Irrigation Controller Repair in Glendale, Arizona

A Glendale controller has to cope with a calendar that swings from 110-degree weeks to monsoon storms to frost, and with water pressure that changes by the hour. Many "broken controller" calls in Glendale are really a schedule that never caught up with the season.

Repair first, rebate second

The City of Glendale offers a rebate on WaterSense labeled smart controllers for single-family city water customers, so a failing timer often raises the replace-or-repair question. The city's terms make the order clear. Only a system in good working order qualifies, the old controller must not already be on the WaterSense product list, and the application needs photos of the old and new units with an itemized receipt. A controller swap will not fix a cut wire, a bad solenoid or a stuck valve. Run each station by hand first. A station that fails from the panel has a field problem, and that gets fixed before any new controller goes on the wall.

Programming that fits Glendale

Once the hardware works, the program needs local inputs.

• Start times. The city says pressure may drop from 6 to 8 a.m. AMWUA suggests watering turf between 1 and 7 a.m. in warm months. A start well before 6 a.m. meets both.
• Seasons. AMWUA recommends adjusting the schedule at least four times a year. In Glendale those points fall naturally before summer heat, after the monsoon ends on September 30, before the first frost, and in spring.
• Rain. About half the region's yearly rain falls from June through September, according to the National Weather Service. A rain sensor or rain hold earns its place then, as long as someone clears the hold afterwards.
• Flood-irrigated lots. Downtown lots on the city's urban irrigation system get a delivery day every two weeks from April to late October. Sprinkler zones that cover the same ground can be paused around that day so the yard is not watered twice.

Symptoms that point away from the controller

Some faults look like a controller problem and are not. A station that runs from the panel but sprays weakly before 6 a.m. is a pressure question. A station that will not run even from the panel points to a wire, a splice or a solenoid out in the yard, and the valve repair page is the better starting point. A yard that seems to be watered twice may have two programs with start times set. A system that stays off for days after a monsoon storm is often sitting on a rain hold nobody cleared.

What to leave with

You should end up with a controller that runs each station on command, a clock that is set correctly, and a written copy of the program: station, what it waters, start time, run time and days. Tape it inside the controller door.

Related pages

The controller repair service page covers the general method. The seasonal run-time guide gives Glendale-specific settings. If replacement makes more sense, read the Glendale smart controller page and the rebate guide. If one zone stays dry, start with one zone not working.