Rain Bird ISM Instruction Manual

Rain Bird Corporation Consumer Products

6991 E. Southpoint Road, Bldg #1 Tucson, Arizona 85706, U.S.A.

Expert Advice: 1800 RAINBIRD • http://www.rainbird.com

Irrigation System Manager

ISM SPRINKLER TIMER

ISM INSTRUCTION MANUAL

ISM Installation, Programming & Operation Guide

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WARNING: A CIRCUIT BREAKER OR
CUTOFF SWITCH IS TO BE PROVIDED IN
THE FIXED WIRING TO ISOLATE THE
CONTROLLER. MEMORY IS RETAINED BY
A BATTERY WHICH IS TO BE DISPOSED OF
IN ACCORDANCE WITH LOCAL REGULA­TIONS.

CAUTION ICONS

The lightning flash with arrowhead
symbol, within an equilateral triangle,
is intended to alert the user to the
presence of uninsulated “dangerous
voltage” within the product’s
enclosure that may be of sufficient
magnitude to constitute a risk of
electronic shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an
equilateral triangle is intended to
alert the user to the presence of
important operating and mainte­nance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the product.

ATTENTION: UN DISJONCTEUR OU UN
INTERRUPTEUR DOIT ETRE INSTALLE SUR
LE PRIMAIRE POUR ISOLER LE
PROGRAMMATEUR. LA MEMOIRE EST
MAINTENUE GRACE A UNE BATTERIE
RECHARGEABLE A DISPOSER SELON LA
REGLEMENTATION LOCALE.

CAUTION ICONS

L’éclair avec le symbole de la flèche,
placé dans les limites d’un triangle
èquilatéral est prévu pour avertir
l’utilisateur de la présence de
“tension dangereuse” non isolé dans
l’enceinte du produit qui pourrait ëtre
d’une importance suffisante pour
présenter un risque d’électrocution
aux personnes.

Le point d’exclamation dans un
triangle èquilatéral est prévu pour
avertir l’utilisateur de la présence
d’instructions importantes pour les
opérations et l’entretien (service)
dans les manuels fournis avec
l’appareil.

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Contents

Introduction....................................................4

ISM Sprinkler Timer ............................ 4

Sprinkler Timer Stations ...................... 4

What Is a Program? ............................ 6

Sprinkler Timer Basics ...................................7

Programming Under Battery Power .... 7

Installing the Battery ........................... 8

Controls and Indicators.....................10

Programming Checklist.....................11

Sprinkler Timer Programming Chart ..12

Programming the Sprinkler Timer ............... 15

Erase Any Existing Programming ...... 15

Set Year............................................15

Set Month and Day...........................16

Set Time ...........................................17

Programmed Schedules ...................18

Select Program (A, B or C)................19

Set Watering Day Cycle ....................20

Select the Watering Days.................. 21

2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-Day Watering Cycle ....22

Set Program Watering Start Time(s) ..23
Delete Program Watering Start Time(s) .

24

Set Station Duration Times ............... 25

Operating the Sprinkler Timer ..................... 26

System Off........................................26

System On .......................................27

Seasonal Adjust (SA) ........................28

Manually Run Stations and Programs .

30

Run a Test Program ..........................32

Installing the Sprinkler Timer...................... 33

Choose a Proper Location ................ 33

Mount the Sprinkler Timer................. 34

Connect Main Power Wires ..............35

Connect Field Wires to Remote

Control Valves ...................................36

Troubleshooting........................................... 38

Have a question, problem, or comment?
Call Rain Bird Technical Assistance at

1-800-RAINBIRD.

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Introduction

ISM Sprinkler Timer

Thank you for purchasing a Rain Bird ISM
Sprinkler Timer. This manual shows how to
install, program, and operate your irrigation
system timer (sometimes called a “control­ler”). Please read these instructions carefully
and keep this manual in the slot behind the
timer for future reference.

The Rain Bird ISM is a compact, easy-to-use
sprinkler timer that offers the following
features:

• Three programs, with independent
watering days

• Up to four watering start times per
program

• Option to set any day of the week as a
watering day

• Seasonal adjust feature across all
programs

• Battery backup to retain time, date, and
programming during power outages

• Three-year Customer Satisfaction Policy

Sprinkler Timer Stations

The Rain Bird ISM is an electronic timer that
controls when your sprinkler system turns on,
and how long the sprinklers run.

