Sprinkler Controller and Wiring Repair

The controller (some people call it the timer or the clock) runs the whole system. When it acts up, or a wire is cut, zones stop running or run at the wrong time.

Call 469-902-9800

A gray irrigation controller box mounted on a garage wall with valve wires running down through conduit, a green hose coiled beside it

Common controller problems

Blank screen or no power
A fault or error message for one zone
Zones running at strange times, or twice
The system runs during rain
The controller seems fine but a zone never starts
Settings lost after a power outage

Controller or wire?

When a zone will not run, the problem is often the wire between the controller and the valve, not the controller itself. Wires get cut by landscape crews, fence posts, new irrigation trenches and remodel work. Splices buried in wet valve boxes corrode. We test each zone's circuit to find where the signal stops before we replace anything.

A slim white smart irrigation controller on a garage wall with colored zone wires entering its terminal strip from a conduit

Smart controllers

Wi-Fi controllers can adjust watering to the weather and let you run zones from your phone. They can save a good amount of water, but only if they are set up right. We install and set up smart controllers, including setting the right watering days for your city, the type of head on each zone, soil type, sun and shade.

If you already have one and it waters too much or too little, the setup is usually the problem, not the hardware.

Rain and freeze sensors

A rain or freeze sensor stops the system from running during rain or when it is freezing. Texas rules require a rain or moisture shut-off on automatic systems installed in recent years, and watering during freezing weather creates ice on sidewalks and streets. We can add or replace a sensor on most controllers.

A wired rain sensor on a bracket at the corner of a roof gutter in the rain, its wire running down the fascia

A simple schedule

Many controllers we see have three or four leftover programs from past owners. We clean that up into one clear schedule that follows your city's watering days, and we write it down for you.

Questions people ask us

Do I need a new controller?

Not always. If the screen works and the issue is one zone, it is often a wire or valve. If the controller has no power, has a burned zone output, or is very old, replacing it can be the best fix.

Which controller brands do you work on?

All the common ones, including Rain Bird, Hunter, Toro, Irritrol, Orbit and Rachio.

Can you move my controller?

Yes. People often want it moved during a garage remodel or new build. We extend the wiring so all zones still work.

Worth reading before you call

Watering Rules in Dallas, University Park and Highland Park, ExplainedWhich days you can run sprinklers in Dallas, University Park and Highland Park, the daytime limits, what is exempt, and how variances for new…
Sprinkler Zone Won’t Shut Off? What to Do Right Now and Why It HappensA sprinkler zone that keeps running is usually a stuck valve or a controller fault. How to stop the water in two minutes, then…
Smart Sprinkler Controllers and the Dallas Irrigation RebateWhat a smart controller does, how to set one up for Dallas or Park Cities rules, and who qualifies for the Dallas Water Utilities…
Rain and Freeze Sensors: What They Do and What the Rules RequireHow sprinkler rain and freeze sensors work, why Dallas requires them, what Texas and University Park rules say, and how to test yours.

Sprinkler problem? Call and talk to a person.

Tell us what you are seeing: a wet spot, a dead zone, a geyser, a controller that will not turn on. We will tell you what it likely is and set a visit.