DIY: Lawn Sprinkler Timers

Find a desirable installation location that is close to the timer's power source.

Pull open the timer door and locate the mounting holes on the inside of the unit. Press the back of the unit against the wall where you want to mount the controller. Stick a pencil through the mounting holes and mark the wall where the screws will go.

Drive screws into the wall where the marks are located with a power drill. If you plan to install the unit in drywall, use anchors. Line up the mounting holes with the screw heads and guide the controller onto the screws so that the heads go through the mounting holes.

Cut a long piece of direct burial irrigation wire so that the wire extends easily from the valve manifold box to the controller.

Lay the irrigation wire down into the ground along the main irrigation pipe if the timer is being installed the same time as the irrigation system. If the timer will be installed later, dig up the dirt surrounding the main irrigation line. Use electrical or duct tape to secure the wire to the main irrigation pipeline.

Strip about 6 inches from the end of the irrigation wire at the valve manifold with wire strippers. You will see a bunch of smaller, color-coded wires. Select the white wire and two others and bend the rest of the wires back. You can use these extra wires if you want to add valves to the manifold in the future.

Pull out the two wires from each valve and strip all of the wires 1/2-inch, including the three irrigation wires, with wire strippers. Gather the white irrigation wire and one wire from each valve and screw a watertight splice connector onto the bunch. Pair the two color-coded wires to each of the remaining wires from the two valves. Screw a watertight splice connector onto each pairing.

Fasten the other end of the irrigation wire to the wall so that it's out of the way. Strip about 6 inches from the wire. Select the white wire and the two color-coded valve wires from the group and bend the rest back for possible future use. Strip the three wires about 1/2-inch.

Insert the white wire into the "Common" terminal on the controller and the two color-coded wires into the "1" and "2" watering zone terminals.

Plug the timer into a power source and program it.