I-Core Controller

(505) 688-5594

Since 1981

The

I-Core Sprinkler Controller

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GUARANTEED Sprinkler Repair

505-688-5594

The I-Core sprinkler controller (manufactured by Hunter Industries) is a very versatile way to control your irrigation system. It comes with the capability to operate (6) zones in the standard configuration and is expandable up to (42) zones depending on the model. Four separate programs can be used to group the various valves according to watering frequency (more on this later). Three of these programs (A, B & C) have the ability to water 8x per day per program, the fourth program (D) can water up to 16x per day. Individual station run times are from (1) minute to (12) hours. Watering can be done by day of the week, odd/ even days of the month, or interval (days between watering). When using the odd/ even days of the month you can program “no water days”. For instance if the lawn is mowed every Thursday you can set that as a “no water day”. This controller also has a built in Smart-Port for connecting a remote control. This allows activation of the stations up to (2) miles away on large properties.

 The watering times can be set to automatically change monthly throughout the year. For example, if we set station (1) to water for 20 minutes on each watering cycle we can then tell the timer to water 100% in the month of May, 110% in June and 130% in July. Station (1) would then water 20 minutes/ cycle in May, 22 minutes/ cycle in June and 26 minutes/ cycle in July. All station times set on the controller will water according to the % set for each individual station for each month of the year. Or a Solar-Sync weather station can be hooked up to use the weather conditions to adjust the watering to actual on-site requirements based upon evapotranspiration rates. There are also rain sensors and freeze sensors which can be connected to prevent watering if it has rained recently or if the temperature is cold enough that ice may be formed on sidewalks or driveways creating hazardous conditions. Two sensors (three on some models) can be hooked up and programmed for each individual station. This can be useful if you want to shut off the spray sprinklers in freezing weather, but still want to water the trees and bushes.

 If a separate flow sensor is installed on the main sprinkler supply line and wired to the timer it can show the total amount of water used. You can set up two time frames to monitor total water usage. One could be used for monthly water use and one for water use in a given year. These can be reset at any time. The controller can also be programmed with maximum and minimum flow rates for each zone. If a pipe breaks on one of the sprinkler zones the controller will “see” the increased flow on the affected zone and shut it down. This will not only save water but will also prevent most of the damage caused by the water rushing out of the broken pipe. The other zones will not be affected by this and will continue to operate normally. If used together with a master valve at the beginning of the main line for the irrigation system this would also protect against washouts caused by a broken main supply line. 

 The master valve/ pump start can be set for each individual station. This is useful if part of your irrigation is from a municipal water source and part is from a well. The pump start can then be set to operate only when running stations that are connected to the well. Another feature that is sometimes useful on a well system is the station delay. If your well has a slow recovery time you can set a delay between stations so that the well can “recharge”.

 Some practical uses for a controller of this type are: 

 • If used to control the irrigation in a greenhouse it can be set to water for a short amount of time up to 40x per day. This would result in a very high humidity inside the greenhouse.

On a recent job this controller was installed on a property with normal landscaping and a small vineyard. Of the four programs one was used for grass ( 3x per week ), one for landscape plants and the grape vines ( 2x per week ), one for flushing the salts out of the soil around the grapes ( a long run time once a month to leach the soil ), and the last program was used in combination with a reverse wired freeze sensor to turn on overhead sprinklers to water the grapes in the spring if low temperatures were to occur which could damage the vines ( the “heat of formation” of the ice protects down to ~26 degrees).

 Please contact me if you would like to know more about this controller. I also have many other timers available for different situations.

GUARANTEED Sprinkler Repair

505-688-5594

Made on a Mac

GUARANTEED

Sprinkler & Drip

Irrigation

Repair

(505) 688-5594