Tip - Hunter Irrigation Controller
 

I have a Hunter Pro-C controller. I have never understood the value of the solar sync sensor connected to this controller. Recently, it automatically changed my watering times to 10 percent of the times that I had programmed via the "Seasonal Adjust" setting. If I changed the setting back to 100 percent, the next day it would automatically reset it to 10 percent. Also, the rain sensor, which is an integral part of the outside solar sync sensor, started to malfunction. So, I decided to disable the solar sync and the rain sensor by disconnecting the green and black wires in the controller and resetting the seasonal adjust setting to 100 percent. Now, I am in total control of when and for how long the irrigation system will operate. I can buy a separate rain sensor if I want, but I don't think it would save enough money to be worth doing. You should check the seasonal adjust setting periodically to determine if the system has changed your watering times. And, if you want to disable the solar sync system, it can be done in about 2 minutes by disconnecting the green and black wires inside the controller. You should also set the seasonal adjust setting to 100 percent. Then, you will have total control of your watering schedule.

I'm on the other side of the fence, Love my Solar Sync.

Automatically adjust with rain.

I see neighbors sprinklers running during a rain.
May or may not care, May or may not be in town.
Either way, a waste of water.

With the rains last week, SS kept my sprinklers off for days since we had two inches of natural rain.

Sensors don't last forever..........easy and cheap to repair/replace.

:wave:

I understand the rain sensor, but what does the solar sync do for you?

My rain sensor never seemed that good so I manually turn my sprinkler on or off depending on projected rain days and the condition of the grass. I have cut my water usage by more than 1/2 for the year.

My SS didn't seem to work right and I had problems with the seasonal adjustments too so I had the controller replaced with a Hunter X2 with wifi.

I've only had the new system about 18 months now so not a lot of data to go on but with that limited data I see:
- $69 savings over an entire year
- $13 savings for the six months from September through February

I paid for the controller to be replaced rather than doing it myself so I ended up spending much more than I needed to. If I had purchased the pieces off Amazon for about $300, it would have paid for itself in as little as five years.

It looks like a replacement Solar Sync is about $90 if I had chosen to go that route.

I only use automatic when not at home for weeks. Otherwise I manually run it. I don’t have grass only tropicals and bushes. The other day with at least 2” or more rain during my walk I seen water irrigation running. Every on dry days I see irrigation water running down street for 20 minutes or more. Lots of people like wasting water and higher water bills in my neck of woods.

I think a lot of people don't realize that the solar sync sensor can automatically change the watering times that they set. Also, many irrigation technicians don't have a clue about how the system works, and they don't even use consistent regional settings throughout The Villages. Region 3 is for U.S. southern states, but I have seen various controllers set on Regions 2, 3, or 4. Also, they always seem to use the water adjust calibration setting of 10, when the manual says it can range from 1 to 10. The only way to really establish the proper calibration setting is to monitor the system over a period of time, something that technicians never do.

Better tip: remove and replace with a Rachio.

That's what I do, seems easy enough and sometimes low tech is the best tech.

I have a Hunter with WiFi on my Massachusetts home and I hate the app. Not user friendly. I just replaced my Villages controller with Rachio and I love it. I removed the rain sensor and just use the weather forecast capability of the Rachio.

Sensor for sunlight & temperature.

"Solar Sync measures sunlight and temperature, and uses ET to determine the correct seasonal adjustment percentage value to send to the controller. The controller then uses its programmed run time and adjusts to Solar Sync's seasonal adjustment value to modify the actual irrigation run time for that day."

Note that 1,000 gallons of irrigation water costs $2.66. Last month, I used 3,600 gallons at a cost of $9.58. Even if it worked, how long would it take to break even if I bought a new solar sync sensor for $85? Also, as I understand it, the solar sync system only adjusts the percentage of the watering times set by the user. It doesn't control the actual amount of water used. So, if you set the watering time to 40 minutes per zone, the solar sync may cut it down to 30 minutes, which may still be way too much water for your lawn. User error is much more important than a solar sync adjustment.

I agree. The Solar Sync sensor is junk.

Replacing it is an easy DIY job.
Take a picture of the current wires. Normally each is a different color. Write down where which one is connected... Power, Common, 1, 2, 3, 4...
Unpower old unit. Swap in new one. Connect wires to same named terminals. Plug it in. Set up wifi.
Newer controllers do not need any rain sensors or other junk. They connect to weather stations to know how much rain is expected, and has fallen, so they about watering before it rains.

Solar sync makes the system seasonal smart. It recognizes its winter and you don’t need the same amount of water on the lawn as July. It automatically adjusts so you don’t have to go in periodically and make seasonal adjustments (based on sunlight). Right now my system is watering 30% less than July and I don’t have to do anything. Technology is a good thing.