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Programming a Hardie Rain Dial: Using A, B, C Programs for Different Schedules

Your Hardie Rain Dial has A, B, and C program slots — no visible "zones." You want to water the lawn every other day and the hillside once a week. Good news: that's exactly what the three programs are for.

How the Three Programs Work

Each program (A, B, C) is a complete, independent schedule with its own start times, run times, and days-to-water. All programs share the same physical stations (valves), but you assign each station to run in whichever program(s) you need.

Step-by-Step Setup

Open the controller door — basic instructions are printed inside.
Set the dial to Program A. Program your lawn schedule: e.g., start at 5:00 AM, run stations 1–4 for 15 minutes each, set days to "Interval: 2 days."
Switch to Program B. Program the hillside: e.g., start at 5:00 AM, run station 5 for 30 minutes, set days to "Weekly: Monday."
Leave Program C empty or use for seasonal adjustments.
Critical: Return the dial to RUN (or AUTO) when done. If left in a programming position, the system won't water.

Pro Tip

Use the "Manual" cycle to test each station after programming. Verify coverage and adjust run times before relying on automatic operation.

Irrigation: Irritrol Rain Dial 900: Split Front/Back Yard onto Programs A and B; Hardie Rain Dial 9‑Station Display Reverts to PM – Microprocessor Failing; Resetting a Rain Dial Hardie Controller (Model P/NHHA11272); Rain Dial Programming: Time/Day Setting Switch Position; Hardie Rain Dial Restarts Zone 1 After Cycle: Valve 1 Stuck Open; Hardie Rain Dial 1993: Zones 6 & 7 Run Together—Crossed Wire or Controller; Resetting a Hardie Rain Dial Controller to Factory Defaults for Manual Run Limits; Hardie Rain Dial Won't Activate Sprinklers After Rain Shutdown; Programming Hardie Rain Dial for Weekly Watering Schedule; Fixing a Hardie Rain Dial RD600 That Runs 7 Days a Week Instead of 3

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