Rain Bird ESP-MC User manual

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INSTALLATION and OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
Controller Unit ESP-MC
Introduction
Welcome to Rain Bird! Thank you for purchasing your new, state-of-the-art Rain Bird
controller. For more than six decades, Rain Bird has led the irrigation industry in meet-
ing all of your water management needs by providing the highest quality products and
services available. Your new Rain Bird controller is designed to give you a lifetime of
on-site watering control.

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The ESP-MC Controller
The Extra Simple Programming-MAXICOM Compatible series (ESP-MC) controller is a
stand-alone controller appropriate for residential or commercial use. Its easy-to-use
built-in computer offers four programs for up to 40 watering stations. The ESP-MC can
also be upgraded to function as a satellite controller that is part of the MAXICOM irri-
gation system.
For more information about using your controller with the MAXICOM system, see the
ESP-SAT Installation and Operating Instructions manual that comes with the ESP-SAT
and with the MAXICOM interface board (MIB) for the ESP-MC.
Special Features
The ESP-MC is available as a wall-mount (WM) model in 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, or 40 sta-
tion capability. For information about pedestals, contact your Rain Bird distributor. All
ESP-MC models have the following special features:
• Anti-rust, corrosion-resistant design
• Four independent programs
• Cycle + Soak feature for water conservation and erosion control
• Program and time keeping during power outage
• Diagnostic circuit breaker that identifies a station with a short circuit
• Convenient Test Program
• Rain Delay from 1 to 99 days
• 365-day calendar with various scheduling options for watering cycles
• Option to set any day of the month as a non-watering day
• Cycle and fault indicator lights
• Easy-to-read liquid crystal display
• Optional moisture sensors that suspend watering when the soil is wet
• Universal remote-ready connections
• True independent day cycles by program
• Programmable program overlap
• Station timing from one minute to 12 hours
Packing List
Please check to make sure that you have all the items on the list. If any item is missing
or damaged, contact your Rain Bird distributor.
• 1 Pre-assembled Controller in Wall Cabinet
• 1 Bag of Mounting Hardware
• 2 Keys
• 1 9-Volt Rechargeable Battery
• 1 Installation and Operating Instructions Manual
• 1 Mounting Template
• 1 Three-year Warranty Card

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Chapter 1: Installation
This section of the manual explains how to mount your new ESP-MC controller on the
wall and how to connect the wiring.
Mounting the Controller
Before You Begin
Important: Before installing your controller, make sure that the area around you is
free from dirt and dust and that your hands and arms are clean. This will avoid con-
tamination of the controller’s internal parts.
Warning! Do not let water or other liquids come in contact with any part inside the
metal cabinet.
Choosing a Location
When choosing the best location to install your wall-mount controller, please consider
the following:
Warning! This controller must be installed in compliance with local electrical codes.
ü Select an area, protected from vandalism, where the user can easily reach the con-
troller. We recommend placing the controller in a utility room.
ü Select a location that has access to 120 volt AC electrical power (or the proper
electrical supply voltage outside the United States).
ü Choose a flat, stable, vertical surface, where you can mount the controller. Allow
sufficient conduit clearance for the electrical connections at the bottom of the metal
cabinet.
ü Allow 14” (35.9 cm) minimum clearance for the hinged cabinet door to swing fully to
the left.
What You Will Need
Before you begin installation, you will need the following tools:
ü Phillips Head Screwdriver
ü Slotted Head Screwdriver
ü Slotted Thin Blade Screwdriver
ü Wire Strippers
ü Lineman’s Pliers
ü Needlenose Pliers
ü Tape Measure
ü Marking Pencil
ü Electric Drill (or Hammer Drill if installing in masonry or concrete wall)
ü Nut Driver

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14” (36 cm)
minimum 11-1/4”
(28.8 cm)
Cabinet is
6-5/8” (17 cm)
To Fuse
Box
Wall
Floor
Valve Wiring in Conduit
120 Volt AC
Wiring in Conduit
11-3/8”
(28.2 cm)
Locate for
easy access
and for
comfortable
Typical Wall-mount Installation

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Chapter 1: Installation(Continued)
Removing the Controller’s Faceplate
In order to mount the controller, you must first remove the faceplate. To do so:
1. Remove the controller cabinet door from its two hinges by opening the door then
holding the bottom of the door and sliding up.
2. Pull out gently on the two white plastic snap latches on the right side of the face-
plate, then swing the panel open.
3. Disconnect the two-wire harness from the terminal board by pressing the latch away
from the connector and pulling the connector away from the terminal board. Discon-
nect the wide gray ribbon cable by grasping the wide sides of the connector and
gently pulling the connector away from the terminal board.
4. Remove the faceplate from its hinges by pushing up gently on the panel until the
lower hinge comes up out of its hole. Slide the faceplate down and away to clear
the upper hinge from its hole. Set the faceplate aside.
5. Remove the white foam block from inside the controller. Remove the 9-volt battery
from the foam block.
Mounting the Controller on the Wall
Pick up the metal cabinet. Using a thin blade screwdriver, push out the three largest
plastic plugs at the back of the cabinet. The three new holes should form an up-side
down triangle.
1.Place the mounting template onto your mounting surface, then drill the holes.
2.Mount the controller cabinet with the mounting hardware supplied.
Note: The mounting materials and specific screws you need will vary according to the
kind of mounting surface (i.e. wood, cement, masonry, drywall, etc.).
(See illustrations on the following page.)
Step 1 Step 2 Disconnecting two-wire harness
Disconnecting ribbon wire

