Champion Manufacturing WC-9INO, WC-12INO, WC-15INO, R-150, R-120 User Manual

“WATER CHAMP” CONTROLLER

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

9-Zone, 12-Zone & 15-Zone

Outdoor / Indoor

Irrigation Controllers

Covering Models:

R-90, R-120, R-150

WC-9INO, WC-12INO, WC-15INO

Champion Irrigation Products

1460 Naud Street Los Angeles, CA 90012

(800) 33-CHAMP

www.championirrigation.com

1

Dear Customer,

The people at Champion Irrigation Products thank you for purchasing this product. We trust it will
give you years of dependable service as it was built to very high standards. It is technologically
state-of-the-art, easy to program, and a real value. If you should have any questions please call us at
(800) 33-CHAMP [800-332-4267]. The “Water Champ” controllers are available in 4, 6, 9, 12 & 15
zone indoor/outdoor models, and have 3 independent programs, A, B, and C, of which any one can
be used for the lawn, one for shrubs, and one program for a drip system. Among the other features
and benefits, the “Water Champ” Controllers have the following:

•A lifetime calendar for watering only ODD or EVEN days in the event of a need to conform to
local water restrictions.

•OFF/RAIN switch position to stop watering during rainy days.

•3 MANUAL RUN options - ALL MANUAL with Program A, then B, then C; run just Program A

or B or C; run an individual zone only.

•4 START TIMES for each program for newly seeded lawns, new sod, or hot weather.

•WATER DAYS options allow watering specific days of the week on SET DAYS, or water on SKIP

DAYS skipping from 1 to 30 days. Add the ODD/EVEN option to water only on odd or even
calendar days if required by local restrictions.

•ZONE RUN TIME allows valve run times from 1 minute to 1 hour in 1 minute increments and 1
hour to 12 hours in ten minute increments.

•% watering (water budgeting) allows increased (up to 200%) or decreased (down to 10%) valve run
times without reprogramming - great for water conservation.

•Automatic and internal features include a factory set (default) program to water every zone daily
for 10 minutes starting at 5:00 a.m. Internal switch (SW2) will allow Program C to be run at the
same time as Programs A or B (drip system application). The RAIN terminal will allow a rain
sensor shut-off. No fuse is required as the controller has automatic circuit protection, skips any

shorted zone, and shows shorted zone as a ‘bad’ zone in the LCD display. Pushing the σ or τ arrows
together tests all zones for a short. An internal lithium battery backs up the calendar and memory of
your programs for up to 7 years. The RESET switch allows resetting the controller back to the
factory set default program.

•All zone run times count down during the run cycle, and skip days count down as the
day(s) pass.

•Controller will operate in auto-run from any position of the rotary dial except OFF/RAIN.

Your Champion controller provides the convenience of automatic watering and the flexibility to
make the most of our precious water resources. Your controller was designed to be easy to program
and operate. Please refer to this guide to learn the best way to install and use your controller.

2

INSTALLATION

Indoors

Locate your controller indoors near a standard 110v AC outlet. The outlet should not be controlled by a
switch or share the same circuit with a garage door opener, electric dryer, or other large appliance or inductive

motor. The location should be protected from moisture and temperatures exceeding 120o Fahrenheit.

Outdoors

Your Water Champ controller includes a weatherproof power cord. If you wish to hard wire your controller to
conduit, the factory installed power cord can be easily removed. Turn off the circuit breaker for the 110V
circuit. Attach the black wire to the 110V black lead. Attach the green wire to the ground lead.

Use a professional electrician if you are not comfortable with the direct wiring of your controller.

Note: Electrical codes may vary from location to location. Please check your local codes before beginning
work.

When installed outdoors, utilizing a standard electrical outlet, plug grounded power cord into recommended
ground fault circuit interrupter (GFIC) with a weatherproof cover to prevent possible shock/ short circuit.
Provide a water drip loop for the power cable, to insure water will not flow directly into the power outlet /
receptacle.

Mounting Your Controller

Screw one of the supplied #8 screws into a wall at eye level. Leave 1/4" of the screw head extending from the
surface. Use an anchor bolt for drywall or masonry. Slip the buttonhole opening on the back of the box over
the screw head. Open the lower door. Install two more screws from the front, through the holes at the bottom
of the box.

Wiring Your Valves

Use color-coded 18 gauge (16 or 14 gauge can also be used) plastic jacketed sprinkler wire to connect the
controller to your valves. If you plan to bury the wire, use a route that will not be disturbed later by digging.
Each valve has two wires. Use one wire for power and one for common, it doesn’t matter which one you use.

Connect the common wires from all the valves to one of the color-coded sprinkler wires (usually the white
wire). Connect the other wire from each valve to a single color-coded wire. Use moisture resistant wire nuts
or grease caps to secure the connections

Wiring Your Controller

Remove the panel (PCB Board). Place to the inside of the door and secure with a rubber band or spring clip.
Using a small screwdriver, attach the “C” common wire to a terminal marked “COM”

3

Attach the wire to the right side of the screw, under the clip, or wrap the wire around the screw before
tightening.
Attach the wire for zone #1 to the zone marked “V1. Attach the remaining zone wires in the same manner.
Note: the zone wires come in from the top of the terminal modules.

Caution: wire only one valve to each terminal to avoid damage.

Water Champ controllers include universal multiple common terminals. If you are connected to one common,
you are connected to all commons. Your white (common) wire only need to connect to one common terminal
“C”. In any one of the terminal blocks. The additional “C” terminals are for your convenience, should you
have common wires coming from multiple locations (such as front and back yard).

PUMP START AND MASTER VALVE

Attach the wire from the pump start relay or master valve to the “MV” terminal, the other wire to the common
“C” terminal. To prevent damaging your pump in the event that the default factory preset program turns on,
attach a jumper wire from any unused zone terminal to any operating zone terminal. This way, the pump will
not operate against a closed system.

RAIN SENSOR
The looped wire must remain connected between the rain and OV terminal when a rain sensor is not in use.
To install a rain sensor, remove the looped wire and connect on rain sensor wire to the rain terminal and the
other wire to the OV terminal.

UNDERGROUND SPRINKLER SYSTEMS

There are three components of an automatic sprinkler system. The controller (brain), automatic valves
(zones), and sprinklers. The controller tells the valves when, and how long to supply water to the sprinklers.
Each valve controls a group of sprinklers known as a zone. Each valve is connected to a numbered terminal in
the controller marked 1, 23, etc. for the zone number. The valves operate in numerical order within each
program, which is called a cycle.
Each program requires three basic instructions as follows:

• What days to water – called Water Days

• What time of day to water – called Start Times

• How long to water – called Zone Run Time

PROGRAMMING YOUR CONTROLLER

Programs A, B, & C

Your controller allows you to set three independent programs: A, B, and C. Each program can have its own
set of start times, run times and watering days. Use these programs to satisfy the different watering needs of
your landscape. For example, you may use program A to water the lawn in the morning every other day for
ten minutes only in each lawn zone. Use program B for example, to water shrubs on Tuesdays and Saturdays
for thirty minutes only in each shrub zone.
Use program C for drip system watering for example, once a week for four hours and thirty minutes only in
each drip zone. (When setting different programs, be careful to avoid setting a start time for one program that
will begin while another program is still watering unless using SW2 (see page 9). Erratic operation of the
controller may result from overlapping programs.)

4