Nelson SmartZone EZ 8504 Installation guide

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INSTALLATION AND PBOGBAIVIV]ING GUIDE
SmartZonerM EZ
8504 8528
8506 8532
8508 355.1
8512 3556
8514 3558
8516 3562
8518 a57,1
4522 4576
4524 A57B
8526 8532 trE
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THANK YOU for purchasing the Smartzoneril EZ electronic irrigaiion
controller. You'll soon discover why we've dubbed it the "E2". We are
confident it will be ihe easiest and most reliable controller you will ever use.
It's so "EZ", you'll probably be able to install and program this feature-packed
controller without instructions. However, belore instailing and programming
the controller, we recommend you read these instructions carefully to take full
advantage ol all the SmartzoneirM EZ has to offer.
lf you have questions, problems or comments on your new Smartzonerrl EZ,
please call our Technical Services Department toll-free at 1-800-NELSON8.
Leaders in Turt lrrigation Since 1911
NOTE: 1n our efforts to continually improve and update our products,Ieatures
and specifications in this manual may change without notice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
F€aiures 3
lnsrallation 4-12
Models 8504. 8506. 8508 3512. 4574. 8576. 8s78. 8582 4 7
lvodels 8514.8516.3513 3522 a
Llodels 8524, 8526, 8528, 8532, 8554, 8556. 8558. 8562 I I
Termlnal Str p 10
Connecuno N1aste. Valve or Pump sta Feay 10
Connecting Rai./MostLre Sensor 10
Conn€cting Banery & Fesenng Contro er 11 12
Programding lhe Smartzonertu Ez 13-22
Programm ng Oveview l3
F.onl Pane Layout 14-15
Sel Time of Day 16
Sel Cuirenl Day 16
Sel Today s Dale 16
Se ecl Zones afd Set The r RLn Times 16 17
Set Stari Times 18
Set'/" Wa1e. Bldget 18
Schedulng 19 2a
Setwal€r Days Schedu ng Oplon 20
Set Odd/Eve. Day Scheduling Optio. 21
Set nlerval SchedLling Oplion 21
Program Revierv 22
Tum ng the Co.t.oler Oft 22
Advanced Features 23-24
nun a zone ^,!a.!aly 23 24
Fun a Program Manually 24
Fu. a 3 LlinuteTesi (Syr nge) 24
Techn'cal Data / Specifications 2s-27
Troubleshooting/Service 2A
FCC Fules 29
wa.ranty 30
Mounting Template 32

FEATURES
. Professional grade
. Easy to use dials and buitons for programming
. Large and clear LCD (Liquid Crystat Disptay)
. Non-volatile memory for program relention without AC power or
batteries
. 3 independent programs - A, B, C (See Programming Overview)
. 3 start times per program (9 total starts)
. 3 scheduling options (7 day calendar, odd/even, 1-30 day interval)
. 3 test cycles (manual, cycle, 3 minute test)
. Water budgeting
. Programmable run times from 1 minute to I hours 59 minutes
. txclusive Select&Adjust-v programming
. 2yeat waftanly on materials and workmanship
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
For lr,todets 8504, 8506, 8508, 8512,8574, 8576, 8578, 8582:
These mode s can be mounted indoors or outdoors. F nd a location neat a 120V (230/24AV lat
8574, 8576, 8578, and 8582 models) wiring source. lnstall the Smartzone'M EZ near eye level if
possible. Open the face panel by loosening the pane locking screw and pulling the tab on the righl
oi the front panel to swing the pane open on its hinges. ljse lhe instal at on templale (page 32
removed) to mark and pre dril pilot holes in the wa l. The lelt two hole guides in the SmarlzonerM
EZ are verticaily aligned ior mouniing the controler lo a slud (See template). lnsert screws
through the ho es in ihe case and screw each into the corresponding piloi hole in ihe wal .
Wiring the translormer for models 8504, 8506, 8508, 8512, 8574, 8576,a57a,asa2
"120 VAC in Ljnited States, Canada and Mexico; 230 VAC in Europe and 240 VAC in Australla
NOTE: Refer to and follow local codes if different from these instructions,

