CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Controllers and Programming Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client's controller is programmed for peak summer watering. To efficiently reduce water usage in the cooler autumn months without editing each zone's run time individually, what is the BEST method?
- Delete one of the program start times.
- Use the 'Seasonal Adjust' or 'Water Budget' feature to set a lower percentage. (Correct answer)
- Reprogram all station run times to shorter durations.
- Manually run the system only when the landscape appears dry.
Correct answer: Use the 'Seasonal Adjust' or 'Water Budget' feature to set a lower percentage.
The 'Seasonal Adjust' or 'Water Budget' feature is designed specifically for this purpose. It allows a user to make a global, percentage-based change to the run times of all stations in a program, which is much more efficient than changing each one individually.
Question 2: A technician is setting up a schedule for a zone with clay soil on a steep slope, which is causing significant water runoff. Which controller feature is specifically designed to mitigate this issue by splitting a zone's total run time into smaller, separated applications?
- Sensor Bypass
- Master Valve Delay
- Cycle and Soak (Correct answer)
- Seasonal Adjust
Correct answer: Cycle and Soak
Cycle and Soak (also called Multi-Cycle or Intelligent Soak) is a programming feature that breaks up a station's total run time into shorter cycles separated by a soak period. This allows water time to infiltrate into tight soils or sloped areas, preventing wasteful runoff.
Question 3: When wiring multiple electronic zone valves to a standard irrigation controller, a single wire provides the shared electrical return path for all solenoids. To which terminal on the controller is this wire connected?
- P/MV (Pump/Master Valve)
- SEN (Sensor)
- Any numbered station terminal
- C (Common) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: C (Common)
The 'C' or 'Common' terminal is the connection point for the common wire. This wire is connected to one lead on every solenoid in the system, creating a shared return path for the electrical circuit that activates the valves.
Question 4: A client with a working irrigation system and a rain sensor reports that their sprinklers did not run after a very brief, light shower. The controller is programmed correctly and the sensor bypass switch is 'off'. What is the MOST likely reason the system did not activate?
- The sensor's sensitivity is set to a low rainfall amount (e.g., 1/8 inch) and was triggered. (Correct answer)
- The controller's transformer has failed.
- There is a short in the field wiring.
- The master valve is stuck closed.
Correct answer: The sensor's sensitivity is set to a low rainfall amount (e.g., 1/8 inch) and was triggered.
Rain sensors have adjustable sensitivity settings. If set to a very sensitive level, such as 1/8 inch, even a small amount of rain can saturate the hygroscopic discs and interrupt the watering cycle, which is the sensor's intended function.
Question 5: A property has distinct watering needs: turfgrass zones that need to water three days a week, shrub drip zones that require daily watering, and a newly seeded area that must be watered multiple times per day. Which controller feature is essential to manage these diverse schedules?
- Multiple independent programs (e.g., A, B, C) (Correct answer)
- A high number of available station terminals
- Non-volatile memory
- A rain sensor bypass switch
Correct answer: Multiple independent programs (e.g., A, B, C)
Multiple independent programs (often labeled A, B, C, etc.) allow a user to assign different groups of stations to completely separate schedules, with their own unique start times, run times, and days to water. This is the correct way to manage zones with different watering requirements.
Question 6: Using a multimeter, a technician tests a controller by placing probes on the 'C' (Common) terminal and the terminal for an activated zone 5. The meter reads 0 VAC. A separate test across the transformer's 24V output terminals reads 26 VAC. What is the MOST likely cause of the 0 VAC reading at the zone terminal?
- The transformer is faulty.
- The solenoid for zone 5 has an open coil.
- The field wiring for zone 5 is shorted.
- The controller's internal fuse is blown or its circuit protection is tripped. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The controller's internal fuse is blown or its circuit protection is tripped.
Since the transformer is confirmed to be producing 26 VAC, the problem lies within the controller's power distribution. A reading of 0 VAC at the station terminal indicates that no power is being sent out. This is a classic symptom of a blown fuse or tripped internal circuit breaker, which interrupts the flow of power from the transformer to the station terminals.
CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Controllers and Programming Questions and Answers
A client's controller is programmed for peak summer watering.
To efficiently reduce water usage in the cooler autumn months without editing each zone's run time individually, what is the BEST method?