Irrigation Controller Not Working? Sun City Checks

Why is my sprinkler timer not working at all?

Start with power. A blank display usually means the controller has lost power: a tripped breaker, an unplugged transformer or a switched outlet turned off. If the display shows the time but nothing runs, the controller has power and the cause is in the program or a rain setting.

Many Sun City homes are all-electric; the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum records that the developer converted to all-electric homes in 1970 because natural gas was hard to get. Garage controllers in those homes share household circuits, so a breaker tripped by another appliance can silence the irrigation too. Do not open the controller or test live terminals yourself; electrical testing is work for a qualified technician.

A checklist when the sprinkler system is not turning on

Work through these in order. Most faults turn up in the first four.

1. Power: is the display lit? Check the outlet and breaker without opening the controller.
2. Mode: is the dial or menu on Auto (or Run), not Off or Rain?
3. Rain hold: is a rain delay active, or is a rain sensor still reading wet after a storm?
4. Clock and date: a reset after a power cut can leave the wrong day, so programs run at the wrong time or not at all.
5. Programs: read start times, watering days and station run times for every program, including ones you do not use.
6. Seasonal adjust: a percentage set very low shrinks every run time toward zero.
7. Manual test: run one station by hand. If it runs, the schedule is the problem; if it does not, the station's wire or valve is.

When a sprinkler system is not turning on for one station only, the fault sits on that station's path. When several fail together, look back toward the controller, its transformer or the shared common wire.

Why does a zone run at the wrong time, or twice?

Usually a program has two start times, or two programs include the same station. Each start time runs every station in its program, so one extra start time doubles a whole night's watering. Delete start times you do not need and keep each station in one program only.

The Arizona Municipal Water Users Association recommends adjusting schedules at least four times a year, and every adjustment is a chance to leave a stray start time behind. If a zone runs with the controller switched off, the controller is not the cause; our stuck valve guide covers that case.

Does the controller need to handle EPCOR curtailment?

It should be able to. EPCOR's Sun City Water District tariff defines curtailment stages in which outside watering is first asked to be limited, including on an even-and-odd basis with no weekend or holiday watering at Stage 2, and prohibited at Stage 4 (EPCOR tariff). The tariff defines the stages; it does not announce one.

Know how to change watering days, set a global seasonal percentage and switch everything off from one setting. Those three skills cover every stage. Our water restrictions guide explains each stage in plain terms.

Is it time for a smart controller?

Sometimes. An old timer that keeps losing its program, has a failing display or cannot set separate programs for drip and spray is a fair candidate for replacement. EPA WaterSense estimates a labelled weather-based or soil-moisture controller can trim as much as 15,000 gallons a year from an average home's use compared with a clock timer, provided the setup is right.

Setup is where that saving is won. Each station needs its plant type, sun, soil and whether it is drip or spray. A Wi-Fi model also helps when the house sits empty for part of the year, because the schedule can be paused from a phone.

Next step in Sun City

For a controller that will not hold a program or power up, start with irrigation controller repair in Sun City. If replacement makes more sense, see smart irrigation controllers in Sun City. The irrigation controller repair page explains the work, and the Sun City service area lists every local service.