Which Sprinkler Timer Do I Have?

Where to look

The sprinkler timer is a small box, usually in the garage near the door to the yard, sometimes on an outside wall or in a utility closet. The brand name is printed on the front of the box or the inside of its door. The model name is usually on the same faceplate in smaller type, or on a sticker inside the door.

• A dial in the middle with words around it: almost certainly Rain Bird or Hunter. Rain Bird boxes are grey with a green or blue accent; Hunter boxes are grey with the Hunter name across the top.
• A small box that says B-hyve: Orbit B-hyve.
• A box with a light bar and no dial: Rachio.
• No brand you recognize, or the print has worn off: text us a photo, below.

Text us a photo

Take one photo of the front of the box with the door open, and text it to (941) 297-5749. Include your name. We will reply with the right guide, or with the two or three steps you need if your brand is not covered here.

Toro, Irritrol, K-Rain, WeatherMatic and other brands

Exact controls differ by model. Find the model’s manual or send us a photo before changing unfamiliar settings:

1. Check which zones still need schedules. If every zone is manual, OFF can be the resting position. If beds or drip need automatic watering, preserve their programs and leave Auto/Run selected. Remove grass zones from retained programs and disable lawn-only schedules using the model’s manual. Record existing settings first.
2. Run grass when the lawn plan calls for it. Use the model’s manual single-zone control to enter the grass runtime from Monday’s email, then repeat for each grass zone. Do not apply the turf runtime to beds or drip through a Run All or Test All cycle. Let each run finish. Return to OFF only when all zones are manual; otherwise keep Auto/Run for the preserved non-lawn schedules.
3. When Monday’s email says skip, omit the manual grass run. Keep needed bed and drip schedules active.

For an automatic lawn schedule, use a grass-only program while preserving separate non-lawn schedules. Check all start-time slots in every program using the model’s manual and remove unintended lawn starts. The core settings are: date and time, one start time inside your county’s allowed hours, minutes per zone, water days (only your assigned day), and the dial back on Auto or Run. The brand’s own quick-start card, usually taped inside the door, shows where each one lives.

A hand run counts the same as a scheduled one. Run it only on your assigned day and inside your county’s allowed hours. Monday’s email carries the current rule.

When the sprinklers will not run

Waves does not repair irrigation. If a zone will not come on, a head is broken, or the box shows a fault, text us that photo anyway and we will point you to an irrigation contractor we trust. We can still tell you what to water and when; the repair belongs with them.