Live Streaming – Electrical Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting the electrical operation of an irrigation system is a scary thought for many professionals in the irrigation industry.  This training class aims to remove the fear of electricity by helping students understand how the electrical system works.  First, an explanation of electricity will be presented along with some of the tools necessary to work on the electrical system.  Electrical failures will be explored from both the power supply side and the irrigation controller operation.  Finally, discussion on electrical circuits including control wiring and valve solenoids will complete the troubleshooting of an electrical system.

Course Outline


Unit 1 Electricity – definitions

Unit 2 Electrical testing tools

Unit 3 Incoming power supply

Unit 4 Transformer operation and testing

Unit 5 Irrigation controller station output

Unit 6 Electrical circuit testing

Learning Objectives


Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Define electrical terms: Current, Voltage, Resistance

2. Determine the correct setting on a multimeter for voltage and resistance testing

3. Identify a controller transformer failure

4. Define an irrigation electrical circuit

5. Perform a resistance test on field wiring

Suggested Prerequisites


Before the class session, each participant should have the following items:

  • A 120 VAC outlet to power an irrigation controller
  • A traditionally wired irrigation controller with a pigtail plug (a Rain Bird ESP-ME3 will be used for demonstration during the class session).
  • A multimeter capable of testing up to 200 VAC and up to 200 Ω resistance (an Armada Technologies model PRO95 multimeter will be used for demonstration during the class session)
  • An irrigation valve solenoid