Sprinkler System Control Panel Not Working

If you live in the Columbia S.C. or Lexington Area, you may wake up to find that your Sprinkler System Control Panel is Not Working this morning.  This is likely due to the lightning thunderstorms we had last night in our area.  Lightening can affect not only your irrigation controller, but also your wiring and your zone solenoids.

Some symptoms that your lawn irrigation timer is bad are as follows:

• Every zone you put the dial on turns the same zone on
• There is a red indicator light on at the top of the controller
• There doesn't appear to be any power to the panel
• The control panel is obviously damaged by lightening (blown off the wall, charred, yes this happens!)
• Some irrigation zone valves do not turn on

Landscape wiring related to your sprinkler system can also be affected by lightening or power surges.  These phenomenon affect the wiring sometimes by shorting the wires at the connection points.  To repair low voltage sprinkler wiring, you must first locate the fault with a wire tracer.  Another sure fire way to repair faulty sprinkler system wiring is to run new wire, digging it under the surface of the sod by using a trencher.

Irrigation systems have separate zones for the various parts of your lawn and flower beds.  These zones are controlled by valve solenoids that tell the valve to open and close.  If the solenoid has been affected by lightening, that zone will not open OR it will stay on. 

All diagnistics on lightening related irrigation problems should be addressed by a qualified technician working for a licensed sprinkler repair company.  Many years of experience can mean the difference between shoddy workmanship and an inordinately long repair process and a quick, efficient, quality repair job.