Question
I have a Rainbird ESP-6TM system that has not worked since my house was struck by lightning. The timer appears to work and even counts down, but the screen constantly flashes (it never did this before). Subsequently, I have no water coming out of any of my stations. I have removed the fuse and it is still good. I also checked and can see no signs of any burnt electronics. Does this mean the controller is bad??

Answer
Hey Darrell, it could be the controller, or it could be the wires or solenoids  running to the valves might have burned up. To determine if it is the controller, take a volt /ohm meter, and turn on a zone, lets say zone #1. With the zone turned on, touch the negative lead to the back of the controllers terminal strip marked C (common) and the positive lead to the terminal strip marked #1 (zone/valve) #1. You should get a reading between 22 to 26 volts. If you don't get a good reading, then the controller is bad. If you get a good reading, then you need to check your wiring running from the controller to the valves, or the solenoids on the valves. Good luck and have a great day.