SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Been suffering with this for years and just now attempting to figure out a solution. Hope you guys can help.

We have a Rainbird ESP-16i. Dial in the center, display and buttons across the top, access to the guts without removing from the wall. Been in this house 11 years, so it's older than that by a few.

Problem is the buttons across the top generally are unresponsive. You push, nothing happens. You push harder, nothing happens. You push, hold it for what feels like forever

but is probably only a few minutes, rolling your finger around every now and then, then suddenly numbers start changing on you. (Which of course startles you, causing you to let go of the button and never at the number you wanted so you start over again with the waiting.) They work eventually. Just not right when you push them the first time.

Times we've had guys out to do other kinds of repairs on the system, they've "cleaned" something on the inside and the buttons work fine. For a while. Next time I'm out there having to do something, they don't work. I can't tell what it is they supposedly cleaned that would be "fixing" the problem. Saying they've cleaned something makes me thing there's an issue with the connection between button and circuit board but I'm just not seeing it. No dirt, no build-up, no wires not meeting, etc.

Only times I need to mess with the controller are time changes or power outages (like we had last week) or manual usage when fertilizing. So it's a bothersome issue, but doesn't come up enough to drive me completely batty. But it'd be nice to not have to stand in my cold/hot garage for 20 minutes just to change from program A to B.

I have the manual and reasonable handyman/electrical skills.

Yes - we're using 15 of the 16 zones, so any replacement would be pricy. But we have an eye toward selling in five years, which would give someone an almost 20-year-old controller so it is in the consideration pile.

The backs of the buttons are completely obscured by the circuit board. There is a plastic rim that projects out from the faceplate and meets the board so you cannot see the contacts without removing the board. Last time I tried to remove the board, I had something (not a button) fall out and I about never got it back together again. So I can't see if there's grease, not grease, bad contact, off center contact points, etc. to even have a clue where to start.

It's possible replacing it is just the simplest way to deal with it at this point. (Just went out to reset everything after the power outage and it went just fine once I noticed if I pushed the buttons to the side instead of straight on I was more likely to get action. Frustrating. Can't even count on it to not work. :-)