Question
I believe my controller was struck by lightning. How would I know for sure before buying a new controller, and two, is there a way to test the valves to know if they were affected?

Answer
Hey Art, best way to test controller, is just see if it is operating properly. If you are not getting a display, or the display is not correct, then it is probably damaged. To test the solenoids on the valves, there is a tester you can buy that basically will turn the valves on without the controller, but unless your going to be testing valves for a living, it is probably not financially feasible. I would just suggest trying the valves one at a time by the controller, and most controllers will either have a built in circuit breaker that will shut the valve off (the solenoid) or a fusible link, that will trip before it damages the controller. This is probably the easiest way to tell if the valve(solenoid) has been damaged. Good luck and let me know if you need anymore help. Thanks and have a great day.