Electrical Troubleshooting for Irrigation Systems

Students will be introduced to the basics of electricity and how it applies to irrigation systems. Multi-meters will be utilized in taking voltage and resistance measurements in class. Typical irrigation system electrical discrepancies will be presented with possible causes and solutions in addition to tracking buried wires and valves and isolating wire faults. Topics covered include:

  • Basic electrical terminology
  • Multi-meter usage at the controller and in the field
  • Wire splices
  • Wire tracking
  • Fault isolation

Course Outline


Unit 1 Basic Electrical Terminology

Unit 2 Meters

Unit 3 Zone Not Operating – Causes and Solutions

Unit 4 Wire & Valve Tracking / Wire Splicing

Unit 5 Review and Evaluation

Learning Objectives


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

1. Reference the basic electrical properties of an irrigation system

2. Conduct voltage measurements on controller transformer and station power

3. Perform resistance measurements on controller transformer and solenoids

4. Demonstrate how to track buried valve and common wires

5. Demonstrate how to isolate buried wire faults

Suggested Prerequisites


None