The ISM can control 4, 6 or 9 watering
“stations” (depending on the model). A
station is a series of sprinklers, or other
irrigation devices, connected to a common
remote control valve. When the valve

receives a signal from the timer, the valve
opens and turns on the sprinklers connected
to it.

This illustration shows a diagram of a station
layout. Station 1 is currently watering. When
station 1 finishes, the timer shuts it off and
turns on station 2. When station 2 finishes
watering, station 3 begins, and so on.

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What Is a Program?

Programming is the process of telling the
timer exactly when and how long you want to
water. The timer opens and closes the
remote control valves for each station
according to the program you set.

The ISM offers three independent programs;
A, B and C. Each program controls from one
to nine stations, and lets you customize your
watering schedules to meet the needs of
different types of plants, soil conditions,
slopes, shady or sunny areas, etc.

You will need to understand the following
terms to successfully program your ISM
sprinkler timer.

• Watering day cycle - The period of days in
which the timer repeats the program you
set. For example, a 5-day cycle is a
weekly schedule that repeats once every
five days. A 2-day cycle repeats every
other day.

• Days to water - The specific days within
the watering day cycle when watering

takes place. In a 7-day cycle, you may
select multiple watering days within the
cycle. For example, you might water on
day 1 (Monday), day 3 (Wednesday), and
day 5 (Friday). In a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6-day
cycle, day 1 is always the only watering
day. A 2-day cycle waters on day 1, skips
a day, and then waters again on day 1 as
the cycle repeats. A 3-day cycle waters on
day 1, skips 2 days, and then repeats.

• Watering Start time - This is the time the
first station in a program begins watering.
All other programmed stations then follow
in sequence. Each program may have up
to four start times. For example, a pro­gram could begin watering at 6:00 a.m.,
10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 6:00 p.m.

NOTE: The term “watering start time”
refers to the time the program
begins - not duration of time that
each station will run.

• Duration - The number of minutes that
each station runs.

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Sprinkler Timer Basics

Programming Under Battery Power

If you wish, you can program the timer under
battery power. This feature can be useful if
the timer is installed in an area that is not
readily accessible. This feature also allows
you to enter program information before
installing the timer.

To program the ISM sprinkler timer under
battery power, you must first install the
battery.

NOTE: To save battery power, the ISM
goes into “sleep” mode after a
period of inactivity on the program­ming dial or buttons. Press any
button once to reactivate the timer.

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Installing the Battery

The battery back-up feature retains time,
date, and programming information during
power outages. The battery also lets you
program the timer under battery power
before it is connected to an AC power
supply.

For best results, use a long-life, 9-Volt
alkaline battery. A new battery will normally
provide power for up to one year. Replace
the battery yearly to ensure an uninterrupted
power supply.

NOTE: Make sure the timer is
connected to an AC power supply
when replacing the battery, or you
will lose all programming information
including date and time.

To install the battery:

1. Remove the timer’s lower access cover to
expose the battery compartment.

2. Snap the two-wire battery clip onto the
terminals of the new battery. If you are
replacing an old battery, dispose of the old
battery properly.

3. Insert the new battery snugly into the
battery compartment.

4. Replace the lower access cover.

NOTE: If no battery is installed, short
circuit detection may not function as
desired. Please ensure the battery is
installed prior to the operation.

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Controls and Indicators

This illustration shows the programming
controls on the face of the ISM sprinkler
timer. These controls include:

1. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) - During
normal operation, displays the time of day
and the programs that will run today.
During programming, shows the results of
your commands. During watering, shows
the station that is running, the minutes
remaining in the station’s run time, and
whether another program is waiting to
water.

2. Up and Down (+) or (-) buttons - Set start
times and days, and make programming
changes.

3. Enter button - Enters programming
commands, and starts manual operation.

4. Prog ABC button - Selects watering
program A, B or C.

5. Programming Dial - Turns the timer off or
on and selects other programming
functions.

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Programming Checklist

To program your ISM sprinkler timer for the
first time, we recommend that you complete
the following steps in the order listed below.

