Rain Bird RC-4C User manual

RC-4C

RC-7C

RC-1260C

RC-7A

Instruction

Manual

RC-7A

(The RC-4C and RC-1260C Controllers have similar controls and features.)

DESCRIPTION OF CONTROLS Refer to Figure 1

A. HOUR DIAL with 23 CYCLE START PINS: The HOUR dial contains 23 pins for

scheduling automatic "Starts" on any hour (except midnight - which is day changeover

time). Embossed characters provide quick identification for each hour, AM or PM,

noon and midnight. Captive type pins are designed for simple push-pull operation.

B. DAY DIAL with 14 SCHEDULING PINS: The calendar DAY dial contains 14 cap-

tive pins for scheduling irrigation everyday or any day within a two week range. Each

pin represents a 24 hour period beginning at midnight. Embossed characters are on

the dial, adjacent to each day of the week.

C. STATION SELECTOR/INDICATOR DIAL: The STATION selector/indicator dial

contains the timing controls for each of the stations. The dial automatically rotates dur-

ing a watering cycle with the current station appearing at the top under the station

pointer. REST indicates the system is off and no watering is taking place. The dial is

also used for manual selection of any station for semi-automatic operation.

Figure 1

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D. STATION TIME CONTROL KNOBS: Individual TIME controls for each station.

Timing is adjustable from 3 to 60 minutes (6 to 60 minutes in the RC 1260C) to suit all

landscape growth requirements. A small white arrow moves with each knob along the

timing scale on the Station dial (C) for visual indication of the time setting. The scale is

marked-off in 5 minute graduations and the ratchet action of the knob provides for pre-

cision adjustment with each "notch" representing one minute increments. The OFF po-

sition eliminates the station from the watering schedule. All omitted stations are auto-

matically “rapid advanced” through, to the next timed station.

E. OPERATIONAL MODE SWITCH: The 2-position MODE switch (E) provides the

operating control for the system. AUTO position for automatic irrigation as scheduled

and "timed" watering of manually selected station. The OFF position is used for rainy

weather shutdown. This position eliminates controller "output" to the system valves

without interrupting the clock operation.

F. CIRCUIT BREAKER RESET BUTTON: Circuit overload reset button (F). A built-in

circuit breaker protects the controller from damage due to current overload. Push to

reset after the source of trouble has been remedied.

G. CURRENT STATION INDICATOR: STATION indicator (G) identifies the current

position of controller operation.

H. CURRENT TIME INDICATOR: TIME indicator (H) identifies the current time on the

controller clock.

I. CURRENT DAY INDICATOR: DAY indicator (I) identifies the current day of the wa-

tering schedule.

INSTALLATION

The RC Series controller’s cabinet is suitable for wall mounting in sheltered areas.

Three mounting holes are provided through the back surface of the cabinet. Before

mounting the controller, consideration must be given as to accessibility, electrical

power source and connections to the system control valves.

11”

6”

3”

63/4”93/4”

5/8”

7/8” DIA. INPUT

13/4”

CONTROLLER

OUTLINE

MOUNTING

HOLES

DOOR OPENS

TO LEFT

DOOR

11/8” DIA.

OUTPUT

CONNECTION

Figure 2

CONTROLLER MOUNTING

21/4”

7”

MINIMUM 6” FOR

ELECTRICAL

CONNECTIONS

Valve Output Wiring

The controller transformer provides 26.5 VAC output for

the station valves. The output leads are color coded and

stamped with the corresponding station designations.

(See Figure 3.)

1. A 1/8" dia. hole is provided in the bottom of the cabinet

for connection of a 3/4" conduit fitting.

2. Connect one Lead from EACH valve to the desired

STATION OUTPUT lead using wire nuts. On “C” units,

connect one Lead from each valve to the desired station

output screw on the terminal strip.

NOTE: A maximum of four Rain Bird, 2 watt, solenoid

valves may be connected to each station output lead.

This applies when the Master Valve circuit is NOT used.

Refer to Figure 4 for variations of the station load capac-

ities.

3. Connect the second lead from all valves to the white

COMMON output lead. On “C” units, connect the second

lead from each valve to a “COMMON” wire and connect

that wire to a screw labeled “COM” on the terminal strip.

Record the valve locations or landscape zone identifica-

tion for each station on the label inside the cabinet door.

MOUNTING

1. Choose a location that provides a minimum clearance of 13" wide x 10" high. Since

the electrical connections are provided at the bottom of the cabinet, clearance should

be allowed for the conduit connections etc. (Refer to Figure 2.)

2. Remove the 4 panel mounting screws, carefully lift out the panel and disconnect the

wire harness at the connectors.

3. Position the cabinet on the wall at the mounting location, and with a pencil, mark

the 3 mounting hole locations on the wall. Two vertical holes are provided for mount-

ing to a wall stud.

