Sprinkler Timer, Controller & Rain Sensor Repair in Titusville, FL
The controller is the brain of the system. When it is wrong, everything is wrong.
The controller, or timer, decides which zone runs, when and for how long. A blank screen, a zone that won't start from the panel, or a schedule that runs on the wrong day all point back to it. Sometimes it is the controller itself. Often it is a wire, a transformer or a setting someone changed and forgot.
A rain sensor is a small device, usually mounted on a gutter or fence, that tells the controller to skip watering after enough rain falls. If it fails, your system runs right through a downpour. If it is stuck wet, your system may never run at all.
When it's time for controller & rain sensor service
- A blank, flickering or frozen controller screen
- Zones running on the wrong day or at the wrong time
- Sprinklers running during or right after a heavy rain
- Nothing runs at all, even though the schedule looks right
- A rain sensor with a broken mount, cut wire or dead battery
- You want to check and run zones from your phone
Common controller and sensor faults
A dead controller screen is often a power problem, not a dead controller. The plug-in transformer may have failed, the outlet may be on a tripped GFCI, or a surge may have blown the fuse. Those are quick fixes. If the screen works but a zone won't run from the panel, the issue is usually that zone's wire or its valve, not the controller.
Rain sensors fail in a few predictable ways. The wire gets cut during roof or gutter work, the mount breaks and the sensor falls into a spot that never gets wet, or the cork disks inside wear out and stop responding. Wireless sensors also need working batteries. Many controllers have a bypass switch, and a sensor that has been bypassed and forgotten is common.
Schedule mistakes are the most common of all. Controllers often have several programs, A, B and C, and an old program can still be running in the background. Start times overlap, a seasonal adjustment gets set to 150 percent and stays there, or the clock drifts after an outage. We clear out old programs and leave one clean schedule.
If you are thinking about a Wi-Fi controller, a few things are worth checking first. It needs a steady Wi-Fi signal where it will be mounted, which is often a garage wall. It needs enough stations for all your zones, plus room to grow if you plan to add one. And it should let you lock in your watering days, so automatic weather adjustments change run times without moving watering to a day that isn't allowed. We check all of that before recommending one. We also take a few minutes to show you how to run a single zone from the app, which makes your own monthly zone check a lot easier.
How we handle it
- 01
Start at the power supply
We check power, the transformer, each zone output and the rain sensor input.
- 02
Follow the field wires
We trace them out to the valves to find breaks, bad splices and shorts.
- 03
Fix it or swap it
We fix what is broken or install a new controller or Wi-Fi model you approve.
- 04
Program it right
We enter your watering days, keep runs out of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and show you how it works.
Controller & Rain Sensor Service: what people ask
Is a rain sensor required in Florida?
Florida law requires automatic landscape irrigation systems to have technology that stops them during periods of sufficient moisture, and the City of Titusville notes that systems installed after 1991 need a rain sensor. We check yours on every visit.
Why does my system run on the wrong days?
The schedule may never have been updated for the season, the clock may have reset after a power outage, or there may be more than one program running. We review every program on the controller.
Can you install a Wi-Fi or smart controller?
Yes. We install Wi-Fi controllers, connect them to your network, set your watering days and run times, and show you the app.
My controller screen is on but no zones run. What is wrong?
It could be a rain sensor stuck in the wet position, a blown fuse, a failed common wire or a valve problem. We test each one in order.
Do I need to change my timer when the clocks change?
Yes, unless your controller does it for you. The allowed watering days change between standard time and daylight saving time.
Local conditions in Titusville & North Brevard
Titusville's schedule changes twice a year. Under the current City schedule, homes water once a week during standard time and up to twice a week during daylight saving time. A lot of controllers never get changed, so they either water too much in winter or too little in summer. A Wi-Fi controller can make the switch easier, and some can follow local weather to skip a run after rain. We set it up and check that it lines up with your address's days.
Florida law has required automatic sprinkler systems to have a rain sensor or similar shutoff since the early 1990s, and licensed contractors working on a system are required to test those devices. In practice, many sensors around town are broken, unplugged or bypassed. We test yours on every visit and repair or replace it if it isn't working. Lightning is also hard on controllers in summer storms, so a surge-protected outlet near the controller is worth considering.
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Let's talk about your yard
Tell us what's going on and we'll take it from there. Free estimates, and you approve the price before any work starts. Ask about licensing and insurance before any work begins, with us or anyone else.
(321) 382-8298 Text a photo of the problem