For your convenience, a check-off box ( ❐ ) is
provided for each step.

❐ Fill out the Programming Chart ..................................... page 12

❐ Set the current year/month/day/time ............................ page 15

For each program:
A B C

❐ ❐ ❐ Select pre-programmed schedules............page 18

❐ ❐ ❐ Select program (A, B or C) ........................page 19

❐ ❐ ❐ Set the watering day cycle ........................page 20

❐ ❐ ❐ Select days to water.................................. page 21

❐ ❐ ❐ Set the program watering start time(s) ....... page 23

❐ ❐ ❐ Set the station duration(s)..........................page 25

❐ Set the timer to “system on”.........................................page 27

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Sprinkler Timer Programming Chart

Before programming your ISM, fill out the
Programming Chart included with your timer.
Then program the timer in the order shown
on the Programming Checklist. Page 14
shows a completed programming chart.

1. Select the watering day cycle you wish to
use, and circle the watering days within
the cycle. In the example shown for
program A, the operator has chosen a 7­day watering cycle and circled M, W, and
F as watering days. This means that
program A will water every Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday.

2. For program B, the operator selected a 3­day watering cycle. With these selections,
program B will water once, skip two days,
and then water again on the first day of a
new three day cycle.

3. You may also choose three special wate­ring day cycles that do not require you to
select watering days. These cycles are:

• Ev = Waters only on even-numbered

days of the month.

• Od = Waters only on odd-numbered
days of the month.

• Od31 = Waters only on odd-numbered
days of the month, but not on the 31st of
any month or on February 29. (This wate­ring day cycle complies with special ordi­nances in some water-restricted areas).

4. In the Start Times box for program A,
write the time you want the program to
begin watering. You may assign up to four
watering start times to each program. If
you want the program to water only once
each watering day, enter only one start
time. Enter other start times only if you
want to repeat the entire program more
than once each watering day.

5. Enter the watering start time for program
B (if any). In the example, Program A
begins watering at 7 a.m. Program B
begins watering twice each watering day,
once at 5 a.m. and again at 3 p.m.

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NOTE: If the total run time for one
program overlaps the start time for a
second program, the timer will
automatically “stack” the programs
and delay the start time of the
second program until the first
program finishes watering.

6. Next to each station number, enter a brief
description of the area covered by each
timer station. Remember, a “station” is a
set of sprinklers operated by one remote
control valve.

This example shows six currently assigned
stations, but your ISM may be able to
control more or less depending on the
model.

7. In the Station Duration column for each
program, enter the number of minutes you
want each station to run.

Notice that stations 1 through 4 are
assigned to program A, while stations 5
and 6 are assigned to program B. The ISM
allows you to use the same station in
multiple programs for special watering
needs. However, for most applications,
choosing not to repeat a station makes
programming simpler.

NOTE: Anytime you use the
“Seasonal Adjustment” feature (see
page 28) the setting applies to all
programs (A, B and C).

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Programming the Sprinkler Timer

Erase Any Existing Programming

Use the following procedure any time you
want to erase all programming in the timer’s
memory and “start from scratch”.

1. Unplug the transformer from the wall.

2. Disconnect the battery clip from the
battery.

3. Wait 10 seconds.

4. Reconnect the battery clip to the battery.

5. Plug the transformer back into the wall.
“AM 12:00” will appear in the display. All

previous programming is now erased, and
you may turn the Programming Dial to the
Set Current DATE/TIME position and begin
setting the Year, Month, Day, and Time.

Set Year

1. Turn the Programming Dial to Set Current

DATE/TIME position.

2. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the

current year.

3. Press Enter.

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Set Month and Day

1. After setting the correct year, leave the
Programming Dial on Set Current DATE/
TIME.

2. The month and day appear as “01 01,”
with the first “01” flashing (representing the
month). A cursor will appear under the Set
Month icon.

3. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
current month (1 through 12).

4. Press Enter.

5. The second “01” begins flashing
(representing the day of the month). A
cursor will appear under the Set Day icon.

6. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
current day (1 through 31).

7. Press Enter.

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Set Time

1. After setting the correct month and date,
leave the Programming Dial on Set Current
DATE/TIME.

2. The time of day appears in the display. The
display will also show AM or PM (for
example, 12:01 AM).

A cursor will appear under the Set Times
icon.

3. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
current hour (1 through 12 AM or PM).

4. Press Enter.

5. The minute digits begin flashing.

6. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
current minute (1 through 59).

7. Press Enter. Turn the Programming Dial
back to the SYSTEM ON position.

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Pre-Programmed Schedules

E1) appears in the display.

3. To select one of the other pre-pro­grammed schedules, press the (+) or (-)
buttons until the desired schedule appears
in the display.

4. Press the Prog ABC button until the desired
program letter (A, B or C) appears in the
display with the pre-programmed
schedule.

5. Then press Enter. The program letter
flashes to confirm your selection.

After selecting a pre-programmed schedule,
you can modify the program settings
(watering day, watering start time, etc.) by
using the programming steps given on the
following pages.

6. Turn the Programming Dial back to the
SYSTEM ON position.

Use this procedure if you want to select a
pre-programmed schedule. If you want to set
your own custom watering schedule, go
directly to Select Program (A, B or C) on
page 19.

For your convenience, the ISM has THREE
PRE-PROGRAMMED watering schedules
you can select for any program (A, B or C).
These schedules are already programmed
into the timer, and are shown below.

• Pre-Programmed 1 (5 Pr E1) - Waters all
stations for five minutes three times every
day at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., and 2 p.m.

• Pre-Programmed 2 (10 Pr E2) - Waters all
stations for ten minutes every other day at
6 a.m.

• Pre-Programmed 3 (10 Pr E3) - Waters all
stations for ten minutes every third day at
6 a.m.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to PRE-

PROGRAMMED SCHEDULES.

2. The first pre-programmed schedule (5 Pr

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Select Program (A, B or C)

Program A is already programmed for your
convenience. You can also completely
customize your own watering schedules by
following the steps on page 20-25.
Programs B and C are not pre-programmed.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to SET

WATERING DAY CYCLE.

2. The letter of the currently selected
program (A, B or C) appears in the display.

3. Press the Prog ABC button until the desired
program (A, B or C) appears in the display.
Remember, if you plan to use only one
program, use program A.

NOTE: It is easier to select one
program (A, B or C) and program it
completely before moving on to the
next program. Switching from
program to program can be
confusing.

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Set Watering Day Cycle

Use the procedure below if you want to set
your own custom watering schedule. Make
sure the Programming Dial is on SET

WATERING DAY CYCLE.

NOTE: If you have selected a pre-

programmed schedule (page 18),
skip this page. Go directly to “Set
Program Watering Start Time(s)” on
page 23.

1. Press the (+) or (-) buttons until the
watering day cycle you want to use
appears in the display along with the
selected program (A, B or C). Available
watering day cycles include:

• 7-day (Custom) - Waters on a weekly
cycle; any day of the week can be a
watering day.

• Ev -

Waters only on even-numbered days.

• Od -

Waters only on odd-numbered days.

• Od31 - Waters only on odd-numbered
days, except the 31st of any month and

February 29th. (This watering day cycle
complies with special ordinances in some
water -restricted areas).

• 2-, 3-, 4-, 5 or 6-day - Waters only on
the first day of a repeating 2-, 3-, or 5-day
cycle.

2. If you select a 7-day, or a 2-, 3-, 4-, 5 or
6-day watering cycle, go to “Select Days
to Water” on page 22.

NOTE: If you select Ev, Od, Od31 or 1
day as your watering day cycle, you
do not have to select the watering
days. Go directly to “Set Program
Watering Start Time(s)” on page 23.

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Select Days to Water

Use the procedure below to select the
watering days for a 7-day custom watering
cycle.

7-Day Watering Cycle

1. Turn the Programming Dial to SELECT DAYS

TO WATER.

2. If you selected a 7-day watering cycle, the
seven weekdays appear as a row of
numbers and the number “1” in the day
cycle flashes (day 1 is Monday, day 2 is
Tuesday, etc).

3. The display shows the program’s letter (A,
B or C).

4. A number appears, indicating the “today”
number (the day on which you are
programming the timer). The day’s
abbreviation also appears in the display.

5. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to turn a
particular watering day ON or OFF. An ON
day has a box around it. An OFF day has
no box around it.

6. Press Enter to move to the next day.

7. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each day.

8. Proceed to set to SET WATERING START

TIME(S).

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2-, 3-, 4-, 5 or 6-Day
Watering Cycle

Use the procedure below if you selected a 2-,
3-, 4-, 5 or 6-day watering cycle.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to SELECT DAYS

TO WATER .

2. If you selected a 2-, 3-, 4-, 5 or 6-day
watering cycle, the row of days in that
cycle appears in the display with a box
around day 1.

NOTE: The only watering day in a 2-,
3-, 4-, 5 or 6-day cycle is day 1.

3. The display shows the program’s letter (A,
B or C).

4. A flashing number appears in the display,
indicating where “today” is in the watering
cycle.

5. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to move
today’s position in the watering cycle.

You may now set program watering start

times as shown on page 23.

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Set Program Watering Start Time(s)

4 to set up to four separate watering start
times for each program, if needed.

NOTE: If you selected one of the pre­programmed schedules, you will see
the default watering start time(s) for
that schedule.

The watering start time for your program is
the time that the first programmed station
begins to run. Up to 4 watering start times
may be entered per program. Each
subsequent station will then run in sequence.
There is a 2-second delay between the
activation of stations.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to SET

WATERING START TIME.

2. The program letter (A, B or C), the number
“1” (indicating the earliest start time), and
a row of four dashes “--.--” appear in the
display.

3. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
program start time. If you want all the
stations on the program to run only once
each watering day, enter only one start
time for the program.

4. To enter another watering start time, press
Enter. The next watering start time number
(2-, 3 or 4) and a row of four dashes
appear in the display. Repeat steps 3 and

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Delete Program Watering Start Time(s)

the display.

5. Turn the Programming Dial back to the
SYSTEM ON position. The unwanted
watering start time is now deleted.

1. If you want to delete an unwanted
watering start time from a program, turn
the Programming Dial to SET WATERING

ST ART TIME(S).

2. Press Enter to select the start time number
(1, 2, 3 or 4) you want to delete.

NOTE: Watering start times appear in
chronological order. The earliest
watering start time is number 1, the
next later watering start time is
number 2, and so on. If you delete a
watering start time, all later start
times are automatically advanced by
one watering start time number. This
re-numbering only occurs after you
move the Programming Dial from the
SET WATERING START TIME(S) position
to another function.

3. The watering start time number to be
deleted appears in the display.

4. Press the (+) or (-) buttons until the blank
position (four dashes, “--.--”) appears in

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Set Station Duration

steps for one program. If you are finished
programming, turn the Programming Dial to
the SYSTEM ON position to run all programs
automatically. If you want to enter settings for
another program, repeat the programming
instructions, beginning with “Select Program
(A, B or C)” on page 19.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to SET STATION

DURATION.

2. The program letter (A, B or C), the number
“1” (indicating the station number), and “0”
appear in the display.

3. Press the (+) or (-) buttons to set the
amount of time you want it to run for
station number 1. You can set a station to
run from 0 minutes up to 240 minutes
(four hours), in one-minute increments. All
durations display in minutes (for example,
a two hour duration will appear as 120
minutes).

NOTE: If you do not want to include a
particular station in the selected
program, set that station’s duration
to zero “0”.

4. Press Enter to display additional stations.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 to set a duration for
each station.

You have now completed all programming

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Operating the Sprinkler Timer

After programming the timer, you will
normally set it to SYSTEM ON mode to operate
all programs automatically. You can also
manually run one or more programs, or
manually run a single station or several
stations.

In addition, you can adjust for changes in the
weather or time of year with the Seasonal
Adjust feature to increase or decrease the
run time of all programs by a selected
percentage (in 10% increments). You may
also wish to run a test program to make sure
all sprinklers in the system operate properly.

System Off

1. To turn the timer off and suspend all
watering, turn the Programming Dial to

SYSTEM OFF.

2. In the SYSTEM OFF position, the LCD
displays OFF. The timer remembers the
current time and date and retains all
programming, but no watering occurs.
You may wish to turn the timer OFF during
a rainy period, or for any day(s) when you
do not want watering programs to run as
scheduled.