4. Install the two top fasteners first. (Note: Use #10 screws).

5. Install the bottom fastener, and tighten all screws. With the cabinet mounted se-

curely to the wall, proceed with the wiring connections.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

ALL WIRING MUST BE INSTALLED AND CONNECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH

LOCAL CODES. A basic wiring diagram, with color code identification is provided on

the inside surface of the cabinet for easy reference.

RC-7A

OUTPUT LEAD COLOR

CODE

Station 1........... Brown

2........... Red

3........... Orange

4........... Yellow

5........... Green

6........... Blue

7........... Violet

Master Valve.......... Black

Valve Common......... White

Figure 3.

VALVE OUTPUT IDENTIFICATION

NUMBER OF VALVES

PER STATION

TYPE OF

MASTER VALVE 2.0

WATT

Solenoid

None...............

2 Watt Solenoid........ 4

Figure 4.

STATION CAPACITY

Master Valve Wiring

If a Master Valve is to be used, see Figure 4 for station capacity limitations.

1. Connect one lead from a 24 VAC Master Valve to the controller's black Master

Valve lead (in "C" models, connect to "MV" screw on the terminal strip).

2. Connect the other Master Valve lead to the controller COMMON (white) along with

the valve common leads (in "C" models, connect to "COM" screw).

CAUTION: If a master valve Is not being used on the RC-7A, be sure to tape the

end of the black Master Valve lead to prevent any possibility of "shorting."

Main Power Wiring (RC-7A)

The 120 V. step-down transformer is mounted a the lower left portion of the controller

cabinet.

1. Remove the 3 screws and cover plate at the bottom left side of the cabinet.

2. The 7/8" dia. hole in the bottom of the cabinet is provided for direct input connection

with a 1/2" conduit fitting.

3. Connect a 120 Volt-A.C. supply line to the LINE INPUT leads.

Main Power Wiring (RC-7C, RC-4C & RC-1260C)

The 120 VAC step-down transformer is mounted in the lower left hand comer of the

controller cabinet. A 1/2"-14 NPSM conduit nipple extends through the cabinet bottom

for connection to a conduit housing, junction box, or other approved attachment. Make

the electrical connections using wire nuts to connect the transformer leads (white to

white and black to black and green to green or earth ground) to the incoming 120 VAC

Pump Start Capability

The RC series controller can activate an optional 24 volt AC relay for use as a magnetic

starter switch for 117 and 220 volt pump motors. The Rain Bird PMC (pump motor con-

trol) connects to the controller using the "MASTER VALVE" and "VALVE COMMON" con-

nections (MV and COM). The high voltage power to the pump passes through the high volt-

age wires and relay in a second compartment in the PMC (see installation instructions with

the Rain Bird PMC).

Electrical System Checkout

1. Rotate the STATION dial counterclockwise to position REST at the top directly un-

der the Station pointer.

2. Pull all pins on the HOUR and DAY dials to the "out" position.

3. Put the MODE switch in the AUTO position.

4. Turn on the main power at the source.

5. Adjust each station TIME control to the 5 minute mark. See Figure 6.

6. Rotate the STATION dial (counterclockwise) to position Station 1 under the pointer.

Watering should commence shortly as the automatic mechanism latches with the Sta-

tion dial.

The 5-minute interval should provide sufficient time to observe control valve operation.

If more time is required, simply adjust the timing knobs as necessary. The controller

will advance through each station, in sequence, providing opportunity to observe each

circuit for proper operation.

Upon satisfactory checkout of the system, proceed to adjust the controller clock.

CAUTION:

"Dead-Heading" a pump (running the pump's motor without water flowing through it)

may cause pump damage. It may also result in personal injury from hot water spraying

from the pump as a result of static water within the pump heating to a temperature

where plastic pipe and fittings may melt and discharge the water. ALL CON-

TROLLERS USING PUMP START RELAYS ON MASTER VALVE/PUMP START CIR-

CUITS MAY ENCOUNTER THIS PROBLEM. As a safeguard against such an incident

the following procedure is highly recommended.

All UNUSED stations on an electromechanical controller must be connected to a sta-

tion on the controller where a valve is present if a pump start relay is used to start a

pump. This installation method eliminates possible pump dead-heading if station tim-

ing is inadvertently programmed on a station where a valve is not present. See details

below.

Example: If the correct time is 1:35 PM,

position the dial such that the TIME

pointer will point midway between the 1

and 2 numerals on the PM side of the

dial. If a more precise adjustment is de-

sired, the best procedure would be to

push-in the pin corresponding to the up-

coming hour (in this example, the 2 PM

pin) and on that hour, slowly rotate the

dial until you hear the "click" of the

micro-switch.

3. Proceed to set the present day by ro-

tating the calendar DAY dial to position

the correct letter opposite the DAY

pointer at the bottom of the dial. (See

Figure 5.)

4. Next, rotate the STATION dial in a

counterclockwise direction to position

REST at the top under the STATION

pointer.

