them. The motherboard inside the unit is now exposed to view.

b)   Working with the motherboard, remove the rain gauge connection shown in the picture.

c)   Once the connection has been removed,you will see two gold legs. Use a metal screwdriver to short out these two pins. Make sure the screwdriver touches both pins at the same time, do this multiple times. After shorting the pins, check for rainfall data on RainwiseNet, it should show within a few minutes. If rainfall data show up, there is an issue with the wire going to the rain gauge, the connection from that wire to the reed switch is not well  connected, or the reed switch is faulty. If no rainfall data show up, then there is an issue with the motherboard.

d)   After testing the motherboard, reassemble the weather station and switch the power back on. If needed, contact RainWise and NEWA, newa@cornell.edu, to delete the motherboard test rainfall data from the weather database.

Download the 2015 Maintenance and Troubleshooting Guide.