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Power supply cables and cords used ioT connections are to be a minimum oi ordlnary duly or
greater duly. Live sLrpply wires should be attached together adiacent to the terminal block. Low
voltage outpul cables irom the contro ler should be enclosed in conduit affixed to contro ler with a
suitable adapter. Wiih lront panel open to provide access to the iniernal transiormer bring 120V
(230/24A Iot 8574, a576, 8578, 8582) wires up ihrough 1/2 conduit into the left hole in the bottom
of the case. (For iield connecuon, AC wires must have an insulation rated at 75' C minimum-)
Conduit shou d be secured to the case (iolow local codes).
For Models 8504,8506,8508,8512 (see figure 1):
Atiach AC wites to ttansiormer wires using wire nuls. Aso insuTe earth ground wire rs attached to
green wlth yeilow slripe ground wire. Please check local codes for groLrndlng reqLl remenls n your
area. B!ndle wire wthln cable tie loop and t ghlen cab e tie to prevent oose wiring from louching
secondary clrcuits. The transforrner is now wired. DO NOT i!rn on power yet.
NOTE: Failure to ground unit properly may cause severe damage to the controller and/or
personal property and will void warranty.
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
FIGURE 1
8504,8s06, 8508,8512

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
For models 8574, 8576, 8578, 8582 (see iigure 2):
Rolte AC wires to connector provided. Cut and trjrn wtres to install in chassis mount connectoT,
Tighten screws. (For Austra|a an extra clamp has been provided.) Observe proper polarity of wires as
you installthem (i.e. 11, L2 and ground). The transiormer is now wired. OO NOT turn on power yet.
NOTE: Failure to grouncl unit properly may cause severe damage to the controlter and/or
personal property and will void warranty.
F]GURE 2
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
For models 8514j 8516,8518,8522: (Pre-wired with 6 foot AC cord)
These mode s are lor indoor use on y. Find a location near a 120V ouilet. lnstall the SmartzonerM
EZ near eye levei if possib e. Use the insta latron template (page 32 removed) to mark and pre-drill
pilot holes for the keyho e s ots on the back oi the box. lnse( the two screws into the watt and
tighten down leaving 1/8" between wall and screw head. Hang the coniro ler on the screws ustng
the two keyhole slots on the back of the unit. T ghten screws. The transforrner has been pre-wired
wth a 6 loot AC power cord wiih grounding plug. We recommend that yo! do not a ter thrs
connectron. Replacement oi this cord mustfolow local codesandinal casesuniimustbe
properly groLrnded. DO NOT p[]g in power cord yei.
For models 8524,8526, 8528,8532,8554,8556,8558, 8562: (External plug-in transformer included)
These mode s are lor indoor use only. F nd a locatron near a 120V (230/240V ior 8554, 8556,
8558, 8562) outlel. lnstall the SmartzonerM EZ near eye level if possible. Open the face panel by
loosening the panel lock ng screw and pu ling the tab on the right oi the front pane to swing the
pane open on its hinges. Use the insiallation template (page 32 removecl),to mark and pre-driil
pllot holes ior the keyhole slols on the back of the box. lnsert two screws ifto the wall leaving 1/8
between wall and screw head. Hang the controller on the screws using lhe two keyho e slots on
the back of the un t. Tjghten screws.

INSTALLATION INSTPUCTIONS
Connectjng transformer to power terminals for 8524, 8526, 8528, 8532, 8554, 8556, 9558,9562
(.ae lgure 3):
Wilh iront panel open to provide access to lnterna circuit board in the bottom of ihe case, bring ihe
output wires from the translormer wall unit through the hole in the bottom left side oi the case. Attach
the lwo leads to the tab connectors on the left side ol the circuit board. (lt does not matter which wire
is attached to either tab). Houle wires through the wire retainers as shown (see flgure S). DO NOT
plug in lransiorrner yei- FIGURE 3
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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
TerminalStrip
Al zone, pump and sensor wire connections rnade jnside the SmartzonerM EZ utilize tool-less
connectors. Press on lhe terminal strrp lever wilh a pen or small screwdriver and insert ihe wrre
nto the botlom. The lerminal strips in the SmartzonerM EZ contro ler accept 14 AWG (1.6 mm)
wire or smaller,
Connecting Master Valve or Pump-Start Relay
The SmartzonerM EZ is equipped with a shared circuil to operate either a purnp start relay or a
master valve. Conneci one wire lrorn the pump sta( relay to COt\,4 (common) on term nal strjp. the
other to PMP/IV]V (pump/rrasler vave) on the termina strip. Fefer to pump-start re ay
mafufaciurers instruct ons for specilic nstalatron deta ls.
Connecting Rain/Moislure Sensor (see figure 2)
The SmartzonerM EZ is equipped to operate a sensor with normally-closed leads. The sensor
port on the SmartzonerM EZ is the frrst tool-less connector on the intercon|ect board (see F gLlre
2). To install a sensor, remove the iactory-instal ecl jumper w re from the sensor connector on the
terminai slrjp and insert the sensor wires. Reier to the sensor rnanufacturer,s instructions jor
specific instal alion detai s.
lf a sensor has suspended watering, the sensor indrcator segnrent will appear on the LCD@.
The symbol wil go off when the sensor has dried out or when the controller is set in one oi the
manual modes (see pages 23-25). The SmartzonerM EZ w l resume operation based on the
selected program.
10