This completes the controller clock set-

ting.

SCHEDULING AUTOMATIC OPERATION

Before proceeding to set the automatic schedule, be sure the HOUR and DAY dials

are adjusted for the correct time and all pins are in the “out” position.

1. Push in the pin(s) corresponding to the day(s) on which watering is desired. Re-

member, each DAY pin represents a 24 hour period beginning at midnight.

2. Next, select the desired starting time(s) and push in the corresponding pin(s) on the

HOUR dial. Multiple “starts” within a given day may be scheduled after completion of

the time accumulated by the previous cycle; see NOTE following Step #3.

3. The first mark (square dot on the station dial) is the minimum time setting and rep-

resents approximately 3 minutes. The small white arrow moves with the knob for visual

indication of each setting. (There will be no valve output when the arrow is positioned

between "off" and the "square dot'') The ratchet notches represent 1 minute incre-

ments for precise settings. The OFF position at each timing dial omits the station from

the schedule.

SETTING THE CONTROLLER

With the main power ON, proceed to adjust the clock for the correct time and day.

1. Put the MODE switch in the OFF position.

2. Rotate the HOUR dial (clockwise only) to position the current time opposite the

TIME pointer at the top of the panel. Observe the dial for the correct AM or PM numer-

als.

NOTE: On the RC-7 and -1260 series, the mini-

mum accumulated cycle time required to prevent

a second start within a given hour is 20 minutes.

Conversely, the maximum accumulated time to

permit a cycle start on a consecutive hour is 55

minutes. Total cycle time of more than one hour

is permissible.

NOTE: It takes about 20 minutes for the hour

dial pin that started a watering cycle to move off

the cycle-start switch behind the face panel. To

make sure the RC-4C will not start another cycle

when the combined running time of stations 1

through 4 is less than 20 minutes, the controller

will stop at the non-existent station 6 position,

and time out 20 minutes before returning to

SEMI-AUTOMATIC OPERATION

The controller may be operated at any time in a semi-automatic mode simply by turn-

ing the STATION dial counterclockwise to position the desired station at the top, just

ahead of the Station pointer. Allow the automatic mechanism to advance into the de-

sired timing zone. The selected station will operate for the time set on the dial, after

which, the remaining stations will follow in sequence until the REST position again ap-

pears under the Station pointer.

RAIN SHUTDOWN

There may be occasions where it is desired to interrupt all landscape irrigation. Condi-

tions such as rainy weather, system repair, landscape renovation, or other excavation

work. The temporary shutdown of the system is accomplished by moving the MODE

switch to the OFF position. This eliminates controller output to the valves without inter-

rupting the controller timing circuitry. The controller will not operate either automati-

cally or semi-automatically.

A summary of the operating instructions is provided on the label inside the controller

door.

MAINTENANCE

The controller is designed to provide years of trouble-free service. The controller re-

quires no preventative maintenance or lubrication. Should trouble occur, refer to the

Troubleshooting chart for possible remedies, or contact your local authorized Rain

Bird dealer.

This completes the automatic setting of the controller. Move the MODE switch to the

AUTO position. The controller will now automatically control the landscape irrigation

according to the schedule.

TROUBLESHOOTING CHART

DIFFICULTY POSSIBLE CAUSE REMEDY

Clock stopped. a. Circuit Breaker Tripped a. Push RESET. If controller

stops again, check system

circuits to locate trouble

b. No power to controller. b. Check line voltage and

connections at each end.

DAY and HOUR dials

function incorrectly. a. Clock set for incorrect

time.

b. Pins incorrectly set.

a. Reset clock for the

"present" time.

b. Check pin settings and

"accumulated cycle time on

station dial.

DAY and HOUR dials

function, but cycle will not

start automatically.

a. MODE switch in wrong po-

sition. a. Move switch to AUTO po-

sition.

Controller recycles imme-

diately without stopping in

the REST position.

a. Insufficient cycle time al-

lowed.

b. Total cycle time coincides

with a succeeding START

pin.

a. Adjust cycle time for more

than 15 minutes.

b. Reset the HOUR pins or

readjust the accumulated

cycle time.

Some stations do not op-

erate. a. Station time set at OFF.

b. Faulty valve wiring.

a. Set TIME control for more

than 3 minutes.

b. Check connections be-

tween controller and valves.

Also, check valve actuators.

Station dial does not stop

at a "Timed" station a. Insufficient time set on

dial. a. Adjust the TIME control

for more than 3 minutes.

Should trouble be isolated in the controller mechanism, remove the entire panel as-

sembly from the cabinet and return to your local distributor for repair.

Customer Support Center

6640 S. Bonney Ave. Tucson, AZ 85706

1-800-RAIN-BIRD

HAVE A QUESTION, PROBLEM OR COMMENT?

Our Technical Services toll-free phone number is: 1-800-RAIN-BIRD.

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