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System On

1. To return the timer to automatic operation,
turn the Programming Dial to SYSTEM ON.

2. When the timer IS NOT watering, it
displays:

• Any program (A, B or C, or none)

scheduled to water today.

• The current time.

• %A %B %C, if there is a Seasonal

Adjust setting other than 100%.

3. When the timer IS watering, it displays:

• Any programs (A, B or C) scheduled to

run today.

• The station number currently running.

• The duration time remaining for that

station.

• %A %B %C, if there is a Seasonal

Adjust setting other than 100%.

4. If a problem or short is detected in any of
the stations, the display toggles every 3
seconds and shows an error message "Err
#", # being the station where the problem
was detected. For example, if the master

valve has a problem, it shows "Err M". For
station 3 - "Err 3". The station is
automatically ignored until the cause of
error is corrected. Refer to the Trouble­shooting section of this manual for more
information.

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Seasonal Adjust (SA)

The Seasonal Adjust feature is the easiest
way to increase or decrease the duration
times of all stations on a program. You can
use Seasonal Adjust to decrease watering
during cool winter months, or to increase
watering during hot, dry periods.

You can set the Seasonal Adjust percentage
from 10% to 200% in increments of 10%.
Changing the percentage affects all stations
on all programs (A, B and C).

Seasonal Adjust percentages are calculated
on the normal programmed duration time for
each station. For example, if a station is
programmed to run for 10 minutes, and you
set the (SA) to 80%, the station will only run
for 8 minutes (80% of 10 minutes). If you set
the (SA) to 120%, that same station will run
for 12 minutes (120% of 10 minutes).

NOTES: (SA) will not split a minute.
One whole minute is the lowest
duration time allowed.

All duration times for every

programmed station will be
increased or decreased when you
use the (SA) feature.

1. Turn the Programming Dial to Seasonal
Adjust.

2. The current Seasonal Adjust setting
number appears in the display.

3. Press (+) button to increase the Seasonal
Adjust percentage, or press the (-) button
to decrease the SA percentage.

4. When the Seasonal Adjust percentage is
set to any figure other than 100%, all
programs (A, B and C) display a percent

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sign (%) in front of the program letter. The
percent sign appears on all programs (A,
B and C) even if they are not selected.

5. After setting the desired SA percentage,
turn the Programming Dial back to
SYSTEM ON. All station run times will be
increased or decreased by the selected
Seasonal Adjust (SA) percentage.

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Manually Run Stations and Programs

in the display, along with its remaining run
time. You can press Enter to manually
advance to the next station.

When manual operation finishes, the timer
returns to SYSTEM ON mode and awaits the
next scheduled program start time.

You can run individual stations or an entire
program if you think a particular area needs
additional watering.

Manually Run a Station(s)

1. Turn the Programming Dial to RUN
STATIONS MANUALLY.

2. The number “1” followed by “0” appears in
the display. This means that station
number 1 is set for zero manual run time.

3. If you want to manually run a station other
than number 1, press Enter until the desi­red station number appears in the display.

4. If you want to manually run the displayed
station, press the (+) or (-) buttons to set
the station’s manual run time (from 1
minute to 240 minutes).

5. Press Enter to begin watering.

6. After setting the manual run time for all
stations desired, turn the Programming
Dial back to SYSTEM ON. The number of
the first manually operated station appears

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Manually Run a Program

1. Turn the Programming Dial to RUN
PROGRAM MANUALLY (RPM).

2. The current program “A, B or C” appears
in the display.

3. To choose another program, press the
Prog ABC button until the desired program
letter appears in the display.

4. Press Enter to start the selected program.

NOTES: You can “stack” programs (A,
B and C) to operate manually by
pressing Enter after selecting each
program. Programs will run in order
in which they are entered.

5. Turn the Programming Dial back to
SYSTEM ON. The station currently running
and the time remaining is shown in the
display.

NOTE: “Seasonal Adjust” settings
apply to manually operated
programs.

After the last manual program runs, the timer
returns to SYSTEM ON mode and awaits the
next scheduled program start time.

NOTE: Manually operating a station
does not affect the station’s run
time(s) in the automatic programs (A,
B or C).

