Question
We have an outdoor ESP6 already installed in house we purchased.  This spring when we went to turn on the system the controller was displaying basically 8888.  We unplugged it to try to reset it and checked the box fuse which was good, but replaced it anyway.  Still displaying 8888.  Could you give us an idea if the entire controller needs to be replaced or what?  If so could you recommend an easy and economical replacement for it as this model is discontinued, and my lawn is very sad about the situation...

Answer
Andrea,

If the controller is still receiving power, it is possible that an electrical surge that exceeded the controller's built in surge protection may have damaged the microprocessor. Try unplugging the transformer again and removing the battery. Wait for 2 minutes. Reinstall the battery and plug in the controller. If the display reads correctly, go ahead and reprogram it. If it is blank or shows 888, then it is probably permanently damaged and needs replaced.

A good replacement would be the RainBird ESP-Modular. This comes as a 4 station base model and can be expanded by adding hot-swappable modules. If you have 6 stations (I am assuming), you will need to buy the controller and 1 additional module.

Good Luck - BC