Your automatic lawn sprinkler system is controller by a timer that tells the system when to turn on an off. The timer is also known as an irrigation controller. The timer communicates with all the electric valves and pump-start relay.
Eventually your timer will get old and go out. It may start off slowly with things like the LCD display fading, coming on at odd times you didn’t program, or consistently not keeping the correct date and time. It could also just quit completely at once.
Either way, when the controller goes bad, it is time to replace it if you still desire to maintain an automatic landscape irrigation system. The average life of an electric irrigation timer is about 7-10 years. Like pumps, this is just an average and can vary depending on several different factors.
I always recommend using a commercial grade, quality timer. The little bit of extra money spent now will pay off in the long run because it will last longer and just be more reliable overall. You don’t want to gamble with your expensive landscape, especially if you are usually not home or out of town a lot. As you know, you can’t always depend on rainfall to keep your lawn and landscape green.
Replacing a sprinkler timer can be a fairly simple task for the right person. If you are a handy, “hands-on” type of person then you should be able to replace your timer yourself and save some money. As long as you have a basic understanding of electricity, know how to use a multimeter, and don’t mind messing with a few wires.
Replacing a digital controller is a little more complicated than replacing an electro-mechanical or “dial” type of timer. The “dial” timers are simple and have a built-in pump-start relay. They are mostly used with index valves, where digital timers are mostly used with electric valves.
Before you remove the old sprinkler controller, make sure you grab a pen and piece of paper so that you can write down a few things. You will want to make note about which wire connects to which terminal or spot. For example; the common wire may be white or green. There could also be multiple common wires connected to the common terminal. You’ll want to make a note of each wire and each spot it hooks up to. This will help prevent any wiring errors after you remove the old timer and mount the new one.
A common “rookie” or novice mistake I see when someone tries to replace their own irrigation timer is going to fast. They’ll just get started by disconnecting all the wires from the controller, mount the new one, and then try to remember or figure out which wire connects to which terminal! Slow down and take the time to write everything down and it will save you a lot of time and headache.
Of course, always make sure you shut off the power source to the timer before you get started. You don’t want to work with “hot” electricity and risk getting shocked or electrocuted. You also risk blowing the transformer or “frying” the digital face or circuit board of the timer if you are trying to wire it with the electricity on. I know this all sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many times I’ve seen the aftermath of people trying to replace their own timer and wiring it wrong where it doesn’t work at all, or they permanently damage the new timer they just bought.
Like I previously mentioned; This is a task that is very doable as long as you have some basic knowledge and experience with electricity and electronics. If you’ve ever wired a car stereo then you can do this! If you’ve attempted to wire a car stereo before and not succeeded or had a very frustrating time then you may not want to do this.
As always, if you’re not comfortable doing this task yourself please call a professional irrigation contractor. You will have to spend a little bit of money, but the timer is the “brains” of your system and will pay you dividends in terms of a beautiful lawn and landscape for years to come.
Scott Young
Advanced Irrigation Systems, Inc.
850-729-7110
www.autolawnsprinklers.com
www.advancedirrigationsystems.net
