Lawn sprinkler system needs work
 

My lawn sprinkler system has stopped working. It is a Hunter system. The readout says "AC" and I cannot program it or change any of the settings on it. I've checked the fuses, the breaker, and have plugged it into a different outlet, all to no avail. Is there anyone out there who knows what is wrong and can fix it?

Are you sure it doesn't say No AC?

Also check that the outlet its plugged in to is not a GFCI, which has tripped. If so, try resetting it. The other outlets you tried might be on the same GFCI circuit in the garage.

For what its worth ... from the Hunter website ...

The "NO AC" display is a diagnostic message telling you that the controller has stopped receiving AC power. The controller is running on the power supplied by the backup battery.

If the battery has to be functional for the AC power to work (i.e. the unit really runs off the battery, which the AC keeps continually charged) the battery may have gone bad. That happens to my UPS units all the time (about every 3 years I have to replace the battery).
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Bob C

Most likely the circuit the recept is on.

To update, I did plug an electric tool into the same outlet and it worked, so the outlet doesn't seem to be the problem. I will try a new battery though as the one in the unit is old. Thanks for the advice.

Good luck, Dave. Hunter has a tech support hotline, and an excellent troubleshooting website. You might want to check it out. Here is what I found:

The "NO AC" display is a diagnostic message telling you that the controller has stopped receiving AC power. The controller is running on the power supplied by the backup battery.

Check the power source by plugging a lamp or radio into the wall outlet to verify there is power at the outlet. If your controller is not plugged into a wall outlet, the power source is hardwired.

If you do not have power to the outlet, check all wall switches, timers, or power strips that may be connected to the outlet. Have an electrician check your GFI, circuit breaker, and electrical outlet if you do not have power to the outlet.

To verify that you have power to the outlet, disconnect the backup battery from the controller. If the display goes blank after removing the battery, the transformer could be damaged and may need to be replaced. If you a have a mutli meter you could also try testing for 24VAC on the two AC terminals inside the controllers wiring compartment.

Readout says AC ?
 

If your house was built in the last 2-3 years, you probably have a "Hunter Pro-C Controller" Model PCC. Here's a link to the owners manual in PDF format. In the troubleshooting section, there is no readout that says "AC". (A "No AC" readout would be more likely, as others have mentioned above.) If it actually reads "No AC" and there is no loose or broken wire inside at the end of the power cord, could be the transformer that you're plugging in is bad. You've already verified that the outlet you're plugging into is good.

Unfortunately, changing the battery won't help.

http://www.hunterindustries.com/site.../om_pcc_en.pdf

Yep, tried changing the battery and nothing happened. The readout does in fact say "AC" but it's possible the "no" is not showing. I thought about the transformer but I don't want to keep experimenting. It feels warm to the touch, which I know doesn't mean anything. Does anyone know of a good repair person in the area who can diagnose and fix this?

I use Chip Parrish (352) 516-2281 to work on my sprinkler system. Honest. Thorough. Hard working. Nice guy. Another good one is Jim Baumgartner.

Did you try resetting your unit? That might work.

Jim Baumgardner is great on repairing these, and I think he is licensed by Hunter.

I agree, Jim is the best, very reasonable and always solves the issues.

I just call Charlene my homewatch, she fixed ours. :thumbup:

Had a complete check up on my system last week by Joe Tucker, 352-4305615. Great job. My regular guy (Baumgardner) was on a cruise but recommended Joe.