ttlSrALUnOru truStnUCrtOltS '1.)
Connecting Battery and Resetting Controller
Connect one 9V A kaline battery to the baliery clip and ifseri inlo the battery ho der on the back
ol the front panel. The baitery enables the SmartzonerM EZ to be programmed without AC power
and maintains the real time c ock in the event oi a power outage. lt a battery is noi insial ed, the
controller wil lose real time in the event oi a power outaqe. The bal1ery shou d be replaced ofce
a year.
Alter installing the battery, press ihe black reset button on the back oi the front panel lo reset lhe
conlroller (does not affeci prograrn(s)). To reset the controller 10 its defauli settings, press both the
b ack reset button and the SELECT A key simultaneous y. Felease reset bulton before re easing
seleci /i: key. Close ihe front panel, being sure not to damage wires. lf wires are stifJ, you may
lind it helpful to pre-bend them. Tighten the panel screw 1o secure the tronl panel to lhe case.
Pluq in the AC cord for the transformer or turn on the poweT source.
NOTE: Since all programs are stored in non-volatile memory, you will not lose program
settings during a power failure - even if there is no battery installed.
No AC Power Symbol
When AC power is lost, the no AC Power Symbol (@ ) wil be dlsplayed. lf a program is running, it
will stop. Water ng operat ons will resume with the next scheduled program aiter AC is restored.
l1
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 4
You're now ready to start programningl
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1
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PROGRAMMING INSTFUCTIONS
Programming Overview
Beiore programming the SmartzonerM EZ, it rnay be helpf!i to become jamlliar with some general
pro9rarn ng ouide'ine.:
. lf a segrnent(s) on the LCD is llashing, it means that it can be changed by the user.
. when using,i:. or !:'keys, hold the buiion three seconds to start a iast scroll.
. Be sure the appropriaie program letter is displayed when you are programming; program
changes are specific to the prograrn lelter displayed on the LCD.
. There is no "ENTER" key. Key-presses and dial settings are stored automatically for you.
. Jf you make a prograrnming change while a prograrn is runnrng, the program lerninales
immediale y. The new program staris at the next slart tirne scheduled.
. When not rLrnning, the controller displays the current time and the current day.
. During manual operations, lhere is a 10 second delay before the operation begins. During this
time, you can change your seitrngs. Each time yoLl make a change, the de ay resels to T0
seconds.
. N,'IANUAL, CYCLE, and 3 N,4INUTE TEST procedures only operate wth ihe program dia set n
the AUTO posltion.
. Afler a test procedure runs, the coniroller reverts back to the AUTO procedure and rur.rs the
next prograrn sched!led.
. The test procedures ignore the sensor connect on; this allows you to waler or tun your
prograrn even if the sensor has suspended operalion.
. Siart tirnes programmed in A, B, or C will rLrn regardtess oi A_ B, C dia positron. programs in
A, B. or C can not overlap siari and stop limes.
PROGHAMMING INSTHUCTIO
Front Panel Layout
Looking ai the front panel (see figure 4), you see a arge LCD, 4 rubber buttons, one large rotary
dial, arld two small roiary dials. The rubber buttons are marked ',SELECT,, and ',ADJUSi' and jre
the heart of Nelson's exctusive SELECT&ADJI.JST'" programmtng. The keys are identrJied
wilh,i.i. for increasing or decreasing the segment youle working on.
SELECT&AOJUSTI; works on ihe principle that you iirsi SELECT what you want to set, and
ADJUST lhe va|ables of what you seleciecj. For example, if you want a run time oi 1O rninutes on
zone 5, you would use the SELECTA.T keys to selecl zofe S and, once on zone 5, you would
use the ADJusT.tiT keys io set the run trme to 1o minutes.
There are instances when only SELECT or only ADJUST is required. They will be explained in
this guide where approptiale. A Bute ofThumb: SELECT wi select zo;es or a particulat
stafi time (1,2 ot 3). ADJIISTwi adjustTimes, Dates, and /. Watel Budget Seethehang
card inside the id of the SmartzonerM EZ for a quick rejerence on what buttons to use tor
diflerent dial positions.
j

PBOGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS
FIGUBE 4
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NOTE: The MODE dial must be in the"Program" posiiion.
NOTE: Every time theA or:tkey is pressed, the time will increase or decrease one
minute. Hold the A or':,-key lor three seconds to initiate a fast scroll.
NOTE: Please refer to the Technical Data section for an explanation of the LCD segments
15
PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS
SetTime ol Day
Turn the large dialto lhe TIME position. Press ADJUST /t:r.-, to scrol to the correct t me. There rs
no A.4,4. indicator. l\,lode s 8574, 8576, 8578, 8582, 8554, 8556, 8558, 8562 are atL factory preset
wilh a 24 hour clock.
Set Current Day
Turn the large dial to the CURRENT DAY position. Press SELECTA!7To posrtion ihe curreni day
ind cator V over lhe current day. SELECTA wii advance the V indicator to ihe right;
SELECT T will advance the V io the left.
Set Today's Date
Turn lhe large dia to lhe DATE position. Press ADJlJSTzNTkeys to scroll io the current date.
The YEAR will auiomatically advance upon rol ing over 12/31. Mode s 8574, 8576,857a, 85a2, :
8554,8556,8558,8562 are alllactory preset in DATE/MONTH forrnat (31/12).
NOTE: A DATE is only required if you intend to use ODD/EVEN scheduling or to set a start
date, other than the current date, for TNTERVAL scheduting.
Select Zones and SetTheir BunTimes
A zone r!n time delermines the duaation a zone wtll run.
Turn the large dial to the ZONE / RUN TlliE position. Press SELECTAi--to select the zone you
wafi for the selected program (A, B, or C). With the zone number dtsplayed on the LCD, press
ADJIJSTA.7 10 adjusl lhe RUN TIME for that zone. BUN T|\,4ES can be set from j minute to g
hours 59 minutes. Continue selecting zones and adjusting their run times until you have all the
zones )ou waal n rha se ec_ed progra.r. 16 l

PROGRAMMING INSTHUCTIONS
Alter ihe lasi zone and before the firsl zone, a RUN Tl[,4E summation rs provided. This is useiu
ior determining the total run t me ior a program The LCD displays the lelters "ALL' and a total
FUN TIME is displayed. The tjme displayed is a summatron ol al the RUN TIMES for the se ecied
program (100% water budgel). (ex. A program has a run time of 5 mi|utes on zone 1 ; 12 minutes . .
on zone 2; and 6 minutes on zone 4. The display at this positron displays ALL and a run time of
23 minlrtes).
FIGURE 5
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SmartZonerM EZ l
&
PROGRAMMING INSTFUCTIONS
Set SiartTimes
A START Ti[/4E ]s the iime of day a program will start running. The SmartzonerM EZ allows three
start t mes per program.
Turn the large d al to the STARTTIMES position. Press SELECT.a-.:,to seieci the start iime you
wani to set (1 , 2, or 3). Press ADJUST t..:, to set the time of day the prograrn will start. Repeal
as needed.
Set % Water Budget
% WATEF BUDGET changes the duralion of run times in a program by the percentage entered 5 1
200% ( .e., a 10 minute run trme at 50% water budget will run 5 minutes). This feature ls useful :
when changes in weaiher occur. Ii lt is unlsua ly dry, you may want to exlend your run time for .;
each zone in a program- Wiih % Water Budgel, you can change one number, and all run iimes in
the program are adiusted.
Turn the large dia to the % WATER BUDGET position. A % symbo wilt appear on the LCD to ei
you know you are working on the % Water Budget arnount. Press ADJUSTA.: to choose the
desired percentage amo!nt.