How to Troubleshoot a Toro Sprinkler Timer
A Toro sprinkler timer provides hands-free, scheduled watering for a lawn or garden. Using a central control, you can program the timer to electronically open or close valves to send water to specific zones within your irrigation system at scheduled times. If your Toro sprinkler timer is not working properly, some simple troubleshooting steps may identify and help resolve the problem.
No Power to Timer
Look at the circuit breaker in your home's main breaker box if the timer unit has no power, and the LED display panel is blank. Flip the circuit breaker for the timer's circuit to "on" if it has tripped. Replace the timer's fuse if it has blown.
Unplug the transformer at the end of the unit's power cord. Insert an electrical circuit tester into the power outlet to verify that the outlet has power. Plug in the transformer. If the outlet has power but the LED display is still blank, replace the transformer.
Replace the timer or have it serviced if the unit is still blank.
Valve Does Not Operate
Reprogram the timer if a power loss has caused the programming to reset.
Look for and repair faulty wiring between the timer and the screw-in solenoid on top of a valve in the irrigation system if the valve fails to open at the programmed run time.
Replace the valve solenoid if the wiring from the timer to the solenoid is good, and the solenoid still does not open the valve.
Rewire or replace the rain-delay unit if the timer waters during rainy weather.
Replace the timer or have it serviced if any of the valves fail to operate properly or if the fuse continues to fail after all troubleshooting steps have been completed.
Watering Problems
Shorten each zone watering run time, or space the start times out more, if watering starts at unscheduled times because of overlapping schedules. Turn off all but one start time for each zone if the timer turns zone sprinklers on at multiple, unexpected times.
Clean out any valve that will not close after a run time has ended. Remove any debris that prevents it from closing. Replace the solenoid if the valve continues to remain open. Replace the timer or have it serviced if the problem persists.
Reset the Season Adjust function that adjusts the timer for different seasonal conditions if the timer is not watering at expected times.
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In Jacksonville, Fla., Frank Whittemore is a content strategist with over a decade of experience as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy and a licensed paramedic. He has over 15 years experience writing for several Fortune 500 companies. Whittemore writes on topics in medicine, nature, science, technology, the arts, cuisine, travel and sports.
