sprinklers
 

Need some advice about our sprinkler system. We had extensive landscaping done the first week of March and have been watering every day for two weeks using bypass on the controller and having the seasonal adjustment at 100% as instructed. Now in the process of cutting back one day a week until watering 3 days a week still using bypass and 100% seasonal. Well, checked on it Monday AM to make the first change and found the seasonal adjustment had changed to 60% even though in the bypass mode (rained on Sunday). Changed it back to 100% and just checked this AM (Tuesday) and found the seasonal adjustment had changed again but to 40%, which of course changes the watering times for the zones, and this happened in the bypass mode. Put it back to 100% which ups the watering times as needed for now. Any thoughts? Should I contact Warranty and have the installer come back to look or is it my misunderstanding of how the system works?

You are misunderstanding how the system works. Sounds like you my have had the same landscaper as I did, who was clueless and his instructions causedunder watering and graying and browning of our palms while on vacation. The bypass is for rain and has nothing to do with the 100%. Your system seems to be working exactly as it should. Call the installer of your system and have them come out and explain how it really works. They can turn of the 100% atmospheric sensor if you want. But this is meant to help you save water.

Thank you. I was to understand that by using the bypass it doesn't matter if it rains or not, the system will water anyway. But you are saying that using the auto system it will water as needed and change the % which changes the time each zone watered. But then will it go back to 100% when it is needed?

bonrich, it sounds like your system is the same as mine - Hunter Pro-C controller. The issue you are experiencing is caused by a second device which is behind the Pro-C controller.

The Pro-C is on a hinge and behind it you will see a Hunter SolarSync. This device senses atmospheric conditions and will increase or decrease the settings you have set in the Pro-C. You can find owner manuals at the Hunter website.

By the way, the only way I found to completely stop the increasing/decreasing is to disconnect the SolarSync.

Call the folks who installed your irrigation system........................

Thank you Champion6 and bogie shooter.
You are both correct. Called Tri-County, the installer, and as you stated Champion6, is to go behind the hinged cover and pull the blue wire, there are two blue wires of course, so I pulled one (lower group) of them to see if it works, and was told that would circumvent the water sensor so I can water all the time as needed for now and then put the system back together for the solar sync to work.
I am also going on the Hunter web site to look more closely at how it all works.
Thanks again!!

Update: Yeah, pull the blue wire.

Call Hunter Tech Support. My home watch guy had disconnected the Solar Synch system without telling me, so I was over-watering this winter. I don't want to give advice on the net, but they will tell you what to do.

Technical Support
Product Questions: (1) 760-591-7383

Thank you for the responses. Yes, I did disconnect the blue wire, the upper one to the left of the Solar Sync. I will call Hunter Tech Support and ask them what is the reason for the bypass switch or auto switch and how it operates. Also, if the Solar Synch controls the amount of water used, and the original setting for Seasonal was at 100%, will it take it back to that % when the atmospheric conditions change?
Thanks to all who answered. Always help here.