That old saying “timing is everything” still rings true today. Sometimes you’ve just got to be in the right place at the right time for the right things to happen. That’s just a fact of life, but at Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County), we know that timing is still everything — even when it comes to taking care of your lawn and making the right decisions about a lawn care provider. Here at Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County), we care for and about your lawn long after a scheduled appointment. Because we use quality parts and quality service, you have our guarantee that you’ll love the way your lawn looks and the way your sprinklers work at the end of each day. One of our quality parts that needs more attention is the automatic sprinkler timer. At Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County), we only use the best products for your sprinkler system and your lawn. This includes but is not limited to brands such as Toro, Rainbird, Hunter, and Orbit. We’re here to help you know all you need to know about your automatic sprinkler timers so your lawn, much like you, can know that “timing is everything.” Call us today at (801) 709-1574 with any questions, or to schedule an appointment!
BASIC FUNCTIONS
The human brain is able to do incredible things. One thing it does well at is being able to manage time effectively. A lawn or a sprinkler system without an automatic sprinkler timer is essentially a lawn or sprinkler system without a brain. With that said, the sprinkler timer acts as the brain to the entire sprinkler system. It’s able to communicate to the sprinkler valves about when to turn on or off, and provides a more user-friendly interface to control your sprinklers. Though sprinkler timers vary to a small degree across the board with each brand, the most basic and general functions are almost universally the same. However, it’s still important to break down what they do. Virtually all sprinkler timers have the same 3 functions that are listed below:
How To Program All Sprinkler Timers
Before jumping into the 3 functions, the first thing you’ll want to be sure to do is checking the date and time on the face of the sprinkler timer and making sure it’s where you want it to be. After checking that the time and date are correct, you will only need to review the 3 functions on every timer to make sure they are programmed correctly.
The 3 functions are:
- What days to water: This automates the system to water only on days you select
- Time of day to water: Try and have your sprinklers turn on when it’s just before daybreak or sunset to prevent water from evaporating. Watering in the early morning or early evening is most effective to get the water to soak deep in the ground and promote healthy lawn growth. Click here to learn more about the best times to water your lawn!
- How long to water each zone: This will allow the sprinklers to only water as long as you program them before automatically shutting off.
Those are the 3 functions you’ll need to review on essentially any sprinkler timer to ensure that your timer will water at proper times and at the right amount of water for each zone. Click this link for a video that further explains these functions!
Common Problems
Like any other piece of hardware, automatic sprinkler timers are prone to some common problems. While most of these problems aren’t extremely severe, know that one call to Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County) at (801) 709-1574, can solve all those sprinkler-related needs — including a fix to a faulty sprinkler timer! Some common problems include:
1. No Power: Check if the timer is properly plugged in and getting power. Usually, there is no power going to the outlet, or an electrical breaker may be tripped.
2. Too Many Start Times: The start time is when the sprinklers will start and run through every valve on the whole system. Be careful to not set more than one start time, as this will cause over-watering to your lawn, and potentially drown out your roots.
3. Programs: Programming on automatic sprinkler timers can be confusing. These are usually labeled A and B, or ABC and D. Much like presetting a radio station, these allow different saved presets of settings to quickly be selected. To make things easy on yourself and your lawn at first, stick to using the first program setting before diving in and selecting and setting others.
4. Wiring Problems: Wiring that either breaks, shorts out, and connects with other wires can mess with the timer and cause it to not function properly. Every so often when this does happen, an error or fault warning will be displayed on the timer. Check in the timer and the valve box to ensure that none of the wires are touching. If not, you’ll have to use a multi-meter to figure out where the problem is. If there is a broken wire, the best option is usually to reconnect the timer and the valve to a different spare wire in the bundle.
If you think there is a problem with one of the zones, or with wiring, timers usually have a setting labeled “manual” that will allow you to manually activate and deactivate valves. If none of these solutions fix the timer, just replace the timer by placing a call with Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County) at (801) 709-1574!
Conclusion
Though sprinkler timers can be very intimidating, they all share the same functions and once you break them down, they’re quite simple. Be sure to call Sprinkler Master Repair (Utah County) at (801) 709-1574 for all your sprinkler needs! And remember, timing is everything. Don’t let your time slip away on having a great looking lawn and exceptional sprinklers!
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