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Run a Test Program

The ISM’s built-in test program will run each
station that has a non-zero watering time.
When you run the test program, the timer
operates each station in numerical sequence,
from lowest to highest. You can use this
feature to check the operation of all sprinklers
in the system.

1. To test all timer stations, turn the
Programming Dial to TEST STATIONS.

NOTE: If you want to test less than
the maximum number of stations,
follow the procedure in “Manually
Run a Station(s)” on page 30.

2. The number “2” appears in the display,
representing a two-minute test run per
station. Adjust the test time per station
using the (+) or (-) buttons (from 1 minute
to 10 minutes).

3. Press Enter to start the all-stations test.

4. Then turn the Programming Dial back to
the SYSTEM ON position.

During the test, the number of each
operating station appears in the display,
along with the station’s remaining run time.
Any station set for a zero run time in the
automatic programs (A, B or C) will be
skipped in the all-stations test.

NOTE: At any time during the all­stations test, you can press Enter to
manually advance to the next
station.

When the all-stations test is complete, the
timer returns to SYSTEM ON mode and awaits
the next scheduled program start time.

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Installing the Sprinkler Timer

If you must install it outdoors, use a
water-resistant cabinet, such as the
Rain Bird TC-2 Timer Cabinet. The
TC-2 is a heavy-duty, weather
resistant plastic case that lets you
convert any indoor timer to outdoor
use.

Choose a Proper Location

Choose a secure location where you can
easily reach the timer. We recommend
mounting the timer at eye level in a utility
room (garage, laundry room, etc.)

1. The mounting location must be within 5
feet (1,5m) of an electrical wall outlet.

NOTE: To minimize electrical
interference, select a location at least
15 feet (4,6 m) away from high-draw

motors such as air conditioners,
refrigerators, or pool pumps.

2. When selecting a location, choose a flat,
stable vertical surface on which to mount
the timer. Make sure to allow enough
clearance for electrical conduit and
connections at the bottom of the timer
case.

Although this manual provides directions for
connecting the wiring to the timer, local
electrical codes may vary in their require­ments for proper and safe installation.

NOTES: This timer must be installed in
full compliance with local electrical
codes.

The ISM sprinkler timer must be
installed indoors only.

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Mount the Sprinkler Timer

1. Hold the template provided against the
wall in the desired mounting location. Use
a pencil to mark the location of the three
holes for the mounting fasteners, as
shown on the template.

2. Use a nail to tap a small pilot hole on each
pencil mark for the mounting fasteners.
Using the mounting fasteners provided,
drive the top two fasteners into the wall.

3. Use the keyhole-shaped slots on the back
of the timer to hang the timer on the two
mounting fasteners. Make sure the shafts
of the fasteners are well up into the narrow
part of the keyhole slot.

4. Remove the lower access cover and drive
the third mounting fastener through the
hole in the timer’s lower access panel.

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Connect Main Power Wires

The ISM sprinkler timer has an external
transformer that reduces standard supply
voltage to 24 VAC to operate the remote
valves connected to the timer.

CAUTION: To avoid electrical shock,
DO NOT plug in the transformer until
you have connected it to the timer.

To connect the transformer cable to the
terminal strip in the timer cabinet:

1. Make sure the transformer is NOT plugged
in.

2. Plug the snap-on connector on the
transformer cable into the “24VAC”
connection point on the timer terminal
strip.

3. Plug the transformer into any standard,
three-prong grounded wall plug.

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Connect Field Wires to Remote Control Valves

3. If your system includes a master valve on
its main line supply, or a 24-volt pump
start relay (for activating a pump during
irrigation), connect a wire from the device
to the “MV” terminal on the timer’s terminal
strip. (The timer does not provide the main
power for a pump.) Connect the other wire
lead on the device to the valve common
wire.

4. That completes the mounting and wiring
procedures for your ISM sprinkler timer.
Replace the lower access cover on the
timer, and you are ready to begin
programming. Refer to “Programming the
Sprinkler Timer” on page 15.

The wires coming back to the timer from the
electric valves in the field can be routed into
the timer through the hole in the bottom of
the cabinet.

Fig. A shows the various wire runs and
connections between the timer and the other
devices. Each valve should have its own,
separate control wire. Use only wire that is
code-approved for underground, low-voltage
purposes.

