Orbit Easy-Set Logic Timer: 4, 6, 9, 12 station timers
This guide assumes you already have your sprinkler valves wired to the timer. It only covers setting the electronic timers.
First things first. If you don’t know which areas of your yard are watered by which zones, you need to set up each zone to run briefly so you can watch and record the order. To do this:
Set the clock and date.
Spin the dial to “Set Clock” and use the up-arrow button on the right side of the device face. Make sure you correctly choose AM vs PM. Then spin the dial to “Set Date” and do the same, using the “right arrow” button to switch form year number to month, then to day the day of the year. Use the up/down arrow buttons to alter the month and day to the current date.
All programs require you set 3 sections of the timer: Start Time, Run Time, How Often
Run Time:
Rotate the center dial to “Run Time” and choose program A (upper right small button on the box toggles through programs A, B, and C”). The first zone showing should be #1. Set this to 1 minute by pressing the up arrow button on the right side of the panel face. Once you have done this, press the right-arrow button. This will toggle it to zone #2. Set this to 1 minute also. Go through all the zones connected to your sprinklers, setting them to run for 1 minute.
How Often:
Rotate the dial to “How Often” and press the “right arrow” button until “INT” flashes along the bottom and press the “up” button to set it to “every 1 days”. “Int” means interval. You can adjust this for other options later. Press the right-arrow button to make it save your change.
Start Time:
Then rotate the dial to “Start Time”. If you desire to water some sections (but not others) at a different time of day, you will need to use program B in addition which we will get to in a bit. For our zone test, we don’t need anything fancy.
When you spin the dial to “Start Time” you must press the small “Program” button in the upper right of the panel face. This will tell the timer which program you’re setting. Directly above the flashing time display (it starts empty, with dashes) will be little filled in squares that read “1” “2” “3” “4”. These indicate extra “turn on the whole program again in the same day” phases. Hit the “right arrow” to set the first one of the 4. Make sure the “1” is showing above the flashing time display, then use the up or down arrows to set the time you would normally desire the system to begin.
Verify:
Spin the dial to “Auto”. It should flash the current time, then the next scheduled start time in the programming (including which day of the week, along the bottom). If the “Next start time” is incorrect or missing, go back and check that you have “Start Time” and “How Often” set properly.
Press the “Manual” button. This will force the timer to use any and all edited programs right now. You can use the “right arrow” button to skip a zone as needed.
Record:
Watch and record which zones water which parts of your yard. Write it down or draw a sketch for future use, ideally taping or sticking it to the timer or wall nearby.
Now we go through the more detailed setup options:
Run all connected zones, one right after the other at the time and day(s) of my choosing, but only once on that day.
Start Time:
Spin to “Start Time”: Use the “Program” button to toggle to “Program A”. Make sure the current time is correct, then set the time of day you wish the whole program to run. Make sure you are setting “Program A” and part 1 (the little filled in number above the time display) by using the right-arrow button to toggle through the numbered parts of Program A. If you set part 2, 3, or 4, it will run multiple times on each chosen day (a common mistake people seem to have). If parts 2, 3, or 4 have times listed when you toggle through them, use the “Clear” button on the upper left of the timer face to delete it.
Run Time:
Spin to “Run Time”: Different sections need different amounts of water. Set each zone individually to suit the type of plants growing there. Grass should be watered deeply enough that the ground is wetted several inches deep, but not so much that the excess runs off into the street or onto your walkways. How long that is depends on your soil and condition of your grass. It is better to water grass once a week deeply than to water every day, but too shallow.
How Often:
Spin to “How Often”: You have lots of options here, listed out along the bottom of the display window. You may choose specific days of the week (press the right-arrow button until the day you desire is selected, then the up arrow to toggle it on). If you want to water on odd or even days, that an option too. If you want to water every day, or some other interval (e.g. every 3 days) then select “INT” and use the up arrow button to change the number of days between waterings. If you use the “INT” setting, hit the right-arrow one more time to get it to “stick”.
Verify:
Rotate the dial to “Auto” and verify that the flashing “next watering” time/day is correct. If nothing but the current time shows, or the wrong “next watering” time shows, go back and make sure your “Start Time” and “How often” have been set properly.
One main program run several time on the chosen day(s):
You might do this to keep new grass sod/seed moist, or for short bursts to rinse the lawn of pet urine to reduce urine scorching. If you want all your sections to run for the same amount of time on each day, and do it several times on those days, just use your previously edited program A. If you need multiple programs, read the next section too.
Start Time:
Spin to “Start Time” and use the right-arrow button until a filled in “2” shows above the empty time display. Use the up/down arrows to set this 2nd run time. Use the right-arrow to set up the 3rd time, then the 4th, if you desire them. If a time is set for 2, 3, 4 that you do not want, you can delete it while it’s being displayed with the “Clear” button on the upper left of the panel face.
Spin back to “Auto”
Water some sections at one time of day, and other sections at another time or another day entirely.
You might do this for tree watering heads, since most established trees do not need to be watered as frequently as grass or flower beds. Or, you want to water everything together, then water isolated sections again at other times or days.
You need to set multiple programs. Start with program A, setting the “Run Time” “How Often” and “Start Time” for all the zones you wish to run regularly. Use the “Clear” button to delete any zones from the schedule that have a run-time listed you desire to skip. Any zones with no run time displayed will be skipped. Once done, do the whole process again, but for each setting (run time, how often, start time) hit the “Program” button to change it to program B. Do this in each window to make sure you’re editing the correct program.
If you desire program A or B to run multiple times on the selected “how often” days, you must edit the “Start Time” window for each program:
Spin to “Start Time”, hit “Program” until the correct program is toggled on, and use the right-arrow button until a filled in “2” shows above the empty time display. Use the up/down arrows to set this 2nd run time. Use the right-arrow to set up the 3rd time, then the 4th, if you desire them. If a time is set for 2, 3, 4 that you do not want, you can delete it while it’s being displayed with the “Clear” button on the upper left of the panel face.
Spin back to “Auto”
Water saving:
You can increase or decrease the amount of water your system uses without altering the program timing. Spin the dial to “Budget” and change the percentage to suit your needs. For example, If you set your budget to 50%, each zone will run for 50% of the programmed time. Once you set the budget, you must spin the dial back to “Auto”.
Rain Delay:
You can set this to 24, 48, 72 hours etc. if you know it’s going to rain. It will trigger your normal program after the wait period you specify is over.
Manual Watering:
Press Manual watering if you want to run 1 or more programs right now. When you select manual watering, select the program button (upper right) and wait for the program to begin. Use the right-arrow button to skip the currently-running zone if you wish to move on to other zones. The zones will fire off in the order specified by your program.
Notes:
Each program runs in one big time block, each zone you’ve set turning on directly after the last. Only one zone can run at a time (to ensure each zone has enough water pressure). This means, if you have 12 zones set for 1 minute each, the program will run for 12 minutes solid, one zone directly after the previous one.
If you have conflicting times set in programs A, B, or C, (I.e. 7am, for program A, and 7am for program B… or Program A runs from 5:30-6:00 and program B has a zone set to run at 5:45). The first program will finish fully, then the next program will run as if it is the correct clock time for it.
Problems:
Your program is running through normally, then running again.
You have too many start times set for one program. Go to “Start Time”, hit the “Program” button to select your correct program. Use the right arrow to make sure you do not have extra additional start times programmed (the little filled-in numbers above the time display). If you do, use the Clear button to delete them. Also check that you have not inadvertently set programs B or C to be the same as A.
Inquisitive Gecko 