[LittleDog]

For the past few months my irrigation controller is turning on on days not selected for watering and also the time of watering is wrong. I know how to set the controller so as I see it I need to replace it. Any suggestions of who to call to do this?

Thanx

John

[villagetinker]

Littledog, if your controller is a Hunter system these have a 5 year warranty, and I have personally had parts replaced under this warranty. You need to call Hunter to get a RMA# and shipping label.
Also, if you have a Hunter system, some models have multiple watering programs, mine has 3 A,B, and C. It is possible that another program is running accidentally, you may want to double check and make sure only the one program is running.
As for replacement, I would go with Jim Baumgardner, I have had him do work for me and I was very satisfied.

[courtyard]

I've had a similar problem lately...the Run Time changes by itself going well above the time I originally programmed. My water bill was very high and that's how I found out we had a problem. (Since we can only water at night while we are sleeping, one can never know if one is overwatering.) I checked out the instruction manual online and reset the Controller. And it still changed the Run Time by itself again. Our system is only 4 years old! I'll probably have to call the Warranty Dept. for further help.

[mscocco]

I had my controller completely die and it had it replaced. I think it was about $125 to replace it but am not positive. I called Chip at Action Sprinklers 352-516-2281. He was very responsive and took care of my issue pretty quickly. Give him a call and get a free estimate....

[LittleDog]

My unit is over 12 years old so I'm out of warranty, When I just got home from lunch the system was running. By the way I did check a,b, and c so that was not the problem. I see some others have had the same type of problem.

John

[Toymeister]

Here is a non-common suggestion which will appeal to those who understand total costs. Replace your dumb (Hunter) controller with a Wi-Fi smart controller, such as Rachio Amazon.com : Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller, WiFi, 8 Zone 2nd Generation, Works with Amazon Alexa : Garden & Outdoor GASP it costs 189.00 but it will pay for itself in savings in less than a year.

Rachio connects to your Wi-Fi and in turn connects to the local weather station. That means the water tower in the Villages such as the one in Brownwood across from Eisenhower. Yes that is the Wildwood weather station! Using the actual rainfall, the projected rainfall and temps Rachio can cut back your water consumption. You input the type of sprinklers that you have in each zone along with soil and vegetation type and slope of the ground and Rachio does its magic. It also adjusts your water times monthly based upon the season. It provides a real time estimate of water consumption. You control this technology from your phone, no need to make adjustments in your garage. If you are seasonal and there is a cutback on watering times you can make the adjustments from your other home.

To top it off Rachio IS NOT known for breakdowns as the Hunter controller is! It is an American company with a product built by Americans.

[Topspinmo]

I just manually turn mine on and off. I don't have grass, so not that important. Mine does the same thing when I program it and it has mind of its own. So, I just go manual and leave it off till I think it time to water. I don't water the street or sewer drain, just the shrubs and bushes.

[HiHoSteveO]

Originally Posted by courtyard

I've had a similar problem lately...the Run Time changes by itself going well above the time I originally programmed. My water bill was very high and that's how I found out we had a problem. (Since we can only water at night while we are sleeping, one can never know if one is overwatering.) I checked out the instruction manual online and reset the Controller. And it still changed the Run Time by itself again. Our system is only 4 years old! I'll probably have to call the Warranty Dept. for further help.

It sounds like your controller is running normally. Although at this time of year it should be running fewer minutes, not more, and doing so automatically. It will do this (run fewer minutes) even if the rain sensor is switched off. It is the Solar Sync that changes more or less watering each day.

There is a "Solar Sync" unit inside of the Pro C controller. (it's connected to that rain sensor at the side of your house) It adjusts the watering times every night. It does this by changing the percentage of water time on all zones.

1) Set your Solar Sync unit as the attached video(s) describe

2) Set your main controller to 100% watering time as shown in the video. And put in the maximum summertime watering minutes for each zone.