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Connecting the Controller
There are three types of connections you must make to your ESP-MC controller:
• connections to the field valves,
• grounding connections, and
• connections to the main power source.
You may also want to connect an optional sensor, which prevents watering during
rainfall or when the soil is moist.
This section of the manual contains instructions for all four types of connections.
Note: If you are installing an ESP-SAT controller, see the ESP-SAT Installation and
Operating Instructions Manual for information about connecting the controller to the
cluster control unit.
Important: All wiring must be installed and connected in accordance with local codes.
Connections to the Field Valves
Each valve that is controlled by the ESP-MC must have its own wire that is connected
to a numbered station terminal on the controller’s terminal strip. Each station terminal
is capable of operating two valves.
Important: The wires you use to connect the controller to the field valves must be ap-
proved for underground use. See the Rain Bird catalog for exact wire specifications.
Important: Do not install the valve wires in the same conduit as the wires to the main
power source.
The illustrations below demonstrate Mounting the Controller.
Remove the faceplate from hinges Three plastic plugs

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To connect the valve wires:
1. Feed each valve wire up through the large hole on the bottom of the controller cabi-
net.
2. Strip 1/2” (1.3 cm) from the end of the valve wire. Insert the wire into the appropriate
station terminal. If the wire does not enter securely into the hole, press down on the
orange lever as you insert the wire.
Note: Each station has two holes (one above the other) because each station is capa-
ble of operating two valves.
3.Repeat for all used stations.
4.Attach the valve common wire to one of the two common terminals in the same way.
5. If your system includes a master valve or a 24 volt pump start relay, connect the
wire from that device to the MV (master valve) terminal on the controller the same
way you connected the other wires.
Note: MV2 (master valve 2) is enabled when any station operates. MV1 (master valve
Personal Wiring Notes:
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Insertion of the Valve Wire:

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Grounding Connections
The ESP-MC is equipped with built-in electrical surge protection. For this system to
function, the earth ground terminal on the controller must be connected to a ground
rod that is driven into the earth.
Important: Use a #10 (6 mm) or #8 (10 mm) bare wire to connect the controller to the
ground-rod. Use a standard copper clad, 5/8" (1.6 cm) diameter, 8 ' (0.6 m) long rod.
To connect the ground wire,
1. Feed the ground wire up through the large hole at the bottom of the controller cabi-
net (the same hole used for the valve wires).
2.Loosen the screw on the copper earth ground terminal and place the ground wire
into the terminal. Tighten the screw so that the ground wire is secure.
Connections to the Main Power Source
The three main power input wires for the standard 117 volt, 60 Hz/AC transformer are
black, white, and green. The international version 230 volt, 50 Hz wires are black,
white, and green and yellow. These wires exit the controller through the smaller hole
at the bottom of the controller cabinet.
Important: The wires that connect the controller to the main power source must be in-
stalled in a conduit other than the one that contains the field wires.
Insertion of the Ground Wire:
Location of Junction Box:

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To connect the power input wires to the main power source,
1. Connect a junction box to the transformer nipple. To do this, place the junction box
on the nipple, then thread the washer on. Twist it to tighten.
2. If you have the standard 117 volt, 60 Hz model, use wire nuts to connect the black
wire to the power source hot wire, the white wire to the common wire, and the green
wire to the ground wire.
OR
If you have a 230 volt, 50 Hz model, use wire nuts to connect the black wire to the
power source hot wire, and the white to the power source common wire. Connect
the green and yellow wire to the ground wire.
3.Close the junction box.
4.Install a conduit for the wires from the power source to the junction box.
Main Power Wire Connections:
Connections to an Optional Sensor
The ESP-MC controller allows you to connect an optional sensor. The ESP-MC works
with any open or closed switch sensor such as the Rain Bird Raincheck.
Important: The wires you use to connect the controller to the sensor must be ap-
proved for underground use. See the Rain Bird catalog for exact wire specifications.
Important: The sensor wires should be installed in a conduit other than the one that
contains the wires to the main power source.
To connect the sensor’s wires to the controller:
1.Remove the yellow jumper wire between the two sensor terminals.
2. Strip 1/2” (1.3 cm) from the end of the sensor wires. Insert one wire to each of the
sensor terminal holes. If the wire does not enter securely into the hole, press down
on the orange lever as you insert the wire.

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Connecting the sensor’s wires to the controller (Continued)
3. Route the wires out of the controller through the large hole at the bottom of the con-
troller cabinet
4.Connect the other end of the wires to the sensor’s valve common terminals or wires.
5.Follow the sensor’s directions for placing and connecting the sensor’s probes and
for setting the shutoff level, if appropriate.
Putting the Controller Back Together
Congratulations! You have completed the mounting and wiring of your new ESP-MC
controller. To put the controller back together:
1. Replace the controller’s face plate by slipping it into the hinges.
2. Plug the two-wire connector and the ribbon cable connector back into the terminal
board.
3. Detach the recharging clip from its retainer at the back of the face plate. Snap the
recharging clip onto the 9 volt battery supplied. Then push the battery into the bat-
tery holder.
The ESP-MC fully charges the nickel metal hydride, 9 volt battery in about 48 hours
and continues to charge the battery whenever the controller is supplied with power.
The 9 volt battery provides power for keeping track of what cycle is in progress
when there is a power outage. The 9 volt battery also allows the controller to be
programmed when the face plate is detached from the cabinet. This feature lets the
installer walk a site while setting watering times and schedules.
Note: The ESP-MC also has a built-in lithium battery that provides for non-volatile
program memory.
Warning! Do not use an alkaline battery in the controller; alkaline batteries can cause
an explosion.
4.Re-attach the controller door to its hinges.
Sensor Wire Connection (Step 1):