Hardie Controller "Skip Mode" After Power Outage: Reset Procedure

Restoring a Hardie / Irritrol Controller After Power Loss

A "skip mode" display or garbled screen after a power outage usually indicates a weak or missing backup battery combined with a corrupted memory state.

Complete Reset Steps

1. Remove AC power and the 9 V backup battery.
2. Wait 60 seconds.
3. Reinstall a fresh 9 V battery.
4. Restore AC power.
5. Reprogram time, date, and schedules from scratch (see below).

Reprogramming Basics

• Time: Dial → TIME → set hour/min (note AM/PM).
• Date: Dial → DATE → set year → NEXT → month → NEXT → day → NEXT (day-of-week auto-sets).
• Programs (A/B/C): Function Switch → SET PROGRAM → select A, B, or C.
• Watering Days: Choose Daily, Skip Days (interval), Odd, or Even.
• Start Times & Run Times: Enter per zone.

If the display remains corrupted after a full reset with a new battery, the controller's microprocessor is likely damaged and the unit should be replaced.