1. Connect one end of the control wire to a
numbered station terminal on the timer’s
terminal strip.

2. Connect the other end of the control wire
to one of the wire leads on the valve
solenoid. The wire connectors at the
valves must be waterproof. Connect the
valve common wire to the “COM” terminal
on the terminal strip. Route the common
wire out to the furthest valve, and connect
the valve common wire to the remaining
wire lead on each valve.

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Fig. A

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Troubleshooting

SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION

LCD display is blank.

LCD display is partially
or completely blank.

LCD display shows a
station operating, but
no watering occurs.

Program does not
begin watering as
scheduled.

1. Power is off to the timer.

2. If under battery power,
the timer may be in
“sleep” mode.

3. An electrical surge or
lightning strike may have
affected the timer’s
electronics.

4. The valve may have a
defective diaphragm, a
clogged pilot port, or other
malfunction.

5. Programming Dial is set
to the SYSTEM OFF
position.

Re-establish power to the timer. If the current time is
not shown, or your program is no longer in memory,
reprogram the timer.

Press any button to reactivate the timer.

Turn off the timer and disconnect the 9-Volt battery.
Let the timer sit for two or three minutes. Then recon­nect the battery and restore power to the timer. Reset
the time and date as described on page 15. If the
electrical surge did no permanent damage, the timer
will accept programming commands and function
normally. If the timer does not operate properly, contact

Rain Bird Technical Assistance at 1-800-RAINBIRD

Check and repair the valve.

Set the Programming Dial to SYSTEM ON.

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SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION

A particular station
does not come on as
scheduled.

6. Start time has not been
properly entered for the
program.

7. Today may not be set as
a watering day for the
program.

8. Water supply may be
shut off.

9. No run time has been
set for the station.

10. A short circuit in the
solenoid or valve wiring
has disabled the station.

11. A start time has not
been entered for the
station’s assigned
program.

Turn the dial to SET WATERING START TIME and
check the start times entered for the program. If the
start time is missing or incorrect, enter it as described
on page 23.

If today is a watering day for a program, the program
letter appears in the display. Turn the dial to SELECT
DAYS TO WATER to check the watering days for the
program. If necessary, set watering days as described
on page 21.

Make sure water supply line has pressure.

Turn the Programming Dial to SET STATION
DURATION to check the run times set for the station.
To add a run time, see page 25.

Identify and repair the fault in the electrical circuit.

Turn the dial to SET WATERING START TIME(S) and
check the start times entered for the program. If the
station’s start time is missing, enter it as described on
page 23.

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SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION

Watering starts when it
should not.

Watering does not stop
as scheduled.

LCD display shows
”Err.”

12. One of the pre­programmed schedules
may be selected.

13. An unwanted program
start time may have been
entered.

14. Programs may have
accidentally been set to
overlap.

15. A valve is stuck in the
open position.

16. The automatic circuit
breaker has detected an
electrical problem

Clear all start times from unwanted program. See page

24.

Turn the dial to SET WATERING START TIME and
check to see if any programs have an unwanted start
time. See the instructions beginning on page 23 for
setting and deleting start times.

Check to see if another program’s start time began
during the previous program’s run cycle. The
overlapped program would immediately follow the
earlier one. Reprogram if necessary.

Turn the Programming Dial to SYSTEM OFF and wait
10-20 seconds. If the irrigation does not stop, shut off
the water supply manually and repair the valve.

The “Err” in the display indicates a short circuit
overload on a particular station. The station’s number
should also be displayed. For example, “ Err 2” means
the problem is in the circuit for Station 2.
Usually, the short circuit is in the solenoid on the
elecric valve, but shorts can also occur in the wire
connectors at the valve. Occasionally, nicked or
“skinned” field wires can cause a short. A large pump

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Page 41

start relay can also produce a momentary overload
that may be detected by the controller.
Locate and repair the cause of the short circuit. Press
enter with dial in SYSTEM ON position when “Err” is
displayed.

See correction for Cause #16.

SYMPTOM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTION

LCD display shows
“Err” for a few seconds
and then shows the
station operating for a
few seconds.

17. Same as Cause #16.