3) Look at the percentage the next day. It changed didn't it... Probably to about 30% this time of year.

Solar Sync - Programming - Part 1 of 2: Controller Setup - YouTube


Also, make sure your 9V battery inside the controller door is OK. It doesn't run anything, but does hold the settings in the event of a power failure. Oh, and by the way, you don't need to stay up all night to watch the watering. Just press and hold the "Manual" button for a few seconds to run the system through a single complete cycle. No one will be upset if you test the system during the day.

It appears to me that many lawns are stunted and killed by overwatering (root rot)

[Dan9871]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

Using the actual rainfall, the projected

The Rachio says that their intelligent watering features is not recommended in an area like The Villages where watering is restricted to two days a week.

"We do not recommend using Flexible Daily schedules if you cannot water more than 4 days per week..."

Flexible Daily Schedules FAQ – Rachio Support

In those areas like The Villages, Rachio recommends a fixed day schedule which operates the same as the Hunter controller does.

[Dan9871]

Originally Posted by Dan9871

The Rachio says that their intelligent watering features is not recommended in an area like The Villages where watering is restricted to two days a week.

I just checked with Rachio support because lack of intelligent watering was a deal-breaker for me. They said even though intelligent watering isn't recommended for two days a week a fixed schedule can still take advantage of weather info to skip days and adjust duration. It just won't adjust the schedule.

So I'm going to give it a try. Should be installed by next week.

[courtyard]

Thank you so much "HIHOSTEVO" for your info. It helped a lot! I thought our system was broken but it is running the way it was supposed to.

[HiHoSteveO]

Originally Posted by courtyard

Thank you so much "HIHOSTEVO" for your info. It helped a lot! I thought our system was broken but it is running the way it was supposed to.

You're welcome! I appreciate the feedback.

[autumnspring]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

Here is a non-common suggestion which will appeal to those who understand total costs. Replace your dumb (Hunter) controller with a Wi-Fi smart controller, such as Rachio Amazon.com : Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller, WiFi, 8 Zone 2nd Generation, Works with Amazon Alexa : Garden & Outdoor GASP it costs 189.00 but it will pay for itself in savings in less than a year.

Rachio connects to your Wi-Fi and in turn connects to the local weather station. That means the water tower in the Villages such as the one in Brownwood across from Eisenhower. Yes that is the Wildwood weather station! Using the actual rainfall, the projected rainfall and temps Rachio can cut back your water consumption. You input the type of sprinklers that you have in each zone along with soil and vegetation type and slope of the ground and Rachio does its magic. It also adjusts your water times monthly based upon the season. It provides a real time estimate of water consumption. You control this technology from your phone, no need to make adjustments in your garage. If you are seasonal and there is a cutback on watering times you can make the adjustments from your other home.

To top it off Rachio IS NOT known for breakdowns as the Hunter controller is! It is an American company with a product built by Americans.

Actually, YOU are only allowed to water two days a week and they are assigned. IF, there is a logic to this they do not want everyone running their irrigation system on the same days and overloading the supply in the tank that gives you the pressure.

What you pay for water goes up dramatically as you use more. More you use the more you pay per gallon.

Our soil is sandy clay. In plainspeak our soil is poor quality.
Our soil is loaded with limestone so it is alkaline. PH is likely 7-8. Talk a little of your soil put it in a glass jar or drinking glass add vingar (acid) and you will see it fizz.

With a lot of labor and or expense you can add organic matter to the soil and the result is you will use far less water. This past summer we received plenty of rain-I ran my sprinklers 3x all summer. Now it has been dry buy your lawn is shut down for the winter-no need to water it.

As to adding organic matter, it is far more than you might think. About 50 lbs per 100 sq feet and you will need to get it into the soil..

[rickthehack]

It sounds like you know how to reprogram it there is a reset button when you open the door on the back of it that will take it back to factory settings then you will have to reprogram all of your zones and times hope this helps