What routine maintenance should you perform on irrigation controllers to ensure proper scheduling?

• A. Check and set time/date, program zones, rain/freeze sensors, seasonal adjustments, and ensure backup power; test run.
• B. Only set the time once a year.
• C. Program all zones to run at the same time.
• D. Ignore backup power.

Answer: (A)

Keeping an irrigation controller up to date is essential because the schedule depends on several interlocking settings that control when and how long each zone waters. Start with the time and date so programs trigger at the right moments and daylight saving changes don’t throw off the schedule. Each zone should be programmed according to its specific landscape needs, since different areas may require different runtimes and frequencies to avoid overwatering some zones and underwatering others. Rain and freeze sensors should be checked and enabled when available to override watering in wet or freezing conditions, saving water and protecting plants. Seasonal adjustments tune runtimes as weather and plant water needs change throughout the year, preventing waste and stress. Backup power or a battery keeps the programmed schedules intact during power outages, avoiding lost settings. Finally, running a test cycle verifies that valves operate, coverage is correct, and there are no leaks or misconfigurations.

Setting the time only once a year ignores changes and can drift with time; programming all zones to run at the same time ignores the differing needs of each area; and ignoring backup power risks losing schedules during outages.